The news & observer., 1897-03-06

Hell broke loose in the House yesterday
morning.
Everything had been running smoothly
until noon.
The considerati ton of the lease bill was
made special order at that hour. A few
minutes before noon, Jim Moody and
Private Secretary Miller walked into the
House, gave their instructions to Black
burn and other railroad managers on the
floor what to do in the last act in the lease
row.
Two minutes before IL Mr. Sutton
of Cumberland was recognized and began
an argument quoting from Supreme Court
decisions, showing that in several instan-
ces upon important questions the Legisla-
ture had asked and received the opinion
of the Supreme Court As he proceeded,
Mr. Blackburn, after standing in chair,
waving his hands, and raising cain gem
orally. was recognized by the acting
Speaker Cook of Warren, who
was in the chair, to make
a point of order He raised the point that
the hour for the special order had ar
rived 1t took him three minutes to make
this point of order because forty members
were ON the floor, clamoring for recogni-
ton. shouting one thing and another,
some demanding the special order and
some demanding order. The aisles We're
full of members and lobbyists, and the
racket was greater than was ever before
known in a legislative hall in North Caro-
lima.
But this was mere zephyr compared
to the storm that was to follow.
The presiding officer. after the hub
bub'' had subsided sufficiently to make
himself heard by yelling at the top of
his voice, said: 'AThe point of order made
by the gentleman from Ashe is well
taken"
Mr.. Sutton was then recognized, but
Mr.. Blackburn declared that the chair
had recognized him.
AL the Suttonites shouted that Sutton
had the floor.
All the Bbacl1burnites shouted that
Blackburn had the floor.
As matter of fact, fifty members,
standing ON desks and chairs, swearing
cursing and "hollerin," had the floor, and
the chamber and everything else in sight.
There was no floor for anybody to
have.
1t was seething scene Of unutterable
confusion, half of the members acting
like a set of escaped lunatics,
During this pandemoniun, Black
burn. without recognition, made
q motion to concur i'm the
Grant substitute of the Senate, but
he had as well have been speaking to the
whirlwinds
Mr.. Sutton, with the recognition of the
chair, moved to postpone the consideration
of the Senate substitute until
the Supreme Court had given its
opinion upon the validity of the provisions
of the substitute But if he had talked
into cyclone, he would have had equal
chance of a hearing.
During the melee, Alexander, of Tyr
rell moved that the House adjourn until
3 O'Clock. Hancock seconded it.
Mr.. Sutton was still speaking on his
proposition and claiming recognition.
Blackburn was still waving his arms,
and yelling that he had the floor.
Everybody else, except a section of
quiet Democrats and majority Populists,
were raising as much row as possible,
and nobody was listening to anybody else.
A visitor, who happened to be present,
would have thought it a company Of
muttering apes.
And still the row went on. After the
presiding officer had almost beaten his
gavel into a jelly and the Eghtenings
had flashed and the thunders began to
roar, he recognized Alexander, of Tyrrell
forty more members at the same time
clamoring for recognition) who again yell
ed motion to adjourn till three o'clock.
The motion was put.
There was a thunder Of "ayes" and
yells.
'All opposed" said the Speaker.
There was thunder of noes and
yells.
''The motion is carried" said Presiding
officer Cook, "and the House is ad iourned
until three o'clock" So saving he
dropped the gayel, and left the Speakers
stand.
If anybody thought the previous pro-
ceedings were riotous, they soon found
that they had been tame and mild in
comparison with the hell that now broke
loose.
There were yells (''cries" would not des
cribe it) for division
''IIhis is damnable"
'tCook is worse than Tom Reed
''You are a dn little railroad lick
spittle.'
"We viii not submit TO such tyranny"
And other like expressions which could
scarcely be heard mingled with denuncia-
tions, swearing. bafiied rage. indignation, I
and denunciation that at one time |
threatened to result in Kilkenny cat
fight.
The Blackburnites swore that Cook had
declared the House adjourned when the
vote was against adjournment. And
their expressions were too sulphurous
TO be printed i'm a decent family journal
like we are running.
The Co0kites swore that the motion to
adjourn had been voted upon, fairly
passed, regularly declared, and that any
such riotous proceedings as were going
ON We're revolutionary, and destructive of
all order
Both sides churned up and down the
aisles, cursing and foaming at the mouth
While the tempest was at its height.
Private Secretary Miller, Jim Moody
and Hezekiah Gudger-the Southern
TgafIvgay's Big Thrpp-pnovnd about a.