The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-01-31
LATTER OBJECTED ID THE
 EDUCATION COMMITTEE
President Pro Tem. Replied In a spir- Ited Manner, Refuting lntmation That the Committee Had Been
 @Packed"-Much Excitement.

Today's session of the senate closed in quite dramatic style for that ordinarily dignihed body. The exciting scene was the continuation of the factlonal differ ences that have existed in the upper house since its organization and which have be- come so heated as to today occasion Pres ident Pro Tenn Goldsby to arise to ques- tion of personal privilege and severely denounce some rumors that have become public property that the senate commit tees had been selected for partisan pur- poses, or to use a common phrase, packed
 The alleged book trust was at the back of 1t all today and the venerable senator from Tuscaloosa, Gen. George D. John- ston. and President Pro Tenn Goldsby were the principals in the exciting col loquy
 The incident has been a general topic for conversation since its occurrence and there Is still considerable feeling manifest between the principles, though no trouble of serious nature is feared.
 Several times recently certain of the minority leaders in the senate have seen fit to attack the rules of that body, but
 
 matic incident until today.
 Trouble Started Over Bill.
 The occasion of 1t all was the request by Senator Johnston that bill intro duced by him providing for an uniform system of text books should be referred to the committee on constitutional revis- ion and amendments rather than to It's natural course-the educational commit tee. Senator Johnston gave rather strong reasons for his request and stated them before the presiding officer, Senator Meadow in the chair), had an opportuni- ty to make the committee reference. Senator Johnston said that he asked this reference that his bill might not fall Into the hands of a committee who had a1- ready prejudiced it. He said that an in- spection of the senate journal Of two years ago would show this to be fact whether Intentionally not, he said, that the hold-over senators who were on the educational committee at the last session and who had favored his bill including himself had been left off the committee this year. and that while he had no intention to cast any reflections upon any member of the present com mIttee that he was unwilling to have his bill passed upon by committee known to be hostile to its purposes. To further his objection he said that the rules of the present senate had been so constructed as to require a three-hfths vote of the entire senate to take bill from the adverse calendar and place It upon passage. He thought that II the committee should therefore adversely re- port the bill that then majority or the senate would be unable to get 1t before the body for consideration.
 Senator Johnston charged that there was already here lobby Tor DOCK trust, and that they had by no means been idle during the past summer work ing to defeat the will of the people Sem ator Johnston's language was at all times parliamentary, but his words showed considerable feeling.
 Godsby Replies.
 President Pro Tem Goldsby demanded that the words of the senator from Tus- caloosa be recorded upon the record, and when the chair ruled that this could be done later he arose to a question of per sonal privilege. He said that he felt 1t his duty to explain his attitude and to pro- test against any attacks upon the com mittee. Several rumors had reached his hearing that he had been accused of packing the educational committee in fa- vor of the book trust but he had paid no attention to the rumor for informing his committees he had not stopped to con- slider, nor did he know how any mem- Der stood on the proposition. The speaker was becoming rather excited at this june ture, ana WlLn cO0S1ueTdDle emDDdS1S ne declared that any man who charged or insinuated that he had packed commit tee, told falsehood-'a lie as black as hell itself.''
 This utterance caused a wave of excite ment to pass over the entire senate. and when Senator Johnston arose to reply, anxiety marked the countenance of every one present.
 In cool, collected manner General Johnston said that he had not intended to insinuate that Senator Goldsby had .spacked' the committee, but that If the senator from Mobile had intended his re- marks as a personal application, the mat ter could be settled elsewhere.
 Senator Goldsby replied tbat he did not intend his remarks as personal applica- ton to the senator from Tuscaloosa, but that on the other hand when rumors had reached him that General Johnston had insinuatsd that the committee had been packed he had refused to believe them and defended him against such a statement
 It was evident that any attempt to refer the bill at that time might increase the excitement, and a motion to adjourn seemed the best way out of the trouble, so the reference of the bill will come up tomorrow morning as unfinished business The committee on education, to which Senator Johnston did not desire his bill referred is composed of Senators H.pp, Hall. Blaokmon, Arlington and Kennedy, who are hold-overs and Senators Smith and Lancaster, who are new members. All of the hold-overs opposed the bill in the last session of the legisls ture.
 GoIdsby's Statement.
 Senator Goldsby tonight made the fol- lowing statement regarding the matter:
 Nobody can regret more than I do what I considered the necessity of rising to a question of personal privelege this morning when the senator from Tusca- loosa sought to have his text book bill referred to the committee on constitution al amendments.
 While the remarks of the senator from Tuscaloosa were. as they always