The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-20
BUSINESS ODDLY BLOCKED.
LOWER HOUSE HELD Up TWO
HOURS BY Loss OF a PAPER.

II Contained the Removal Notice in
the DcKaIb County Court House
Fight and Had to he Produced Be
fore the Bill Could he Acted on.
Parliamentary Rules Made 1t Inn
possible to Take Up other business.
Decntur Wins After the Breaking
of the Deadlock.
Atlanta, Ca, Nov. 19.-For nearly two
hours to-day the House of Representa-
tives was held up in a state Of helpless
paralysis by the displacement Of a little
country newspaper. Business was block
ed effectually.
BY a peculiar point of parliamentary law
the House could neither go forward with
the bill under consideration, nor could it
be dropped and another taken up.
The clerks hunted everywhere for the
missing paper without success, and the
paralysis was only relieved by the arrival
of another copy from the town of Deca-
tur. six miles away. when messenger had
been dispatched in the commencement of
the parliamentary tangle.
The cause of the strange predicament
IN which the House found itself was the
bill to remove the county site of DeKalb
county from Decatur to Stone Mountain.
The fight began a year ago the people OF
the county having voted in favor of the
removal but the courts were appealed TO,
and the removal prevented. When notice
was given of the bill to remove the site,
which was introduced at this session of
tai =
formidable lobby at the commencement
of the session and Decatur was forced to
do likewise in self-defense. Between the
two the members have been given little
peace. The fight became one of the most
exciting contests of the session. So in
tense was the interest worked up that
the convict question and all else was side
tracked for it this morning, and, conn.,
dent of success, the Stone Mountain con-
tingent forced the issue.
Several substitutes and amendments
were offered intended to compromise or
delay the matter, but all were voted down.
Finally, the previous question was called
on the bill, and then there was cOnsterna-
ton when it was discovered that the news
paper containing the nature of the bill,
which is required to be presented as
proper legal proof before any local meas
ure can be voted upon, was nowhere to
be found. Clerk Hardin asked a few min
utes' time to make a search, but the paper
had effectually disappeared
Then the House became involved in
state of hopeless confusion. Under par
liamentary rules no business could be
transacted after the previous question had
been called. except a vote on the bill in
hand and at the same time the bin could
not be voted upon because of the absence
of the newspaper containing the advertise
ment. For an hour and a half the House
wrestled with its perpleXity, and there is
no telling how it would have extrcated
itself had not a messenger arrived with
copy of the -wished-for paper. The
vote was then taken and Stone Mountain
lost for the lack of three votes to make
a constitutional majority. The galleries
were filled with Decatur and Stone Noun
tain people, and they let themselves out in
mingled applause and cries of disapproval
on the announcement of the result.
The Senate did little else to-day than
read bills a second time. When adjourn
ment was taken it was until Monday.
The following appointments sent in by
the governor were confirmed:
b. b. Bower. judge of the county court
of Decatur county.
F. R. Tarver, judge of the county court
of bingham county.
e. T. Shurley, solicitor of the county
court of Warren county.
Judge Bower was not an applicant for
the Decatur county judgeship and his APP
pointment was a surprise as there was
contest between several prominent law
yers for the place. His name was not con-
eidered by the governor until Col. Halves
of cambridge called on him this morning
and suggested him as the solution of the
contest. Judge Bower was for fourteen
years judge of the Albany circuit, and
only resigned last year because of the
press Of other business.