The sun., 1898-01-14
The COUNSEL FIGHT IS ON
Five Men Named by the Joint
Committee.
THE HOUSE REJECTS RICHARDS
The Law Dcbarring the Taking
Up of New Business Repealed
Yesterday.
Special to The SrS.
DOVER. Jan, l2.-Thc fight is on.

DOVER, Jan. l2-Thc fight is on
The first important business yet trans
acted in the General Assembly. and the
only business of any real significance $,
far was put under way this morning
when the Senate concurrcd in the amend
ment of the resolution regarding com
mittee to select counsel to revise the
laws under the new Con n.titltion.
The resolution as submitted by the
Senate stipulated two men from cacl
body. This was amended to read three
from the House and two from the Senate
The committee appointed in the House
were Demscy, l.. $. Hopkins and John
son. The two Senators were Fennlnorc
and Alrichs.
This committee was to confer and tu
settle upon the counsel and report back
to the assembly. They held their con.
ference, and at the afternoon session
submitted their report. The lawyers
named in the report were Ex-Judge
Charles M. Cullen and Charles +.
Richards from Sussex, John b. Pen
ington from Kent, Col. Benjamin Neilds
and William T. Lyman from New Castle.
This was one more man than was an.
tic;pated by the members Of the House
and also there was considerable objec-
tion raised on other accounts.
Representative HAZEL was especially
strong in his demand that the name Of
Mr.. Richards be dropped. He made a
singing speech on the ground that Mr..
Richards was not only one of the men
who drew up tile provisions of the new
Constitution, but in addition thereto e
was the paid attorney of one of the
largest corporations in the country. To
put him on that committee was simply
making an opening for corporation laws.
No corporation lawyer was wanted on
that committee. If Il fifth man was
needed there was the attorney of the
House, who was fully capable to act on
that committee He closed by moving
to amend the report by striking out the
name of Mr.. Richards.
Before the motion was put Dempsv
and Wilson and Il number OF others cX
pressed Themselves as Heartily opposed
to the employment OF corporation law
yer.
Mr.. johnson, who Loaded the House
portion Of the committee arose and re-
marked that the committee from the
House would vote inFfavnr of Mr.. Hazel $
motion to erase Mr., Richards name from
the list as they were not responsible for
his being there in the first place.
The motion was then put and carried.
The report as amended was then sub
mittcd to the Senate.
Then began the fight in the senate.
Senator Pyle sounded the note by en-.
tering a vigorous protest against tine en-
ploylnent OF corporation lawyers on the
committee. He had the highest opinion
of Mr.. Richards, both professionally Y and
\ personally. but his right to be on the
committee he questioned
and also protested against thc employ
mcnt Of Mr.. Richards Mr. Handy
made no secret "i his objection. He
objected to Mr.. Richards on the ground
a that his presence on the committee was
\ the direct result of visit and consllta-
4 ton made and held by paid agent Of
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
4 with n member OF the Senate. This he
asserted was not from hcarsay. lie had
seen and heard. He denied the right Of
Mr. Richards to be employed upon the
revision OF the laws cf the State.
IA Senator Alrich was OF the opinion that
lGMr Richards had as much right to be
Mon the committee as anyone Of the five
kNahat the fact of his being employed by
VIA corporation was no reason why he
'S%Vsshould lie Disseminated against. Cor
SaporHtlons in fact had as much right to
on the committee as any
sNSone else and certainly the other four
Els$were not of such small mental calibre us
lSStO let one man make laws that would be
favorable to any corporation,
Eya This discussion waxed warm and the
Ws9members of the House who were await.
II Ing the decision grew impatient, They
RfAnally adjourned until tomorrow morn.
ling, although the intention was to have
|SSadjourned tonight until Monday morn.
X ssSing.
" The Senate finally ended the discus.
N sion for the night by adopting the report
y with the name of Mr.. Richards retained.
This is not conclusive as to counsel to
be employed. The disposition IS tonight
to throw ont Republicans entitely and
appoint only Democrats, or albw each
committee to select its counsel.
In the House the usual routine bllow-
ed the meeting Of the body, at N1O.45
q. m.
The newly elected chaplain, Rev.
Charles |. Stengle, was absent and The
opening prayer was made by Rev. J. "
Beauchamp, of the Wilmington ConfW-
ence Academy. After the reading of thu
journal, Speaker Riggin submitted and
read the appointments of the standing
committees of the House rcassembled,
which were as follows
Rules. H. Hopkins, Donaldson,
Speaker Riggcn,
Revenue and Taxation-Don
johnson, Whitney, Adams, Hopkins.
Observation-Disclosures, Dempsey, Dukes,
Martin, HAZEL.
neutrality-suspicious., Wilson, Chcairs,
Mccullough. johnson.
Federal Relations-Dnkes, Hopkins
L. s. J, Mccoy.
Crime and Punislment--Davis, Short,
Mccullough, Taylor, Smith.
Accounts-Johnson, HAZEL, Donald
Jon, Eliason, Thompson.
Claims-McCoy, Martin, Whitney,
1azell, Adamc. a
Constitutional Reform - Thompson,