The news & observer., 1897-02-05
Democratic Members From
Mecklenburg Turned Out.
~ GO; BUT | WILL RETURN
THAT is WHAT EITHER OR BOTH
COULD HAVE SAID.
TRY TO TABLE PERSONS BILL
The Senate Spent Much of the Time
Tablirg 8iHs Introduced by the
Colored Senator From Edge
c5fahe--Eie Scores Re-
publican Members.

The House met dI ~ OtioCh anu htN.
Mr.. eileen offered prayer.
Majority and minority reports of the
committee on Privileges and Elections
were submitted on the Mecklenburg cleo
ton contest case; the majority favoring
Clanton and Williamson, the contestants,
and the minority favoring Reid and
Ransom. the sitting members.
Bills and resolutions were introduced
as follows:
BY Cunningham, for relief of sheriff
Carson of Person
BY Crews, to prohibit the working of
females on the chain gang at Oxford.
BY Hodges, to allow Beaufort to levy
special tax.
By Aiken, to protect the insect-eating
birds.
By Pagan. to amend the charter of
the Dennis Simmons Lumber Company
Bv Sutton. of Cumberland, to prohibit
the running at large of live stock III
Gross Greek township, Cumberland
county: also a resolution providing that
the Speaker shall appoint special COM
mittee of three to which all bills relating
to a Code Commission shall be referred;
also a bill creating Code Commission
(The resolution was, under a suspension
of the rules, adopted.l
McCrary (resolution), to print copies OF
all the leases of the North Carolina KAN
road.
BY Smith, to protect the lives OF per-
sons travelling on railways; also for the
protection of wives.
Rv Blackburn, to forbid minors from
entering and loafing in bar-rooms.
Ry Alexander. of TyrrelL for the relief
of certain Confederate soldiers.
By Pinnix, resolution, to request the
hursar Of the University to report as re-
quired by law.
Rv Leak. to allow Arson county to
levy a special tax.
BY Arledge, to amend the charter OF
Columbus, Polk county.
By Hancock, to provide for and pro-
mote the oyster industry of North Caro-
lima. Ordered printed)
By Marlborough, to allow Caswell coun-
ty to levy special tax.
By Hodges, to repeal the charter of the
GAINESVILLE and Washington Railroad,
and to allow Beaufort county to levy 4
special tax.
Smiths bill to protect the lives OF rail-
who maliciously places any obstacle upon
the track of any railway with intent 70
wreck or damage or displace any railway
engine train or ear, with intent to take
the life of any person travelling on any
such train. etc, and any person who
shall maliciously remove any part of any
railway track or the road-hed thereof
with intent to damage, displace or TO
wreck any train, etc, or with intent U
take the life of any person travelling on
such train, ETC., shall, upon conylction'
be punished in the penitentiary Tor me-
but If by reason of any OF the oifenses
named above any person loses MS he
any person causing such loss OF lfe, ana
any person abetting or aiding III, the com
mission of the offense shall suffer death
nor shall it be necessary TO prove eA
press malice; any person who makes an
attempt to commit any Of the above Of
fenses shall be imprisoned not less thai,
five nor more than thirty years.
Alexander, of Tyrell, Republican,,
rising to a question of personal privilege
said he was said by this mornings News
and Observer to have attended the
Populist caucus last night, and said Alex
ander, of Mecklenburg, was the man
meant
On Cooks motion the House took up
the Mecklenburg election case. He ask
ed that each side be given one hour.
Duffy and Cunningham protested against
so short a time, and so did Blackburn.
and finally Cook agreed to make it an
hour and half, as they requested. For
this Duffy and Cunningham expressed
their thanks
The report of the majority, signed by
Cook as chairman, and of the minority.
signed by Duffy, Cunningham, Ferguson
and Creech, were read.
Cook opened the argument and declar-
ed the contestee had established no case
of merit, though able attorneys had pre-
sented their side of the case. He de-
clared that if condition OF political af-
fairs worse than that in Pineville pre-
cinct, Mecklenburg county, could be
found, he was profoundly sorry. He re-
viewed the 300 pages Of evidence. He
said a new order of things had taken
place in North Carolina, but these peo-
pie in Pineville precinct had not heard Of
it. He said the trial was by "lawless
and usurpious election board;" that this
house he thanked God, could count the
votes which were not counted there.
Duffy, Of Onslow, opened the minority
report, and said he asked simply for jus
tice in the case, and did not appeal to
party or to prejudice but to the fair
mindedness Of this House. He said thir-
ty days notice was necessary in a con-
test. He declared that no evidence had
been introduced to show intimidation at
the polls. He positively denied any evi-
dence of a conspiracy as TO PineviIle
township. He ridiculed Cooks descrip-
tion of midnight marauders, masked and
dressed like women, who Cook said were
white men and had entered a woman's
house, and said the men who the woman
and her son saw were the assailants. all
proved good character and the contest
ants admitted this fact He declared
that if the report of the majority was
adopted, Mecklenburg, the birth
place OF liberty would be
come the death-place of law. He as
sumed that the staying away from the