Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-27
SENATE HAS LIVELY SESSION
Gets Into n Parliamentary TanEIe
over the supreme Court
Commission.
(From a san correspondent.,

- 1911 19RkNARNA
LINCOLN, Feb. 26.-(specialJ-The SEN
ate was up against parliamentary law and
everything else that tended to confuse 1t
today. II all happened over the discus
sion OF the amendment to S. F. II, recon-
mepded by the judiciary cimmittee. The
original bill provided that the supreme
court should reduce the number of COM
missiOners to six or less II the business OF
the court Justified It.. The amendment rec
commended by the judiciary. committee pro-
vided that three commissioners shall be
appointed for one year and SIX for two
years. After being recommitted at the
morning session the bill was reported back
to the committee Of the whole at the after
noon session, with It's former Tecommenda-
ton. After much wrangling the commit
tee OF the whole recommended that the bill
be amended that six commissioners shall
serve one year and three shall serve two
years.
The contention was started in the early
part Of the morning session when Ander-
son Of Saline roved to recommit. This
was voted down and o'Neill moved a call
Of the house. Lieutenant Governor McGil-
ton held that this required a vote, after
the seven members had seconded the mo-
ton, as. prescribed by the rules. Harrison
ObJtNNtA 10 III NOlts Inc mOIlOu was car
ried and the attaches Of the senate began
to clear the gallery and floors Of spectators.
During this Sheldon Of Cass moved that the
call be raised
O'Neill rose to a point Of order and the
chair held the point not we'll taken.
The motion to raise the call Of the house
was put and the chairman decided on a
viva voce vote that the motion was lost.
After the announcement Howell Of Doug
las. whose temper by this time was some
what ruf1ed, angrily demanded an aye and
no vote. The chair ruled him out Of order.
Howell appealed from the decision OF the
chair The, chair was sustained, with only
one vote recorded against the decision.
While under a call of the house a caucus
was held and it was found the bill could
not be carried with the emergency clause.
O'Neill then moved that 1t be recommitted.
This was carried unanimously.
At the afternoon session the judiciary
committee returned the bill with it's former
recommendations.
Howell rose to a point Of order and said
1t was the original bill that had been
committed, and that the committee had
reported back on the engrossed bill. The
chair held the point not well taken.
After much discussion Day got in the
amendment (which finally carried, but not,
however, uRtil Hall OF Douglas had ex-
pressed himself upon the action of the
senate. He said: THE action Of this
senate is a direct slap at the supreme
court. Inthe original bill we had a saving
clause for the supreme court to reduce the
number Of the commissioners We asked
the court il its members would do. this.
and the reply was, we will do our duty
One member of the courf said sIF tina
people have no confidence In the court, Il
is time to put others in our places You
are acting arbitrarily" concluded the"sea-
ator from Douglas. So a..s-s N
At the conclusion ct Halls speech, upon
motion of Harrison the. bill was ordered
re-engrossed and placed on third reading.
Howells S. F. 142, to compel mutual
insurance companies to put up a. 500, 900
bond before they can employ. solicitors,
was again up before the committee of the
whole, and after much debate was left
in the same place as IT held n nothing
done with It.. .a't- .
A notice was received from the house
that memorial exercises in honor Of j..
Sterling Morton would be held in the
house at 2 O'clock tomorrow afternoon.
Those senators who desired to participate
were invited to be present.
The report of the Torrens commission.
which has been in the hands Of the Judi
ciary committee, was ordered sent to the
judiciary committee Of the house. This
was done at the request Of the senate COM
mittec. p ~
A few reports OF standing committees
recommending bills for general file were
received. +ss
The senate adjourned at 4;2O O'Clock.