The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-26
TEMPEST OF THE TARHEELERs
THE LAWMAKERS TRY TO EXPLAIN
THE DOUGLASS INCIDENT.

They Now Claim That They Did Not
Adjourn as n Mark Of Respect 10
the Dead Negro OratOr-Thc House
shows That IL DId Adjourn I'M
Honor 0f Lee and Washington.
The Explanation in the Douglass
Case Not Entirely Satisfactory TO
the critics.
Raleigh. n. C.. Feb. 25.-To-day Wit
messed the most exciting and spirited de-
bate yet held IN the House. The eplthets
'1lar" and "falsehood" were banded
about pretty freely. though in a rather
indefinite way. and no personal difioulty
ensued.
The cause of the hot debate was the
following resolution which was introduced
by Mr.. Lusk. rep. Of Buncombe county,
in reference to the Fred Douglass mat
ter:
Whereas. the democratic press have
willfully and mallciously charged and
published that the general assembly of
1895 refused to adjourn out OF respect to
the memory Of the birthday Of washing-
ton and Lee, but did adjourn out OF re-
spect to the memory Of Fred Douglass.
and,
whereas. by such false statements
they have reflected upon the dignity and
purpose Of the present House. and,
whereas, the facts in the case are aa
follows; That on the 18th day Of Jan 1895.
that Mr. French offered the following
resolution:
Resolved, BY the House OF Represen-
tauves. the Senate coneurring that when
this House adjourns, II adjourns 10 meet
Monday at p. m.
Mr. French moved to suspend the rules,
which was done, and the resolution was
adopted without a dissenting vote, and
sent TO the Senate for concurrence, which
resolution the journal shows was adopted.
This resolution being noncurried IN BY
tho Senate the House met next morn
ing at tho usual hour, and after being In
session less than half an hour, on motion
OF Mr. Young OF Wake the House adj
iourned out of respect to the memory oe
Robert e. Lee, the same being his birth
day.
''on the 2ist day Of February a resolu-
tion to adjourn from Thursday until SAT-
urday, out OF respect to the memory OF
George Washington, was offered by Mr..
Williams OF Craven. and was passed by a
very large majority The same was not
concurred In by the Senate The House
met next day as usual, a motion was made
by Mr.. Lusk to adjourn out OF respect to
the memory OF George Washington, the
same being his birthday, and the same
was adopted unanimously; and,
Whereas, On the .21st day OF February,
a resolution was offered by Mr. Crews OF
Granville. that the House adjourn at 13
O'Clock out Of respect to the memory OF
Fred Douglass. when his sudden death
had just been announced.
THE House did not agree to adjourn at
this hour, but when the purpose OF tho
motion was explained as to simply give
publicity TO the sudden and unexpected
death OF this distinguished deceased, II
was concurred in by all parties. and as a
matter Of fact. the House did not ad-
Journ until thirty-seven minutes after
the time required by the rules for adj
journment; now. therefore, be It.
Resolved. That In the interest OF truth
and the accuracy Of history the utter
ances and expressions of the democratic
press In this connection are denounced as
unjust, untrue, misleading, malicious and
libelous.
Resolved, further. That this record, as
above recited, and these resolutions be
spread upon the minutes OF the House,
Though no denial is made In the above
resolutions Of the fact that the legislature
adjourned in honor of Fred Douglass. II
is declared that that body did adjourn
IN honor Of Lee and Washington
In reference to the first named, this is
utterly false, as Is shown by the daily
newspaper reports OF all the political par
ties of that date The House journal of
that date is generally believed to have
been doctored. 1t Is well known that the
House refused to adjourn In honor of
Washington till severely castlgated for
their action by the newspapers and public
generally.
The debate consumed the whole day,
and though the democratic leaders clear
ly showed by both democratic and popullst
papers, that the resolution was false it
was passed by strict party vote OF
So to q.