The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-01-11


forward to the clerks desk and pre-
sented their certificates of election and
were sworn in in groups of five, the
oath being administered by Walter
Clark, chief justice of the supreme
court Following the oath was sigma
ture Of each member to the oath IN
the legislative book. In the first group
of counties was included Alleghany,
and when r. A. Doughton, its repre-
sentative had subscribed the oatn,
! Mr.. Hackett gracefully called h!m 10
preside and as the former speaker or
, the house Of representatives and pres
ident Of the senate assembled the
speakers stand and grasped the SaVel
he was greeted with rounds or ap-
plause from the floor and the galleries.
The usual forgetfulness OF bringing
along certificates by some members
developed as the organization proceed
ed and as usual without objections
| they were allowed to qualify and hl9
their certificates later. 1t was two
{O'clOck when the organization or the
house of 1907 was completed
| After the organization IF the house
{ had been completed pro tenn Speaker
DOughtOn announced that a quorum
being present and the house duly Or
ganized. the next order of business
| was the election of speaker.
REPRESENTATIVE W. V. DOwd, OF
Mecklenburg, arose and placed in noln-
| ination E. J. Justice, Of Guilford, De-
ginning his remarks by saying that
Mr.. Justice was not his first choice.
He said that when he remembered that
| Mckinley, who was defeated for the
speakership of the national house Of
/ representatives, was placed al lhe
head Of a committee whose work after
wards brought him the presidency, ne
| had promised some comfort like this
| to Mr.. Justice, when he thought that
Justice needed sOlace before the elec-
| ton. but now it was needless. TO say
more except that it was gratifying 10
know that an old college mate. a flrst
class democrat and first class man
| had been selected.
| J. S. Manning of Durham in few
| appropriate words expressed great
!; Measure at securing the nomination Of
| Mr.. Justice who was from his own
| congressional and judicial district and
! would prove a first class presiding Of
| ficer.
| Mr. Grant of Davie presented the
name of Moses n. Hawshaw of Cald-
| we'll. the nomination being seconded
by Proctor of Henderson. HarshaW.
! nominee of the republican caucus, re-
ceived 22 votes When Mr.. Harshaw' s
| name was called he voted for Justice
| Justice received 95 votes and was de-
clared duly elected Speaker. Justice
having been declared elected Messrs
Harshaw and Dowd were appointed to
| escort him to the chair. When the
| committee with the new speaker ap-
| peared a burst of applause greeted
| them. Chief Justice Clark admins
| tered the oath
| The afternoon session of the house
was sensational and lasted three
hours owing to a long and earnest dis
cussiOn of a suggestion OF a message
from the governor that If agreeable ne
| would like to deliver his message In
an address. The committee appointed
by Speaker Justice to wait on the gov
ernor with ex-Lieuenant Governor
Doughton at it's head, after visiting
the governor recommended the mes
sage be delivered by the governor in
person.
Doughton followed this by resolu-
ly opposed Morton of New Hanover
first objecting, declaring the legisla-
ture had no right to receive a message
in form of an address or by person of
the governor, since the constitution
expressly stated it had to be trans
mitted and no governor of the state
had ever, since its separation from
royal authority, been known to appear
in person officially before the legis-
lative branch and make an address or
deliver a message while it was in ses-
sion. He was followed by Murphy of
Rowan, on the same line. So earnest
were these arguments and so much
| applause greeted some points made
against the alleged innovation that
Doughton, saying he was completely
surprised at the development, asked
for time to consult the governor about
the unexpected opposition. After a
lapse Of ten minutes, he returned, say
ing that while the governor would not
have made the request had he deemed
it would provoke opposition or Objec-
ton. the committee felt it should not
be withdrawn. He urged the house to
adopt a resolution saying its defeat
would be an objectionable act Of dis
courtesy.
This precipitated another debate in
which leading members urging the
resolution were Beckett, BlOunt, Gal
lert. Manning, Douglas and Pugh
while Parsons, Stephens, Morton, Tur-
Iington EringhOuse, and Harshaw, the
only republican participating, opposed
it. Parsons offered an amendment
that the governor be invited TO address
the general assembly officially while il
was in recess. This was defeated and
:; | the resolution inviting the governor
, to appear in person was finally car
ried through by viva yoce vote, cal
of the roll not being sustained. The
, incident was entirely unexpected
There was much feeling displayed
some speakers declaring they would
, enter protest on the journal.
The only resolution Of importance