The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-25
HOT FIGHT ON
 PROHIBITION Minority Prevents Action
 on Bill. GREAT EXCITEMENT IN HOUSE Such Scenes Rarely Witnessed in
 Georgia History. Galleries Thrs.seA at Early Hour- Women Serve Refreshments to Members of Both Sides of
 Contreversy.
GREAT EXCITEMENT IN HOUSE

Atlanta. Ga. July 24.-RareIy. if ever. in the history of the Georgia Legislature. has such scenes of excite ment been witnessed as have gathered around the fight to pass the State pro- hibition bill by the lower branch of the Legislature today. From o'clock this morning until late hour tonight. the fight has been waged and a flibus- terins minority so far has prevented action on the bill. which was adopted oy the senate more than a week ago
 Anticipating a strenuous fight, hum dreds of men. women and children. even children in the arms of their mothers. thronged the galleries of the House at an early hour, and the halls or the capitol have been thronged all day Women. singing and waving nags. have added to the excitement. Ine women of several AtlantA churches. favoring prohibition, ore. pared lunches for the prohibition mem- Ders Of the House while st the other end of the Capitol other women whose slogan was local option. ministered to the wants of the Legislators who op- posed the prohibition bill in its present form. And at dark tonight the pros hibition bill had not been reached.
 Following the regular order of bus mess of the House, in which motions to reconsider. procedes the order of the day, motion to reconsider the bill abolishing the City Court of Hamilton Harris County, was brought up. and on this subject every tactic known to parliamentary law was brought into service. Unless the prohibition bill shall be reached before midnight. ad- 1ournment will be taken and the bill cannot come up before the rules of the House before next Wednesday. An im- portant feature of the day was the de- velopment of the fact that the minor- ity has sufficient strength to call the roll Of the House on any question that may be brought up. Under this con- dition the prohibition bill may be held on its third reading indefinitely pro- vided that the minority maintains it's present strength. Representatives, Wright of Floyd and Covington ofsCoI-. quitt. floor leaders of the prohibition forces, claim to have the situation we'll in hand. Representatives Dunbar of Richmond and Barrow of Chatham, minority leaders. appeared equally con- ndent or securing compromise on tho bill in its present form One minority leader declared, We stand ready to accept prohibition bill to become ef- fective January l. 1909, instead of Jan uary. 1908. and to assess a license tax of I.0oo for the State in the mean time. but we are opposed to the con- fiscation of property by such legIsla- ton as Is here proposed"
 The lie was passed and blows were exchanged before the fight on prohi- bition reached a close tonight by ad- journment until tomorrow, when the fight to place the bill on its third read ing for passage will be resumed.
 The session which had been contin- uous since 9 o'clock this morning had been drawn out until nearly 1o:30 o'clock tonight when disturba noes from the galleries caused Speaker Slaton to order them cleared. This was done and the acrimonious debate continued on the floor. A dispute between Rep resentative Wright of Floyd and Rep- resentative Hall of Bibb progressed to the point where Mir. Wright told Mir Hall You're a liar" Instantly the space between the two men was cross- ed and blows were exchanged. Friends quickly intervened, quiet was restored and in a silence almost painful Repre- sentative Candler urged that adjourn ment be taken, which was done at 10:53 o'clock.