Evening journal., 1911-03-23

that he would just as leave make a
plain statement and then turn the
matter over to the Senate, rather than
cut loose TO the cloth and deny a de-
cent public hearing and crowd the
bill through the highest public body
in Delaware. He said the bill was
first considered behind closed doors.
then FASTENED through in committee
meeting that didn't let the people in
and it was proposed to pass II with
out a public hearing.
1T has come 20 us from behind
closed doors and backed by a small
coterie of politicians" he exclaimed,
land | shall make a further statement
when this bill comes up for passage"
He said he had suggested two weeks
ago that a committee be appointed 10
confer with General DUPONT about the
proposition to pave the way for sat
isfactory consideration of the project.
COnferees We're Named.
The motion for a conference COM
mittee then prevailed, and Lieutenant
Governor Mendinhall named Senators
Miller. Monaghan. Drexler and Dut-
ton as a committee TO confer with the
legislative attorneys.
II was o'clock when the conferees
retired. They were closeted in the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS parlor for an
hour and a half and It was near
ly o'clock when the committee re-
turned into the Senate chamber.
Senator Miller was spokesman for
the conferees. He said the twenty-one
amendments had been considered.
while there was a difference of
opinion" he said some we're deemed
to be we'll taken and others were taken
10 be Of minor importance. But in
view Of the great importance of this
subject TO the people Of the State we
Drexler Nithdraws Amendment.
Senator Drexler then withdrew his
amendment, and reading Of the bill
was continued. II required half an
hour to read It, When President Mem
dinhall called for final action and dis
cussion. there was an ominous ST.
lence. Everybody expected something
in view OF Senator Drexler's state
ment that he would have something to
say when the bill came up for pas
sage. Finally, Senator Monaghan
arose.
Everything Was Serene.
He remarked that II was a question
of such Importance that. unless the
Senators assumed that enough has
been said, should not be allowed to 60
without something being said. He
said he personally objected to the
Commission provided for in the bill
because he thought the minority
party should be given representation
on the Commission, but he would not
press that objection because of tho
great value of the proposition to the
State.
Senator Drexler then took the floor
He said he had prepared his amend
ments In good faith and they could
have been read into the bill without
impairing 1t. and some Of them we're
of importance. while others were
found not to be. He said that as
there had been no public hearing and
as he had been apprised Of objections
he took the method of Offering amend
ments to try TO meet the objections.
II have always questioned the ad-
visibility IN such a small State as
Delaware as 10 whether II was a good
policy to lay the development of the
State into the hands Of one person or
one corporation" he said. He said
It was a big question and in the limit
ed time at his disposal would not at
tempt to make a contest on the sub
! ject. He believed that after calm re-
Election IN future years there would
be regret for the Legislatures haste
Senator Drexler said that as the at
torney for Mr.. DUPONT and the Legis-
lature had said that amendments
would be objected to by the donor he
had waived them, aside, but had sug-
gested that five or six of the import
ant ones be considered. One of them
was what Senator Monaghan had men,
toned, the lack Of minority represen-
tation on the Commission to locate
and determine the character OF the
road. He said It was never his in.
tention to object to the proposition
or the measure. but TO have il passed
in the best shape for the public good
and for the good of all concerned.
COnferees We're Unanimous.
Senator Miller here announced that
it was due to the conciliatory spirit
of Senator Drexler that the conferees
] reached fh7i'- copclusion andhe wish