The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-06

Murphy led him to the speakers desk
Mr. Freeman did not take the chair,
| but stood at the end Of the desk.
The ssemblage was now a mob.
The galleries fairly bulged with wild,
excited spectators. The uproar reached
the senate. and senators poured into
the hall of the house.
Suddenly Mr.. Lusk rushed to the
'front.' and leaning over the desk at
which the correspondents Of news
papers were seated, raised his arms
high above his head and in his loudest
voice shouted as he looked at Mr.. Free
man at the speakers desk: Il protest.
In the name OF North Carolina 1 pro-
test. This is treason. This is revolu-
tion We ought to send for a force to
clear this hall and to stop these riot
Gus and revolutionary proceedings. Be
ashamed OF yourselves. Be men," All
this was said with rising voice to the
accompaniment OF yelis and cries
/ which stunned the ear.
MI. Alexander. rushing up even near
er the desk, shook his fist at Mr.. Free
man. His eyes flashed with anger:
Come down from that place." he
cried. You are a usurper You are a
traitor"
The factions, all party lines broken
roared and glareq at each other. An
/. cry words passed and repassed.
Suddenly H. A. Gudger appeared
while Mr.. Freeman was speaking and
stood beside him. Mr. Freeman was
entreating the house to be quiet, to
listen to him. Il am not going to hurt
you,'' he cried
Gudger leaned over the desk and
said: Now boys let's all leave.'
Freeman said: Don't get excited.
This is small matter The journal
shows we have taken a recess until 3
o'clock
Claud DOckery walked near the
clerks desk and said: "Gentlemem hear
me. We will settle this matter at this
session OF the Legislature and fairly,
but protest against this revolutionary
business"
Mr.. Freeman stepped down at :12
o'clock. The whole affair had occupied
but nine minutes, but minutes seemed
hours
| There were cries, Freeman ought to
| be impeached." There were others,
Cook must be impeached. He is not
| our speaker. He will not act fairly"
There were loud curses Of Cook, who
! by this time had left the hall, for his
ignoring the demand for a division on
the vote to adjourn. Mr.. Cooks parti-
sans declared he had a perfect right to
declare the house adjourned.
| Mr.. Blackburn sprang on the desk
and shouted: Give us lair play. We
won't be gagged
The anti-Cook men declared he knew
| the substitute supporters were in the
majority and had won the fight.
| Speaker Hileman, as matters Quieted,
| walked around to the reporters desk
| and spoke of his hoarsness. He was
! very calm.
| By 1925 o'clock barely a dozen men,
! bers were in the hall. The lately gorged
galleries were empty. The quiet after
the storm was almost startling. Out
from the capitol the people poured.
Groups OF excited takers were seen
/ everywhere. Anti-Cook men said: s'His
! conduct made us ten votes.'
Governor Russell was in his uffice
beneath the hall. At the first roar
above his head he thought the build
ing was falling. Then he ran out and
up stairs; nor did he stop until he
reached the head Of the stairway on
the second floor. There he met the ad-
vance guard Of the people rushing out
of the hall and found what the trouble
really was.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At o'clock Speaker Hileman called
the house to order. The proceedings
, began tamely. The speaker was SO
hoarse he could scarcely be heard.
Mr.. Parker, of Perquimans, sent in a
report of the committee ON penal in
stitutions.
Mr.. Blackburn moved that the spe-
cial order be taken up as unfinished
business-the senate substitute for the
, lease bill.
Mr.. Alexander at once said:~"I move
to adjourn until O'clock
Mr.. Murphy seconded Mr.. Black
burns motion.
Mr.. Hancock said: "a motion is made
to take up unfinished business. Now
rise to question the motion of Mr..
Y h.,1-v to fh<a of
the motion. There was no unfinished
, business when the house adjourned" /"
Mr.. Brewer said he thought the leg
islature was acting under parliament
ary rules; that the Reed rules were
the latest; that these provided that the
that the unfinished business was Mr..
Blackburn's motion to concur in the
senate substitute to the lease bill. He
asked for a ruling.
The speaker said Mr. Blackburn 8
motion was before the house.
Mr.. Sutton, of Cum berland, said the
substitute was not before the house.
that it was not an original bill. but a
new bill.
The speaker said that while the sub
stitute was made the special order, the
committee was not ordered to report
the bill and no motion made to in
; struct the committee to report.
Mr.. Cook insisted that a grave con-
stitutiOnal question was involved; that
the bill was not constitutional is
now under advisement
Mr.. Murphy said the bill was made
the special order for today; that the
order was mandatory to the commit
tee. express and direct, to report the
bill today at noon; that the bill was
before the house.
Mr.. Lusk said the committee should
not be asked to report until it has the
written advice OF the supreme court: :
that to take another course would out
rage the committee and make it violate
its conscience. On the resolution to re-
quest the supreme court to give it's
opinion tomorrow morning the commit
tee can be ordered to report the bill.
He urged that the motion OF Mr.
Blackburn go over and that the resolu-
ton be adopted.
Mr. Dockery wanted to know what
assurance there was that the supreme
court would report within the next ten
days or two weeks
Mr.. Sutton. OF Cum mberland, said the
supreme po1lrf had