The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-17
ReactiOnary Spirit in the House
Disappears.
Plan to Adjourn on March 3
Laid Over.
MIR. DOLLEY EXPLAINS
Upholds His Ruling With Refer
ence to Majority.
House Settles Down to Work on
Good Roads Bill.
MIR. DOLLEY EXPLAINS

The house reactionaries of Tuesday
are progressives today and the resolu-
ton to adjourn March whether all i'm
portant business was transacted or not,
was laid over to await the report of a
special committee to be appointed by
the chair to investigate Speaker Dol
ley's ruling that constitutional ma
jority is necessary to adopt a concur
rent resolution
The vote to defer action on the appeal
from the chairs ruling made by Nor
rfson of NeoSho stood sixty to forty
three on almost a strict party division.
The question of appeal from the
chairs decision of Tuesday that a con-
stitutional majority was necessary to
the adoption of the Pyle concurrent
resolution to adjourn March 3 which
had passed the house by a vote of SO
to 34 only four votes short of a con-
Stitutional majority came up the first
thing today. Morrison stood pat on his
appeal, but Cunningham of Cowley was
before him with a motion to refer the
findings of the parliamentary law in the
case to a committee of five to be ap-
pointed by the speaker and of which
body the speaker himself should be a
member. This motion carried by the
vote mentioned above and over the pro-
test of the minority and nine insur-
gent Republicans which appeared to
constitute the entire force of the
blockaders today. Foley. leader of the
minority, did not vote on the question.
Speaking today of his ruling that a
concurrent resolution must have a con-
stitutional majority and thus establish
ing a precedent in the history of Kan
sas legislatures, Speaker Dolley said:
my ruling in this matter was not
actuated solely by personal reasons and
to prevent an early adjournment. the
burden of parliamentary law is on my
side.
I'm the British parliament from
where America gets seventy-five per
cent of its parliamentary law, consti-
tutional majority is required to pass
concurrent resolution. In the United
States congress constitutional ma
jority is also necessary to pass such
resolution and the same practice is fol-
lowed in all the states of the union ex-
cepting only Kansas.
Under the dangerous practice re-
garding these resolutions heretofore
followed in Kansas most important
legislation can be enacted by the ma
jority of quorum present In other
words, 30 members of the house could
pass laws and IL members of the sem
ate do the same thing, or 46 members
of a legislature composed of 100 mem
bers can pass important or dangerous
laws under the guise of concurrent
resolution.
This is wrong and it is dangerous to
the state. 1t is also contrary to the
parliamentary law generally followed
by English speaking people 1 shall
stand pat on my ruling, and if sus-
tanned, regard it as good thing for the
state aside from the present adjourn
ment question at issue"
At noon today Speaker Dolley an
the appointment of the spec
ial committee to investigate and re-
port at their earliest possible moment
on the matter of the appeal from the
ruling of the chair that it requires a
n a n
current resolution. The committee is
as follows; Cunningham and
Buckman of Cowley, Mitchell of
Douglas. Louderback, Democrat of
ton, the speaker himself composes the
fifth member of the committee.
The Pyle adjournment resolution
and the vote thereon, the appeal from
the ruling of the chair and all matters
pertaining to the effort to get an ad-
iournment March ? will remain pend |
ing and set aside until this special |
committee makes report on the result |
of its Investigations into the parlia-
montary law of the case. No special |
time has been set for the committee |
report beyond the recommendation |
that 1t report at the earliest moment |
possible. The committee may report |
tomorrow or it may not report for a |
week 1t now appears. however. that |
he speaker will be upheld in his rul-
ngs.
The reactionary and insurgent meth |
IDS of Tuesday apparently calculated to
deadlock or delay important legislation |
we're conspicuous by their absence to- |
Law. The house wheels turned rapidly |
.oday and without creaking.
The Case good roads bill providing |
.or a state engineer of highways pass
ID the house in a hurry. The members |
debated briefly on the bill and amend |
a it. but this was honest and consci-
,ntious opposition and was quickly ad-
usted and disposed of. The only i'm
oortant amendment to the bill was the
me locating the engineer at Manhat- /
an State Agricultural college instead |
IF Topeka and authorizing the board |
If regents of the State Agricultural
college and not the governor to ap-
,oint this engineer The Dill passed by |
. vote of 81 to 80.
The last of the four good roads bills,
he committee bill providing for the I
,reation of improvement of districts in I
he different counties and to levy taxes 1
md build stone or gravel or shale |
.oads was next taken UP and had pro-
1y dinner time
The house calendar calls for consid- |
ration of the anti-lobby bill as next |
IN the house schedule. This measure
he last good roads bill is disposed of. |
+ is likely that the senate anti-lobby |
,i11 will be considered in place of Davis |
,ouse bill and rushed through with lit |
lie or no debate, as the anti-lobby
,uestion was pretty thoroughly discuss /
obby bill was passed without an en-
.cting clause at the beginning of the /
session and then turned ae~ift.
The public utilities bill by Stone of
shawnee comes next on the calendar
md may possibly come up for consider