Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1897-03-05
ApJouRNep wTts2ur pAy.
The Benson House and Joint Conven-
tion Have Given Up.

A portion of the Oregon legislature
has decided to quit, The Benson house
and joint convention adjourned sine die
"Wednesday. This leaves both the
house and senate without quorum to do
business, but active measures to accom-
plish reorganization are well under way.
The breakup of the joint assembly
caucus was the first event of this very
important day. The assembly met at .
O'Clock and discussed in desultory
way the question of the legality of the
proposed adjournment. The matter OF
taking ballot for senator, whatever
number was present, was not even
brought up. The outlook seemed dis
couraging and the members soon quit
attempting to agree on any policy.
The original house met at 9:30
O'Clock, and, as usual, adjourned till
next day at the same hour.
The Benson house, senate and joint
assembly all convened at 10 o'clock.
The first held intermittent sessions un-
til the hour fixed for adjournment with
out day.
In the senate at noon President
Simon declared carried simple motion
to adjourn, but the Mitchell men held
that, under the resolution adopted the
day before, it was the close of the ses-
sion, and many of them left the city.
The Benson house, after fixing the
per diem and mileage of the members
and the pay of clerks, dissolved at
p. M.
An afternoon session OF the senate
was held, but fourteen members answer
ing roll call. This was six short of a
quorum.
The attempts at reorganization will
be confined largely to the house.
When it is ready for business, it is an
ticipated that there will be very little
trouble in getting back enough senators
to make up quorum of twenty.
Renewed Activity in the Davis House.
Senator Mitchell has apparently given
up the contest, as he returned to Port
land Thursday.
The Davis house had morning and
afternoon session, and twenty-seven
members responded to roll call. Three
absentees, Kruse, Lee and Riddle, were
accounted for. Immediately after the
morning session conference was held
and the situation was thoroughly can
vassed. 1t was agreed that reorganiza-
tion was not only possible, but prob
able, and much enthusiasm prevailed.
Individual members of the late Benson
house have given positive assurance
that they would return if the opposi-
tion went at matters in earnest and in
evident good faith. These promises
have been so numerous that members
of the house express themselves as en-
tirely confident of success. 1t is the
purpose merely to invite absentees to
join in the endeayor to secure remedial
legislation. The senatorial question
being ont of the way, the house has a
very fair chance Of organizing.
There were many new faces in the ori-
ginal house Thursday. For forty-fiye
days the majority of the opposition has
taken fugitive journeys to their desks
to see if there was any mail, to answer
letters, to read the papers, and to do
all other things which might safely be
done during a recess. Thursdaysit was
different. They showed up with
pleased smiles on their faces, and were
early in their seats.
AT $3.50 Temporary Speaker Davis,
who has performed the same duty for
forty-six consecutive days, mounted the
rostrum and called the house to order.
Clerk Moody called the roll and the
following responded to their names:
Barkley, Bayer, Bilyeu, Buckman,
Craig, Davis of Umatilla, Emery, Gill,
Hill, Houser, Jones, Maxwell, Nc
Alister, Misener, Munkers, Ogle,
Schmidtlein, Smith of Linn, Svendseth,
U,Ren, Whitaker--2l.
These %ere absent: Bourne, Davis
Of Multnomah, Dustin, Guild, Kruse,
Lee, Povey, Riddle, Yoakum-9.
Also these of the Benson house: Ben
son, Bridges, Brown, Chapman, Conn,
Crawford, David, Gratke, Gurdane,
Hogue, Hope, Hudson, Huntington,
Jennings, Lake, Langell, Marsh, Mer-
rill, Mitchell, Nosler, Palm, Rigby,
Smith, OF Marion, Somers, Stanley,
Thomas, Thompson, Vaughan, Vencss,
Wagner-30.
The nine absentees belonging to the
opposition were detained for various
reasons. Kruse has been sick for two
weeks with typhoid fever, and there is
no prospect that he can be present dur
ing the session. Povey and Davis of
Multnomah were at home, but are ex-
pected up. Lee was called to Junction
City by the illness of his aged mother
Bourne, Dustin, Guild and Yoakum
came in just too late. Riddle is in
Southern Oregon, but will return when
needed, it is said. The present men,
bership of the original house is thirty,
or precisely the same as the Benson or
ganization. Kruse being in the hos
pital, this number is reduced to twenty
nine. 1t is, therefore, necessary to get
eleven members Of the rival organiza-
tion to join before constitutional quo
rum can be secured.
Members Of the Benson house OF the
legislature have been presenting claims
for serving the state to Secretary Kin
caid, but the secretary has refused to