Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-06

claims, among them being a bill for print
ing the blue books and the house file covers.
The entire bill was:
-s>.,e ', Bill Rem AL
dered lowed.
State. Journal Co.. $50 blue
Harry Porter, $50 file covers .. ..... $3.50
L. N. Pomerine, burners,
Newell Novelty Co, keys, ''''' -'
locks and labor ,............ ....... 104.05
Hardy Furniture Co, car
pets, furniture and settees. 81, ,2694 43 / 12O5.0O
Benton & Benton, gov
ernors messages, letter
heads and envelopes. ....... ....... 1885
j. G. Cox, plumbing ........ 2k00 $500
T. j. Thorpe & Co., rubber
Lincoln Livery Supply Co. Co.. ''''''' wv
towel service ............... ....,.. 1910
age ........................ ....... 80
Total ~, 7056l
Hathorn of Red Willow, chairman of the
committee, urged that the committee had
availed itself OF every means of determin-
| ing the Justice of these claims and had
satisfied Itself OF the result
Sweezy of Adams launched into a Wig
orous attack, Of the report demanding that
the house be allowed to make further in-
vestigation, so as to satisfy itself Of the
Justice Of the claims, He took particular
Eaxeeption to the item for blue books, house
Il lll0 CON6TBe anu - luTulIuT6g8 CdIp6lb- anu
settees. He declared the bills as to these
items all appeared, to be exorbitant and
said for that reason further investigation
should be had.
sweeEy is Inquisftive.
"They say we should pay s1,2o5 for fur
niture, carpets and settees," exclaimed Mr..
| sweezy. "where IS the furniture7 Where
are the~carpets? Where are the settees?'
| he demanded. '-t ,"'
Mr.. Sweezy was particularly opposed to
| accepting the committees report and al
| lowing the bills on that basis, because the
contracts for these items lad been let not
| by the house, but by the secretary of
state, whose right to let such contracts
was questionable. in his judgment. He
said he was after information and wanted
to know IL the house thought 1t was right
to "blindly" accept the report of the COM
'mtttee IA final in this matter3Fr sTia..'s.
Speaker Mockett said that as the mem
Der had asked for infQrmation,> he would
say that the committee was disposed to be
eminently fair.
Former committees have gone over SIM
liar claims and allowed them without ever
referring them to the house at ALL" said
the speaker, "but this committee, desirous
OF being fair to all, has submitted its
/ WOIA " luO nOubSb anu, L0luhs We BQOulQ
not repudiate single claim" ~
The bill for carpets, furniture and
settees was eontraRted during the session
of 1901. Hathorn. in reply to sweezy, said
the committee had located every item un-
der this head.
Perry Of Furnas observed that these con.
tracts were made by the secretary Of state,
a precedent followed in this state for years
and questioned the moral or legal right Of
the legislature to repudiate a single claim
Junkin OF Gosper said he was reliably
informed that the secretary of state, when
he made the contract for the printing OF
the blue books. was under the impression
that they were to cost only $3.50 each in
stead of So. 't't
Sweezy then moved to reject the items
Of blue books and house file covers and al
low for the former $3.50 and for the latter
$3.50, and the motion was carried.
Allow Bills as Amended.
SpurIock in offering an amendment to
Sweezy's motion sarcastically declared that
Sweezy was standing member" and that
yet there were chairs In the house, even II
Sveezy did furnish his own, "for which he
seems to have little use"
Spurlock asked IL the house should 60 on
record as a dishonorabfe creditor. He said
That such claims had been allowed from
time immemoTial and he was in favor OF
allowing these .
'If the gentleman from Adams objected
to these claims why did he not go before
he committee at the proper time and
make known his objections and not waiS
until this report was introduced? ?" he
asked. Continuing he said the house should
Iccept the report and work of this commit
zee or investigate the work and reports of
oyery one of its forty-four committees
"Will the gentleman demand that?" asked
spurlock.
In reply to Spurlock's reference Sweezy
retorted that he thought the house could
acpnomize in the supply Of chairs. that one
ought to do for Spurloek aud himself, be-
cause when he was not on the floor his col
league from Cass was 'H-r
The repartee created considerable amuse-
ment.
sweezy then added that he was led to In
sist on thorough investigation of this re-
port, as he recalled that a preceding legis-
lature had allowed bill for $4,000 for wall
paper.
The spurlock amendment that the report
n claims as amended by the Sweezy motion
sc adopted was carried,
First Debate on Revenue Bill.
N At this time the general revenue bill was
submitted by the revenue committee, which
reported the bill for passage with fifty
: amendments Sweezy moved that the bill
be placed at the head Of general ile, to be
considered in committee Of the whole and
! that the amendments be printed,
D Perry moved as a substitute that the re-
! port OF the committee be adopted and the
lhin placed on general file and the motion
was. at once seconded by Rouse Of Hail.
: This preelpitated another spirited de-
r late. sweezy accused Perry and his side
. of trying to kill the bill, saying
The gentleman from Flunas and others
opposed TO the revenue bill have sought
e this opportunity OF forcing the adoption oi
this committee report, with view OF se-
curing the adoption in the vote on that mo
b fion Of the amendments to the bill, with
the ultimate design OF killing Nthe bill"
l. GWaazv A fbouaht bV this remark 10 have