The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-02-25
WILL ATTEMPT
REORGANIZATION
Benson House Adjourned Sine Die, but
the Senate Meets Again.
MITCHELL's LAST HOPE GONE
New Basis Of Organization Proposed
Which May Prove Sue
cessful at Last
Special to the Astor4an.

Special 10 the AstOrian.
Salem. Oregon. February 2l.--sena-
tor Mitchell has altogether abandoned
has fight. The house and senate are
both left without a quorum 10 direct
bunlness. but active MEASURES to accom-
pllsh reorganization are already well
under way.
The breakup Of the joint assembly
caucus was the first event Of the day.
Il met a, . O'Clock and discussed in a
desult0ry manner 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 was
disoouraging and the members soca
quiz the attempt to agree on any pol
Icy. In the senate at noon President
Simon declared carried a simple motion
To adjourn. but the Mitchell men held
that. under the resolution adopted yes
teTday. II was the close OF the session.
and prepared to leave. The Benson
house dissolved al p. m. The Joint
convention az noon adopted a curious
procedure This was an attempt 10
force a ballot, for the very good reason
that II could not have been carried.
But a motion merely 10 adjourn was
quickly carried. The expected proce-
hn a. lIu
solve or 10 adjourn sine die The mo-
ton made In this form was the result
of deliberate oonsideration. as II was
designed 10 leave the way open for
meeting tomorrow, II deemed advisable.
At q subsequent conference It was
decided TO abandon the joint conven-
ton; and 80 Mitchelrs last hope was
thus surrendered Fourteen senators
responded 10 the roll calls This after
noon. This was six short 0f a quorum.
Attempts at reorganization, however,
will be LEFT largely to the house When
II is ready for business It is sntici-
pated that there will BE- very little
trouble in getting back enough sena-
tors to make up quorum OF twenty
All members Of the opposition. with
the exception Of several necessarily de-
tanned will respond to roll cali. A re-
cess will he taken till afternoon, so
that several absentees may have the
to come in. Th,s organiza-
ton will number about thirty. Formal
notice to attend Will be served upon
the remaining thirty. and there appears
to be good prospects THAI the necessary
forty can thus be prevailed upon TO
sions from members Of the late Bencon
house that they are now ready to go
in for another rganization on a rea-
snable basis. and Il is thought that the
plan to make up a quorum is altogether
feasible and likely to succeed. The sem
ATE will meet from day to day until the
house succeeds or fails.
When the senate met this morning
Reed insisted that the usual custom
Of dispensing with the reading of the
Journal be not followed, as he wanted
to be sure that the journal was correct d
Gowan from the special committee
made report recommending the fol-
lowing salaries: Chief clerk SS; assist /,
ant chief clerk. Sc; calendar clerk. Sc:
reading clerk. Sc; mailing clerk, 81;
Sergeant-at-aG'ns IS; doorkeeper, So
three pages for senate and one Tor state
printer, $3.50, When the chair called
the senate to order, Holt moved 10 ad-
journ. The chair was about to put
the motion when Patterson asked him
10 state the effect President Simon
made the statement that he was still
convinced that the action OF yesterday
was Illegal He intimated an adjourn
ment would not be sine die. The chair
then put the motion to adjourn amid
great objections and declared il carried.
Under. his ruling, this simply carried
the Session till o'clock this afternoon.
When the Benson house met at 10
,'clock this morning recess was at
,noe taken till IL O'Clock,
At IL O'Clock only "A were lpresent.
Somers introduced the usual resolution
hat committee consisting OF the
speaker and two members be appointed u
% examine and correct the journal
The chief clerk was added to the COM
nittee and provision was made that the
for this Service should
lot exceed four days. The resolution
rs amended was adopted. Smith of Ma
ion introduced a resolution fixing the
Day of clerks. A long wrangie ensued,
and the whole mater was finally re-
'erred to a special committee, which
exported fixing the compensation per
liem as follows: Chief clerk. 81; assist
Int chief clerk s.; reading clerk. So;
calendar clerk IS; sergeant-at-arms 81; {
sergeant-at-arms, "a; door
Keeper SO; pages, ST. Adopted, 20 ayes
md nays. 4
The usual motions Of thanks to the
'peaker to the Illihee Club. and to
,thers were made. Remarks by Craw-
ord, Chapman, Brown and others fol-
owed, and at l O'Clock the house ad- {
ourned sine die. Y
The joint convention met at 10 and 1