The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-01-12
The LEGISLATURE
IS CONVENED
Joseph Simon Elected President Of the
Senate and That Body Organized.
EXCITEMENT IN THE HOUSE
Attempt to Organize over the Head Of
the Temporary chairman-cries
Of "RevoIutionists."

Special 10 the Astorian.
Salem. January 1.-THE 18th Biennial
session Of the Oregon legislature con-
vened today.
The senate organized by the election
Of Joseph Simon president. and S. L.
Morehead OF Lane county chief clerk.
The house elected Davis, Of Umatilla.
temporary speaker. who appointed a
committee on credentials. Adjourn
ment was then taken until 7;50 p. m.
The house was called TO order at 7:sO
by the speaker pro TEN. Lake, Of Ben
ton. moved to appoint committee Of
three to ascertain how soon the com
mlttee on credentials should be ready
a surprise. He moved as an amend
meut that the credentials committee be
discharged and that the commonly pub
lished list OF members be elected mem
bers Of the house. This motion Davis
attempted to rule out Of order. saying
the constitution OF the state required
that two-thirds Of the members elected
only can organize the house. SOmers
appealed from the chairs decision and
II was overruled by a viva voce vote
II was then ascertained that there
were but thirty-one members present;
nevertheless the speaker was overruled
and Somers' substitute was carried.
The members therefore declared the
house organized. A copy of the con-
stitution was brought and ii appeared
tnat the chair was right in deciding
that two thirds Of all the members
elected were necessary to constitute
a quorum. The chair ruled all pro-
ceedings out Of order. and there was no
objection. Meanwhile the Populists,
Democrats. Bourne men. and several
Republicans had left in a body. The
roll call showed only thirty present, no
quorum.
Urea. Of Ciackamas. came in and ask
ed IL the committee on credentials had
been discharged. He was told that it
had not At this point Bridges. OF
Douglass. moved that Riddle be SUBJ
stituted as speaker for Davis. This
brought Uren excitedly to his feet and
he cried out that no one but revolu-
tionist would ever dare make such
motion. Somers, Of Linn. jumped up
amid great uproar, and shaking his
fist at Uren shouted something unin-
telligible about Uren being himself
revolutionist. There followed great ex-
citement, and an uproarous colloquy
between Uren and Somers, who were
wildly shaking fists at each other. The
disorder subsided in few minutes and
then Crawford. of Douglass. himself
put the motion to make Riddle speaker.
This move on the part of Crawford
was received with wild applause by the
lobby. But the whole proceedings rap
idly degenerated into a farce. and al
though Crawford declared Riddle elect
ed that gentleman laughingly refused
to take the chair, and affairs remained
in statue quo.
The chief feature of today's session
was the failure Of the house to organ
ize thus delaying the vote on United
States senator for one week The stat
ute provides that the vote for senator
cannot be held before the second Tues
day after organization. The main OBJ
ject in delaying organization today was
to gain time for those opposed to the
reelection of Senator Mitchell. The
speakership contest has narrowed down
to Bourne and Benson. with Riddle
holding the balance of power. Bourne
scored a victory today in the failure of
the house to organize. Benson's forces
were cleverly out-witted and Bourne
secured three members of the creden-
tials committee. Benson is assured Of
thirty votes, just one short Of majority
and it remains to be seen whether he
can secure the needed vote.
1t is claimed at the Mitchell head
quarters tonight that fifty signatures
have been secured in favor Of caucus
on the senatorial question.