Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-04-09
tFrom a staft correspondentl

grant, ALI that remains OF se twenty
eighth session CT the Nebraska legislature
is the signing OF number OF bills by the
speaker of the house. Both house and
senate have passed all the bills pending
before them and wound up all other busi-
ness. Owing to a rush in the enrolling OF
bills the house clerks we're unable to get
all the measures to the speaker tonight
The final adjournment will come some time
tomorrow.
The senate reached the elimination of
its labors this afternoon and since that
time has been waiting on the house. II
will continue to walt until such time to-
morrow as the house is ready to announce
that 1t has discharged all the business on
hand.
Both houses held social meetings tonight
until IL o'clock and took recesses until
O'Clock tomorrow. The galleries we're
filled RS usual on the closing night and the
customary levity prevailed. Many of the
members left the city today and more will
leave before the finish tomorrow.
Excitement at Windup. q.
The closing hours of the wenty-eighth
session ts the Nebraska legislatute have
been marred by an attack on the speaker OF
the house by Ten Eyck OF Douglas. Mr..
Mockett had lef. his chair to speak upon
an insurance hill and Ten Eyck was debat-
ing on the opposite side of the measure.
In language so forcible as to arouse tho
entire house, the member from Douglas
charged the speaker with descending be.
low the level OF his official dignity" and
using the powers Of his position to defeat
the bill. The speaker was endeavoring to
reply to the remarks when other members
took up the fight for him and demand
was made that Ten Eyck apologize to the
speaker and house for casting aspersions"
on the presiding officer unless he could
prove what he said. The affair created con-
siderable excitement 1t was evident that
the members sympathized with Speaker
| Mockett.
The bill under discussion was S. F. 254,
| which provided that Nebraska mutual bene-
! At insurance companies might reorganize
as legal reserves. The bill was amended
in the house and passed. It's friends
| claimed that the amendments destroyed
| the purpose OF the bill. The senate passed
! the measure without amendment and sent
1t back to the house for its concurrence.
! This was refused and joint conference
committee was appointed Burgess OF Lam
caster was made chairman Of the house
committee. The conferees could not agree
and so reported. sweezy of Adams moved
concur with the senate. This brought the
matter before the body and the debate
took place.
Speaker Mockett called thompson OF
Merrick to the chair and took the floor
to fight the bill. He declared that the
measure was promoted by and In the In
| terest Of insurance concerns which sought
to issue discriminating policies and ac-
quire other valuable immunities under this
measure, He handled the subject without
gloves, but insisted that while he was in
the insurance business. he was not aotuAted
by insincers motiveA
Ten Eyck Makes a Scene.
Ten Eyck then arose. It happened that T.
w. Blackburn OF Omaha. who by the way
has been lobbying for this bill throughout
the session. was sitting beside Ten nyck.
The latter had not talked long, when he
turned to Blackbu: and remarked: II wish
|, could talk without being prompted"
He then stepped away from where Black
burn was sitting and continued Blackburn
, in the meantime changing his seat, evil
IDENTIFY embarrassed at the attention which
had been drawn TO him.
/, Ten Eyck warmed up to his subject and
declared:
This house has got below it's level and
the speaker has descended beneath the
! level OF his dignity in hghting this bill"
He proceeded to charge the speaker with
, trying to defeat the bill by having amend
ments tackled on and of promoting this plan
by appointing Burgess as chairman OF the
house side Of the conference committee
He said that a circular had been sent
: around on the floor OF the house ordering
the defeat OF the bill unless the amend
ments carried and charged the speaker
! with the responsibility for this.
a The speaker forcbly denied the charges
a and called on Ten Eyck to offer some proo
: OF them.
Ten Eyck said he thought he could prove
v them, but that II he did not he would offei
! / apologies to Mr.. Mockett.
n At this stage Of the proceedings. Wilson
OF Pawnee arose and demanded that 9TH,
" gentleman from Douglas be made to apol
J. ogize TO the house and the speaker tol
the unwarranted aspersions he had cas-
% u9on the latter"
n Burgess took a hand In Il and said,
}. Il rise in defense OF that gentleman
the speaker Of this house. Hon. John II
n Mockett, whose motives have been wrong
:, fully impugned and wish TO say EN-
- phatcally that the charges are false; tha
l know Mr.. Mockett TOO we'll 10 think tha