Evening journal., 1897-05-20
ACKLAN DIVORCE BILL.
Former Proceedings Declared
to Have Been Irregular.
REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE

oVERRULED IN REFUSING TO
RECONSIDER THE BILL-BIG
FIGHT BEING MADE TO HAVE
IT PASSED.
Stan Correspondence Evening Journal.
Dover, May 20.-Horace G. Knowles
and Josiah Marvel, attorneys Tor Mrs. |
Laura c. Acklan, were here yesterday
and pursued a new line to get her di |
vorcs bill before the House. They
made arrangements to have the bill
reported by the Divorce Committee
holding that Il had not been called out
of the committee and could not there
fore lie dead They characterized the
whole proceeding of the House as ir-
regular and unfair
The result of this was that the Ack-
Ian divorce bill was declared to bel
again in the hands of the committee.
and on next Monday at 1.3O o'clock,
Mrs. Aollan will appear before the
members of the House I'm the State
House parlor and explain that she had
nothing to do with the newspaper ar
ticles impeaching tho character of
members of the House.
Tho House reversed the ruling OF
Speaker Pro TEN HAZEL yesterday at
ternoOn and Mrs. Acklan once more
has q fighting chance to secure her di-
vorce.
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Mccullough
moved that the motion to indefinitely
postpone and to reconsider the motion
TO postpone be expunged from the
journal OF the House.
Mr.. Hazel, who was in the chair,
ruled that no bill could be reconsidered
twice, and therefore the Acklan bill
was dead for this session.
An objection to this ruling was
made by Mr.. Donaldson. He said he
would not vote to pass the divorce bill,
but he considered the action OF last
Thursday irregular In character The
bill had been referred to the commit
tee and should have been called from
the hands OF the committee before the
motion for indefinite postponement
was madel AS the motion was irregu-
lar he thought It was but right that II
be expunged.
Mr. Mccullough explained that was
the opinion Of the Senate, and it would
like to have the matter cleared up by
the House, especially as Mrs. Acklan
was desirOus Of making an explanation
on Monday.
Mr.. HAZEL declared that the bill was
in the possession of the House when
the indefinite postponement was made
and II could dispose of it as it saw fit
BY Unanimous vote the House had
declared that all further action on the
bill was indefinitely postponed. Fail
ure of the motion TO reconsider the
vote had killed the BILL
Exception TO the ruling of the chair
was taken by Mr. Adams, who declared
IIntfen uhAsln moi form nVpitf.
dices in matters Of that kind. A mo
ton To ihdehnitely postpone after {
bill has gone to committee is out O
order until the committee has made
its report. The proper procedure woulC
have been to have waited until suci
time Mrs. Acklan had not been giver
fair play. The action should be eX'
plunged and Mrs. Acklan given an op.
portunity to explain her position.
"The bill was reported by join
committee and It was irregular 10 refer
a bill to the same committee twice S,
far as action was concerned saiC
Speaker HAZEL.
Mr.. Mccullough said that he haC
never reported the bill to the Hous,
because It had never reached his nands
Mr.. Adams then held that the bill
should be in the hands OF the commit
tee in order that 1t might make a re
port
1.-The committee is the creature o
the House, said Mr.. Johnson, and sub
ject IN all respects to the orders OF tn
House, which can dispose of bill a
any time"
After some more remarks by Messrs
Adams, Dempsey HAZEL and McCul
Tough. Mr.. Mccullough appealed fron
the decision of the chair
Mr. johnson moved TO lay the mo
ton on the table, but there being n
second the vote was ordered on III
appeal which was sustained by th
following vote:
Aye -(sustaining the chair
Cheairs, Eliason. l.. S. Hopkins. John
son. Smith, whitney, Dempsey, MI
Speakers.
Nay-(to sustain McCuilOugh) j.
Messrs Adams. Davis, Donaldson
Dukes, j. II. Hopkins, Martin, McCo,
Mccullough, Short, Taylor and ThomT
son-11.
Absent--Mr. Wilson.
The record OF the motion 20 indef
nitely postpone was then ordered ea
plunged by vote of Is to 5.
Mr.. Mccullough then announced ths
Mrs. Acklan would be here on Monda.