The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-05
House Turns Down Repre-
sentative Burns Resolu-
tion to Rescind Star Ses-
sion Rule and Capitol
Commissions Report Will
Be Investigated Behind
Closed Doors.

investigation Of the capitol commits
sion's accounts by the house committee
on public accounts and expenditures in
star session has the sanction of the
house.
An attempt on the part of Represent
ative Burns to give the public some
idea of the work of the investigating
committee by resembling the star ses-
sion rule was summarily voted down
yesterday morning. Only sixteen mem
bers of the house screwed up their
courage to the point of vote for pub
licity.
Mr.. Burns set the ball in motion with
a resolution calling upon the commit
tee on public accouRs and expendi-
lures to admit members and represent
atives of the press to the capitol in
Vestigation hearings held daily, behind
closed doors.
Mr.. Armstrong, of Hennepin, joined
the debate with the statement that the
committee knew it's business and if had
decided to keep out other legislators
and the representatives. Of the press it
was undoubtedly for good and suff1-
cient reason. Mr.. Burns came back
with what seemed like an unanswerable
argument. He said:
L have no desire to discuss this ques-
ton before an assenblage of intelligent
men. Discussion, it seems to me, II
entirely unnecessary. The purpose of
this investigation is that the members
and the public may be put in posses.
sion of all the facts surrounding the
constructions of the capitol. The day
of star sessions has long since passed.
The public has a right to know every
thing that goes on before that COM
mittee. The public has right to know,
and it is the duty of every member Of
this house to know all the facts"
RosenwaId Tried to Dodge.
Representative Block, member Of
the committee, objected to the resolu-
tions because the room occupied by the
committee, he said, is too small for the
accommodation of more than the COM
mitteemen, its employees and the wit
nesses. Representative Rosenwald said
Burns was misinformed, members were
not excluded; it was only the repre-
sentatives of the press and the public
against whom the bars were raised.
Representative w. A. Nolan suggest
ed that if the room was too small a
larger one should be secured. He said
the public accounts committee was the
only one that excluded the representa-
tiVes of the press from its meetings.
He believed the committee had no real
reason to fear publicity, and, in any
event, the public was entitled to know
all that transpired.
Representative. Dowling, of Eveleth,
made a ringing speech against star ses-
sions. He said:
If there were no justification for
these resolutions they would not be in
troduced." He was interrupted by
Rosenwald, who insisted members had
not been excluded from the meetings.
But the press has, continued Mr..
Bowling, "and that justifies these reso-
lutfons. This is not question of the
fitness of the members of this commit
tee, but a question of the business rela-
tions between the legislature and the
people of the state of Minnesota. If
these rooms are not large enough, get
others. Let every one in. Every cit
iZen interested has right to know
if this investigation is conducted along
businesslike lines"
The representatives standing for the
resolutions were;
Messrs. Burns, Craig, Dalen, Dorsey,
Bowling, Haugen, Hinton, Jones, Nor
ley. Nolan. w. A, OLaughlin, Peter
son, S. D., Wells, Wilson, Yoerg.