The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-05
House Votes Two Ways
 on Invitation.
Even Battle waged in Lower Branch of Legislature on Lyons Reso- pufion Without Reaching
 Definite Result.

Y The House yesterday took two con ficting votes on the acceptance or the Mardi Gras invitation from Mobile, and left the question until today to be set- tied. First, bare majority refused to accept the invitatlon: then a bare majority refused to decline it.
 The meaning of the action Of the House Is as clear as mud. By those who desire to think so, the action Is taken to mean that tho Legislature will make the trip unless 1t decides not to. Those on the other side, how ever, profess to believe that it means the Legislature will not make the trip. unless 1t decides to do so.
 An unbiasd opinion--but from whom is one to secure an unbiased opinion There Is one thing certain, however. {. Both the adherents and the opponents of the plan Of going to Mobile Feeru- ary II and 12 to take in the annual Mardi Gras festival, were busy during the afternoon. Copies of the roll calls on the matter were secured, and a man to man canvass conducted that remind ed one of the days just before the pri- mary, when Bill Jones and Tom Smith were, rival and close candidates for village constable.
 Possibly the people who favored mak- ing the trip had the best of the work, so far as could be seen from the out side or the contest Certain it Is they appeared much more confident at the close of the day, although the battle will not be finished until the vote is taken today on motions to reconsider both the conflicting votes of yesterday.
 Contest is Close.
 Certain it Is they were making most brightly-hued claims. One enthusiastic worker from Mobile made the asser- ton late yesterday afternoon that sixty votes would be cast today to make the trip. That is something of a claim, when 1t is considered that forty was the utmost number they could corral while voting yesterday afternoon.
 The closeness of the light. and the fact that those opposed to making the trip realized they did not have a ''cinch" was shown by the fact that Speaker Martin left the chair to make the adverse report from the Committed on Rules, instead of leaving the re- port to be made by some of the other members of the Committee. MT. Car
 michael of Colbert was called to the chair during the contest
 The Committee reported substi- tute for the resolution offered by MT Lyons of Mobile Friday, formally &C., cepting the invitation of the Mobile Commercial Club, and authorizing a Committee of three from the House and two from the Senate to make the arrangements The committee substi' tute directed the Speaker to return the thanks of the House for the kind in- vitation, and to say to the Conner cial Club of the Gulf City that the business of the House was in such condition that 1t would be unable te attend.
 Speaker Martin, submitting the sub stitute resolution. said the matter hat been carefully, considered, and he dit not sHe how the House could accept
 owing to the condition of the business
 before 1t. | Goodwin Moves to Accept. Mir. Goodwin of Montgomery moved
 to amend the committee resolution b, striking out the word decline" anC inserting the word accept" His mo | ton was greeted with applause MT. Martin contended the resolution was merely a committee report, whicf could be either adopted or rejected. bu could not be amended or modified, ex' cept by the committee itself. Acting Speaker Carmichael, however, ruled | the committee had reported substi' tute resolution. which was up for con sideration, and for amendment, if de
 sired.
 MT. Goodwin pointed out that Tues 1 day is a legal holiday, and that in eff feet the Legislature, by accepting thu | twfo-day invitation, was losing Du one days business. He had every re | spect for the wishes of the Speaker he said, as should every member O | tn House, but he thought the tril l would do the Representatives good | There were many members, he said | who had never seen the Southrn DOT | ton of the State, and this would af | ford them an opportunity to do so. ! MT. Kornegay said he had alread.
 seen Mobile many times, and for tha reason desired to go there again. Al work and no play. he warned tn members, would make Jack a dul
 boy. He believed the trip would b. a good thing from every standpoint | both for the legislators and for thei constituents, because he thought tn l members would come back feeling good and be ready to go back to worl again with vim.
 Does the gentleman really believ,
 we will come back feeling good?
 asked MT. Gunter of Montgomery.