The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-18
BAD DEFEAT FOR BLALoCK.
FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY
WIN THE DAY IN THE HOUSE.

Hammond and DIR. FELTON, Make
strong Speeches in Defense of
the institution.
Atlanta, Ga, Nov. 17.-To-day was given
over to the state university in the legisla-
ture After a stubborn fight the House
receded from its original position, limit
ing the university trustees to an appear
ance before that body as a committee of
the whole and concurred in the Senate
resolution providing for joint session. As
expected. Mr.. Blalock. the leading spirit
of the House committee, which fathered
the criticism on the university, undertook
10 hold the House to its former action and
made a harsh sounding speech when he
saw the changing sentiment He opposed
a Joint session, even if it had the appear
ance Of discourtesy to the Senate. because
he wished the privilege of cross-examin-
ing the university champions. He evil
IDENTIFY had loaded himself for them, be-
gieving that he could rattle all corners,
end the apparent disposition of the House
to sacrifice him in his personal desire to
play to the grand-stand through courtesy
40 the Senate and justice to the trustees,
made him more than commonly choloric.
Just here it may be stated that the atti-
tude Mr.. Blalock has taken toward the
Senate may result in the refusal of that
body to pass the appropriation for the per
diem and expenses of the Blalock com,
mittee last summer. The member from
Fayette has made himself particularly OBJ
feso
cradle talk of this sort some of the Of
Tended senators being anxious to play for
even with him.
Shortly after the House was called TO
order Mr.. Little of Muscogee secured the
suspension of the convict matter and NOV
ed to take up the Senate resolution pro
Viding for a joint session at 1890 o'clock
TO hear from the university trustees.
Mr. Oliver of Burke Immediately moved
TO make the hour 7:30 o'clock, this being
part Of the tactics of the BlalOck contin-
gent.
Mr.. Meldrim made an eloquent plea for
a hearing, supporting the motion of Mr..
Little as the proper courtesy due the Sen
ate.
Mr.. Copeland of Walker also spoke in
favor of the Joint session, and then Mr..
Blalock, flushed and angry, took the floor
aud proceeded to go at the Senate and its
would show discourtesy TO the Senate in
failing to concur with the resolution fix
ing the time for the hearing at the morn
ing session. He called attention to the &C
ton of the Senate the other day in chang
ing the time for hearing the address of
Chancellor Boggs, which was fixed by the
House resolution for II o'clock. Was not
this discourtesy to the House, he asked.
When he offered his resolution provid-
ing for the hearing before the committee
of the whole Mr.. Blalock said, he wished
to put questions to the trustees Il wish
10 ask them" continued Mr.. Blalock,
''why 1t is that one of their faculty is to
he turned off. l desired to know why at
this particular time he was to be turned
off" This was a reference to the report
published to-day that Prof. Hunnicutt,
who has for several years held the chair
of agriculture al the university, had re-
ceived notice that the chancellor would
ask the trustees to declare that chair va
want alleging incompetency as the cause.
AT this juncture Mr.. Knowles of Fulton
called the previous question, and Mr. Char-
ters of Lumpkin then offered an amend
ment fixing the time for the joint hearing
at IL o'clock The hands of the clock
showed that it was but six minutes to that
hour, the time first fixed having been pass
ed over during the debate. Mr.. Charters
amendment was put and carried with APP
plause The vote was 81 to 81, which was
a victory in the first round for the friends
of the university.
The skirmish was hot. but the result was
gratifying to those members who stood up
for the rights of the university. The reso-
luton as changed was Immediately return
ed to the Senate and that body promptly
accepted the changed hour, which was al
ready at hand. This done the senators
marched across the capitol and took their
to- e
the university from it's trustees. Gov. At
kinson accompanied the trustees
into the hall and sat with them during
the addresses.
Hon. N. j. Hammond president of the
board, was the spokesman, but after he
was through, a democratic scene was en-
acted when the venerable DIR. w. Fl. Eel
ton was called for by the members.
In the opening. Col. Hammond said:
81 am the mouthpiece by authority of the
board of trustees of the university. No
man of them has any personal interest.
No man of them gets any pay, except oc-
casional thanks and much criticism. l be-
lieve every man who feels unkindly to
the university does so because he is mis-
informed, or uniformed
Col. Hammond read the resolution Gre
ating the Blalock committee and asked
what reason the trustees had to suppose
that more than the finances of the uni
versity should be investigated. He said
further that the trustees invited the COM
mittee to come to the university when the
trustees were in session. 1t was not the
fault of the trustees that they were not
present, especially in view of that fact
that the trustees were not notified of the
committees meeting.
Mr.. Hammond called attention to the
fact that the chancellor was not allowed
TO address the general assembly in the
day time In view of the importance of
that interest to the present and to pos
terity, he begged that hereafter the chan
cellor when he comes under the statute
should be heard in the day time He said
the trustees of the state university had no
enmity and had never made any fight on
the sectarian institutions of the state.
+ This portion of the address dealt with
facts of history and of present times If
the state should propose now. he said, to
exempt other property of these schools
from taxation, the trustees would vote
as any other private citizens. He said
these things in vindication of any charge
of hostility toward the sectarian schools
by friends of those institutions. This was
intended as a reply to the recent address
of Emorys president before the general
assembly.
Col. Hammond cited the endowment his
fnr nf no Of 81