The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-04-24
ILLINOIS SOLONS
HAVE ROUGH HOUSE
Legislators Vent Their Wrath
on Speaker Miller
HOUSE THROWN IN UPR0AR
Adjournment Is Declared BY the
Speaker and the Angry Members
Push Another Man to the Desk
and Elect Hlm-TaIk Doodle.

Springfield, ILL.,, April 2s.-Wild disorder
marked the proceedings today IN me
house of representatives over municipal
ownership bills .Adnerents OF ths Muei-
Ter bill, indignant at Speaker Miller
ruling In favor OF the Llndley bill, at
tempted to pull the speaker from his
chair The speaker raised his voice above
the turmoil and declared the house ad-
iourned. Thereupon representative Muir
ray, of VermilIon, was selected, but had
difficulty IN forcing his way to the speak
er's chair. The aisles were thronged with
a crowd so excited that 1t was almost a
mob Eventually he made the passage
and Henry BETTER was made cl0k 1t
was found exceedingly difficult however
to transact business.
Municipal Ownership Fight.
The municipal ownership fight now in
progress here is the most exciting which
the state capital has witnessed In many
years. Chicago sentiment is said to IA
vor the Mueller bill and Mayor Harrison,
Graeme Stewart, the recently defeated
candidate for Chicago's. mayoralty, John
M. Harlan and others of influence have
been here for several days for It. The
Lindley bill, the municipal ownership
measure favored by an active minority
has however, been forced ahead.
Today Speaker Miller ordered the Lind
ley measure advanced to its thiKd read
ing and a tumult of voices arose In OPP
position, during which the attempt was
made to pull the speaker from his
chair.
Above the din an indistinct motion for
recess to 2:30 was heard, and moment
later the speaker brought down his gavel
and declared 1t carried
Fully half of the members of the house
appeared TO be standing on top of their
desks. Republicans were shouting at the
speaker protesting against the recess.
mo, you don't adjourn" they were
repeating. Mr.. Murray, from the top of
his desk, then addressed the house.
Without a Speaker.
Gentlemen of the House." said he, Il
noticed that we are without speaker
The house has adjourned" interrupted
Mr.. Erickson.
No. it has not" was the response from
several members.
1T is very evident" continued Mr..
Murray, waving his hands for silence,
that we are without a speaker at this
moment and that there is majority
here, and l therefore move that the Hon.
Mr.. Allen be made speaker pro TEN.
Among great confusion Mr. Hurry put
the motion and decidedly it carried Mr..
Allen was hurried to the chair.
In the midst of the uproar one Of the
clerks from the senate appeared In the
center aisle announcing a message from
the senate Speaker Allen recognized
him, and before the clerk knew just what
was the matter he had read message.
Messenger Showed Out.
1t was impossible to hear him and
some one Immediately grabbed him and
pushed him out of the representative
hall before he had a chance to send the
message to the speakers desk.
After much confusion and great deal
of delay a roll call was finally COM
pleted. 1t showed ninety-seven members
present Wilson (democraD protested
against the Revolutionary action" on
the part of those who organized the
house in January and Mr.. Sherman spoke
at length on the constitutional statutes
of the existing session of the house.
He held that the house was not des-
troyed by the abdication or withdrawal
of it's regular presiding officer HE might
die" said Mr.. Sherman, "and for parlia-
mentary purposes in this house he is now
dead"
The municipal ownership bill was then
recalled. Its disposition however, was
| not determined.
At the afternoon session the trouble
| was smoothed over by the surrendering
of the house to the regular officers.
Miller Makes Statement.
Before adjournment Speaker Miller
| said:
In justification of my conduct today
| In refusing a roll call, which might have
| seemed high handed but which | am told
is not wholly unprecedented, 1 desire to
make statement, one | think, which no
| one will object to:
II have been approached at different
times by parties who minated to me
| that l could make money by allowing a
| roll call on what Is known as the 'Muell-
| er traction bill or permitting its passage
| l do not know whether the parties MAX
| ing the statements were authorized to
| make them or not, but the statements
having been made to me, and some of
| them very recently, fully convinced me
| that there was something wrong with
| this effort on the part of outside parties
| to push this bill. For this reason 1 de-
MED the roll call, and have stood firm on
| this proposition to the very limit. A ma
| jority Of the house having signifed their
| desire to have a roll call on this PROPOSE
! ton, wash my hands of the entire mat
| ter and will permit a roll call to be had"
| Amid wild confusion Representative
| Rinaker declared that the house was en-
| titled to know the names of the persons
who had approached the speaker. Mr..
Rinaker moved the appointment of a
committee Of five to investigate the mat
! ter, the committee to be appointed by
| Speaker Miller. The speaker PROMPTLY
| put the motion and declared it carried.
and the house adjourned until tomorrow
ENSLEY.