The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-07
wRANGLED OVER SMALL THINGS.
The House Wastes Ttme-Much Ado
About a PnGe.

1t was nNe minutes after the hour set when
Speaker Littleton mounted the steps and
called the members to order. No minister
was present and the prayer was offered by
Representative Guilty. of Brazil Demo-
cratic member and miner The last name
on the roll had scarcely been called when
Mr.. Roots was on his feet TO offer bill
The Speaker declared him out of order and
ordered the reading of the journal. This, of
course, was dispensed with on motion of
Mr.. Blankenship, and as soon as the vote
was announced Mr.. Roots was on his feet
with the first bill of the session to appropri-
ate sos 600 for the expenses of the session
Mr.. Roots began to read the bin himself.
when the speaker told him to send ii to the
clerk to be read by him. After the reading
it was moved that the constitutional provi-
sion be waived. the bill be read the second
time and then put upon its passage. After
the second reading the occasion was seized
upon by the Democratic members to make
political point. Mr. Hedgecock sent up
an amendment making the amount $4,000 IN
stead of 100000 but motion Of Mr.. Can
ada the amendment was laid on the table by
party vote and the bill, as presented, was
put upon its passage. When the name of
Mr.. Powers, of Jay, was reached that gen
teman arose and said he could not hear
what the bill Wa and explained in detail
that he did not desire to vote on any question
without thorough understanding of it. The
speaker explained the measure to Mr.. Pow
ers and the bill passed by vote of 6S
yeas to p nays party lines being lost slgnt
of. Speaker Littleton announced the APP
pointment of pages was given in yesLer-
days papers, and then MIR. EooSe began 10
think OF going home and moved that when
the House adjourn it be until O'Clock Mon
day morning This was then amended 10 Fix
n
Mr.. Willoughby brought in anOInef amend
ment to make it o'clock Monday afternoon,
and the last hour was agreed upon. MI
Littleton seemed to have teIt the eHects OF
his recent campaign, for he announced that
the question was that the House would ad-
journ until O'Clock Monday morning.
Mr.. Noel in the meantime, had been con-
sidering the ACCESSIBILITY of having ministers
to pray for the House and at this iuncture
he presented a resolution providing for the
appointment of a committee of five to secure
the services of ministers to open the ses-
sions. The committee appointed consists OF
Noel. Whitcomb of Marion. Barlow, Guilty
and Herod. Mr.. Huff feared that he would
forget to bring his cigars with him and pre-
scented resolution giving the paper anu
cigar privileges to r. d. Appleton, and TINS
was done. ME- Elchhorn presented a resolu-
ton providing that bill favorably reported
shall be printed and placed on the desks OF
the members a day before it is put on It's
final passage, except in the last week of the
session. Mr. EichhOrn explained that in
former sessions the bill was not submitted
to the members until a short time before the
vote would be taken and many Of the mem
bers desired to take the bills to their rooms
with them Mr. Noel opposed the resolution
as tending to delay legislation Mr. Canada
saved the situation by moving to refer the
matter to a committee of three, so the ques
ton will be determined by Canada, Noel and
Eichhorn
RULES AND COMMITTEES.
Mr.. Shideler reported from the committee
on rules for the House. The committee
slightly amended the rules of the last House,
IN,
change in the character of the former state
prisons made it necessary to change the
names of the standing committees on those
subjects to Indiana Reformatory, Indiana
State Prison, and the name of the former
committee on canals was changed to rivers
and waters. New committees were created
on soldiers monument, telegraphs and tele-
phones and State Soldiers Home and State
Soldiers and Sailors Orphans Home.
The former rule that a two-thirds vote
would be necessary to overdue ruling by
the speaker was changed so to read that
a majority of all members would be required
for that purpose and this caused a tempest
in teapot AS soon as the reading of the
report was completed Mr.. Glossbrenner
moved that the report be concurred in and
demanded the previous question This
brought Mr.. Eichhorn to his feet with the
request that the demand be Withdrawn, as
he had one amendment TO offer. No second
was given to the demand. Mr.. Eichhorn de-
sired the rule so changed as to require ma
| jority of those present to override the
speaker. He cOntended that only those pres
ent would be interested in the ruling of the
speaker, but Mr.. Roose stopped the discus
sion by moving to lay the amendment on the
table, which was done by vote of "a to 40,
Mr.. Altman voting with the Democrats. The
rules were adopted and the committee was
instructed to represent the House on the
committee to draw up joint rules.
Then came much ado about a small mat
ter-a page. The trouble was started by
Mr. Barlow, of Hendricks Offering a reso-
luton to appoint another page. He said
that the number appointed was not suff-
cient to do the work required and the aisle
on which he sat had no page to do the
work. MIR. Eichhorn up at once with
copy of the statutes in his hand and read
ing a section which limits the number of
pages to be appointed. lie charged that
the resolution was not offered out of the
necessity of the case, but to provide more
patronage. Mr.. Noel contended that the
| services of another page were necessary and
that his side of the room did not have any
at all. Mr.. Blankenship at some length d.
lated on the necessity for another page,
and said that the House could appoint an
other if his services were deemed neces-
Sary. Mr.. Roots consumed much time in
an argument for another page based on
the principle of the thing. Mr.. Patter-
son, Democratic member from BrookVille,
sald ne was Wiling 10 vote Tor another page
II he was necessary, but he urged that the
House wait for while and see If such
thing is necessary Mr. Brown, of De Kalb,
another Democratic member, opposed the
resolution at some length on the grounds
that the House had no right to go contrary
by saying that the Legislature is the law
making power of the State and that If the
House desires one hundred pages 1t has
| the right to appoint them. Mr.. Roose
brought out the state Constitution and read
that section which confers on each branch
of the General Assembly the right to or
eanize itself and he conteuded that the law
on the statutes is ineffective, as ii is con-
trary to this provision Of the Constitution.
| Mr. EiChhOrn held that the previous sessions
had not found it necessary to have another
page and the probabilities were that this
one would not Mr. Hedgecock then closed
the incident by moving to lay the resolu-
ton on the table, but the motion was lost
| by the close vote OF IS yeas to AZ nays, the
Democrats voting sOlidly I'm favor of laying
sitiOn was thus broken and the resolution
was adopted Mr. Barlow said his page,
! who will profit by this, is named Ralston,
! but he does not know his first name.
A MEGAPHONE SUGGESTED.
Another row was precpitated by an limo
/ cent resolution presented by Mr.. Ross Of
Delaware. which placed the reading clerk
! at times in a most emba rrassing position
! The seat of Mr. Powers, of Jay county, is
| far to the rear and off to one side, COM
| pletely surrounded by Democrats. Mr.
| Powers is an elderly gentleman and rather
/ hard of hearing. Great difficulty was ex-
/ perienced by all the members in the rear
| of the room in hearing the reading clerk
| as he has not yet learned to adjust his voice
/ to the size Of the chamber and to the con-
! fusion in the hall and lobby. The resolu-
| ton presented by Mr.. Ross provided that
/ as Mr.. Powers IS elderly and rather deaf
! that he should be permitted TO change his
| seat and occupy one nearer the 'front.' of the
! 4.,1 Il fnl hot Mr. ftyar ole