Evening journal., 1903-03-18
TIME EXTENDED
To 8 O. CLOCK
Senate Spends Morning Cut
ting Down Appropriations
for State Departments
HAPPENINGS OF CLOSING SESSION
Some Interesting Features Noticed
During the Last Hours of the Lesis-
Iature Yesterday-connelly and Hol-
comb as Reading Clerks.
speelal 10 the Evening Journal.

Special to the Evening Journal.
Dover, March lS.-A resolution extend !
ing the time for final adjournment Of the
General Assembly from y o'clock to 81
O'Clock was adopted by the Senate and
House. The Senate was in executive ses-
sion the entire morning, cutting down the
appropriations for the various state de-
partments.
There were many interesting fea-
lures attendant upon the closing
hours of the General Assembly yester-
day. which were especially noticeable
to the large number of visitors who
had congregated in the chambers to
watch the close Of the session. AL
though the members were overworked
in trying to get the bills through, 1t
was probably the quietest closing ses-
sion in many years.
During the closing hours the appro-
priation bills We're ratified off as fast
as words could leave the mouths of the
readers.
Representative William NJ. Connolly
proved to be one of the best special
reading clerks the House had. His
clear voice carried every word Of the
bills being read to all parts Of the
|
Connolly read the appropriation bill. as
no one could fail to understand every
word he read
Representative Holcomb also fire.
quently relieved the reading clerk, and
as a rapid reader he is unsurpassed.
He read on an average of $50 words a
minute, and when taking squirt would
rattle off more than 200 words a min
It,fa ~. fbrro strovTs n oorouH
At 10 O'clock, many of the members
started to pack up their belongings.
THE waste paper baskets of the mem-
bers will probably be adorned with
ribbons and in after years cherished
as souvenir when Father was in the
Legislature
During the session, Mr.. Connelly's
bill to extend the limits of the city was
called up. He stated that owing to
the fact that it would be impossible to
get the bill through the Senate on ac-
count of lack of time. he would have
to allow it to remain on the table.
This was q disappointment to per-
sons who were hoping for improvements
in the southwestern section OF the
city, where buildings and streets al
ready extend up to the city.
As an instance of the way bills We're
rushed, the one authorizing the chan
cellor TO appoint masters in Chancery
came up and Henry Ridgely, of Dover,
was given just two minutes, and no
more, to explain it.
The bill of the Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Animals, TO pre-
vent the docking of horses tails, was
laid on the table and members of the
society are greatly disappointed.
When the bill making dogs personal
property and providing penalties for
poisoning or killing them came up, it
was by amendment restricted to Kent
and Sussex counties. 1t passed the
House, despite the protest of some of
the Sussex members, who feared they
might get in trouble through killing
what they consider worthless ours run
ming around the country. When the
bill reached the Senate there was a
lquestion as TO which committee should
consider it, but after deliberating the
president pro tenn. referred it to the
Committee on Fish, oysters and Game,
and many members wondered II he was
making game of the bill.
Little Speech Often Heard.
While there were some very good
and effective speeches made in the
House, there was one little speech Of
ten made that generally got i'm it's
work That speech was: Il think this
is a good bill to kill" Unless it was
something very important, that speech
generally ended the matter.
Representative Holcomb made a fight
for his constitutional amendment bill,
by which he hoped in 1906 to divide
New Castle county. In his remarks
Mr.. HolcOmb claimed that Wilmington
wanted il all and that the people out
side of the city would like to have a
nice little county of their own. He
claimed that he and Levy Courtman
Willis had gone over figures and
found that 80 per cent. of prisoners in
the workhouse were from Wilmington,
and 60 Der cent. of the inhabitants of
Farnhurst were also from Wilmington
He could get only four supporters for
the amendment, while there were nine
teen against 1t.
Representative Jones thought Hol-
comb wanted too many representatives
considering the population and amount
of taxable property in the county. Nc
one seemed to take the people seri-
ously. Mr.. Holcombs statement that
rural New Castle was a milestone
around the neck of Wilmington, was
thought to have originated with Mr.
Holcomb for the purpose of capturing
votes.
+, Speaker Anthony has a great deal Of dr.
, humor and he would occasionally sugges
! that the members had plenty of worl
without any fooiishness. When the,
gathered too closely around the clerk
! desk in eagerness 10 see the result Of
e vote he would milely rebuke them by sug
] gesting they bring chairs along wit
e them.
J Senator McNulty was considered one O
the most effective speakers IN the Senate
He expressed his views clearly and wit