Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-10
ORDER ADOPTED.
The House Votes For Gas Inves-
tigation, 80 to 80,
Fisrcest Battle House Has Seen for a
Long Time-Mr. Hayes Amendment
Voted Down.
Especial Dispatch 10 the spy)

Boston, March 9.-1fhe gas inVestiga-
ton by special committee of the
legislature is ordered as far as the
house is concerned, although the oppo-
nents of the order have accepted a
desperate chance in notice of recon
sideration of the action of the house.
The battle was the fiercest that has
been waged in the legislature for a
long time
The efforts Of the gas interests and
the lobby TO defeat the order by having
the investigation conducted by the COM
mittee on manufactures, instead of a
special committee of the legislature,
were defeated by the closest margin, the
vote OH the amendment to this effect
being 95 for the amendment and 96
against it. The adoption of the order
was then ordered by a vote of SO to SO.
Mr.. Hayes, for the opponents of the
order, gave notice of a reconsideration
on the morrow, and there is a prospect
of another bitter fight.
The discussion has taken up the time
of the house for the past two days. Adj
journment was not ordered this after
noon until nearly o'clock, and the
woman license suffrage BILL which was
second In the calendar was barely
reached when work was suspended
The galleries were filled with women
who had gathered to hear the debate on
the suffrage bill
Mr.. Waslhburn Of Worcester made the
most telling speech in favor of the order
this afternoon, and there was an at
tempt at applause when he took his
seat.
IN THE HOUSE.
There was an attempt by Mr.. Tilton
of Brockton to put over until tomorrow
the gas investigation order. The at
tempt was blocked, and the Miller or
was taken up Immediately.
Mr.. Parsons of Greenfield ordered the
adoption Of the order, on the ground
that more than the price of gas was in
volved.
Mr.. Bickford of Revere made speech
against the adoption of the order, claim
ing that the allegations were not well
founded.
Mr.. Washburn of Worcester favored
the adoption of the order The question
envolved the credit of the common
wealth, and the credit of the legislature.
The recommendation of the committee
on rules had been attacked from one
source for one reason and from other
sources for other reasons, but it came
from a select committee of the legisla-
ture, including members whom he was
willing to follow on action recommended
eA@tNts Se1A SAuA anu bllOuSlAAAh4 COIISlOCi
ton.
In reply to the remarks by Mr.. Ben
nett of Saugus, on Tuesday, that it was
poor policy to investigate the roots of a
tree frequently in order to note it's
growth, Mr.. Washburn declared that it
depended ON the question, whether the
death or the life of the tree was desired.
If it was the upas tree, beneath whose
influence nothing could live, that the
gentleman from Everett wished to nour-
ish, it might be well TO investigate with
frequency sufficient to kill it. 1t was
such a upas tree whose roots the legis-
lature of 1896 reached and killed The
matter of delay and expense did not en-
ter into the consideration of the question
and should not influence members in
their votes.
Mr.. Newton of Everett spoke in favor
of the order.
Mr.. Boutwell, of Maiden and Mr.. Rich.
ardscn of North Adams held that an in
vestgation, if ordered, should be made
by the committee on manufactures.
After some further debate, the pre-
vious question was moved by Mr.. Towle
of Chelsea. Mr.. Hawes Of Boston Of
fered an amendment that the investiga-
ton be made by the gas and electric
light commissioners. Mr.. Hayes of Low
ell had a closing word against the or
der, and Mr.. Myers of Cambridge and
Mr.. Kenefick of Palmer for the order
After some further debate, the amend
ment of Mr.. Hayes of Lowell that the
investigation be conducted by the COM
nittee on manufactures, was then re-
Jected, SO to 90, on rising vote, and 81
to SO, on a roll call. Mr.. Hayes (of Bos-
ton) amendment was rejected, q to 107
and the order then adopted, 50 to SO.
The vote on the adoption of the Hayes
of Lowell amendment was as follows:
Yeas-R M. Allen, r. E. Allen, r. F
Andrews, Jr., Anthony, Apsey, Bachel
der, Barnard, Balloon, J. z. l. Bartlett
Beede, Bickford, Blaney, Bleiler, Bos-
worth, Boutwell,, Brooks, Calendar
Campbell, Clancy Clerke, Goldman. Con
roy, Crawford, Cullinane, Dalton, w. r
Davis, Draper, Driscoll, Dumond, Eng.
land, Farmer, Farrar, Favor, Feneno
Foster, Frederick, Fuller, Garland
Grant, Almon E. Hall, Luther Hall
Harwood, Hawes, w. H. I. Hayes, Hey
wood, Hoag, Horgan How, Howe, Hoyt
Huntress, Kane, r. V. King, Lang, LIE.
land, Lewis, Libby, Lockhart, D. A
Mahoney, w. E. Mahoney, Marden
Mccarthy, Kelley, Mcknight, McMan-
us, Meek, Montgomery, I. H. Newcomb
O'Connor, Patton, Pattee, Eeters Pick
ard. Powers, Ramsdell. Richardson
Rowell, Skillings, Sevrance, Slocum
Smart, Smith, Stalker, Staples, Stewart
Sullivan, Trow, Waite, Wells, Whidden
f. H. Whitcomb, Willard, Williams
Tuttle, Tague-95.
Nays. A. Allen, Ames, Baldwin, G.
H. Bartlett, Battles. Bemis, Bisbee, Bot.
tomley, Bresnahan, Bridgeo, Brown
Bullock, Carberry, Carlton, Clarke, Cole
Connolly, Cooke, A. R. Crosby, D. L
Dean, Donahue, Donavan, Dooling
Drake, Dubuque, Estes, Estey, Fay
Fitzgerald, Folsom, Gaddis, Francis
Haskins, A. S. Hayes, Hemphill, Hill
Holton, Howard, G. r. Jones, NJ v
Jones, Josselyn, Joubert, Keith, Kene-
fick. Kyle, Lyon, Macken, Msckey, Ma.
genis, Mayo. Mclaughlin, Mead, Mellen
Miller, Morrison, Morse, Myers, Nettle
ton, W. n. Newcomb, Newton, Noonan
Norton, Harold, Parker, Parsons, Perry
Philbrick, Phillips, Ponce, Poor, Ram
say, Reed, Rice, l.. w. Ross Saunders
Sears, Selfridge, Stanley, Stebbins
Stone, Swift, Taft, Thompson, Tilton
Washburn, g. L. Whitcomb, Winslow
Wood, Sheehan, Denham-97.
Pairs-Chappelle, Nevin, White, Gar.
rity, Bennett, Atwlll, yea; with Johnson
Russell, c. A. Dean, Whitehead, Snow
and Twoomey, nay.
A message was received from the Sec
retary of state transmitting the certif
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES "