Evening journal., 1913-02-26
NO COMMITTEE MEETINGS
WHILE THE HOUSE MEETS
Speaker Heicomb Tells Members Practice Inferferes
With legislation Liquor Club Bill is Killed.
Senate Passes Amended Anti Cigarette Bill
Special to THE EVENING JOURNAL

way against the practice of members
of the House holding committee meet
ings during the hours Of sessions,
making il difficult TO maintain a
quorum to pass bills.
Speaker Holcomb sent Sergeant-at-
Arms Scott out to get members in
committee meetings to vote on bill
pending, which Representative Grant
Ian had called up, to leave TO the dis
erection Of the city judge when night
sessions Of the City Court Of VIII
mington should be held The sergeant
alarms returned and held a subdued
conversation with the Speaker.
81 will stay here until July or Au-
gust, if necessary announced
Speaker Holcomb with some show OF
feeling, but this House cannot con-
tinue to do business the way 1t has
today I do not wish to be arbitrary,
but under the rules of this House
no committee has right to retire
during the hours Of a session Of this
House without the consent or the
Speaker. So far as ] know no such
consent has been obtained.
81 do not propose to allow it, and
/ want to say ! will not sit in this
chair and allow legislation 10 be rush
ed through on closing days and nights
helter-skelter like It has been rushed
through previous Legislatures. AS
long as ] am Speaker I Will not per-
NIT such procedure, but If we don't
do something we will be here until
August I think we have passed
about four bills today, or something
like that"
Representative Grantland asked
Speaker Holcomb how he proposed to
enforce the rules. Maybe the men,
bers are not familiar with that rule
about obtaining permission for COM
mittee meetings" suggested Mr.
Grantland
"This House has charge of its own
affairs" replied Speaker Holcomb,
"and il it desires. the Chair can en-
force all the rules. When enough
members were desired in the chamber
to pass this bill sent the sergeant
alarms out to bring in members who
we're on committee meetings. Usually
that is sufficient to get in the mem-
bers but he returned and told me a
committee had refused to oDen the
door Of the room in which II was
meeting. Now. I'll swear in enough
deputy ergeants-at-arms to produce
the members if this House wants It.
I do not propose to dawdle over this.
Representative Mooney, chairman
of a committee that had been out con-
sidering the dupont child name
change bill, and who just returned
into the House chamber. explained
why he was out OF the room. 81 AM
on two important committees said
Mr.. Mooney Certain people came
here from Wilmington for a hearing
and | think | am here to accommo
date them as much as possible.
thought when we left the room II
was with the understanding that We
should do So"
Speaker Holcomb explained that h,
had told the sergeant-at-arms to bring
In the absent members, and the SER
geant-at-arms had reported to him
that the committee had refused e
open the door. "Then I instructed
him to break down the door If nee.
sssary," announced the Speaker.
1T is agreeable to me to remain
IN this room and act on bills said
Mr.. Mooney? 81 am in favor of nigh
committee meetings anyway thought
however, by having the COMMITTEES
ternoon we we're doing Legislative
business"
COMMITTEES desiring to retire
should obtain consent of the chair
So II he wants members he can send
for them. I want to say again thai
no fifty or sixty bills will be rushed
through here in a night at the close
OF the session while am in the chair
Tn1n I,r cfa a m
II will require until July or August tc
complete the business on the calen
dar."
A minute or two later Represents
tive Hirsch asked permission for tho
committee on labor to retire to give
a hearing to a Wilmington delegation
on the child labor bill.
How are we going TO pass bills
asked Representative Hammond.
"Is your committee through" asked
Speaker Holcomb of Representative
Mooney
mo" replied Mr. Mooney? II am or
the committee on labor. too. But ! an
willing to stay here and vote on bills
and I want to stay here
"These people ought to get dowT
here at the right time" observed Re
preventative Hammond. Nothing hat
heen done in this House today excep
to pass a couple of bills. Our feelings
should be consulted as we'll as others
Our time is valuable. and I for on'
want TO get through the business herr
as soon rs possible"
Representative Holcomb suggested
that a recess OF fifteen minutes nigh
be taken. after Mr.. Hirsch had tolC
him his committee would finish II
about ten minutes. Representative
Mooney, however moved a recess un
til s o'clock at night to permit o
committee work That motion wal
voted down overwhelmingly and thel
on motion of Mr.. Macdonald a recess
of fifteen minutes was taken
Philip Burnet. manager of the Con
tinental Insurance Company. Della
ware Corporation appeared before th'
House yesterday afternoon and aske'
that his company be taxed for Stat
purposes on the same basis as outsid
life insurance companies doing bust
ness in the state are taxed
A bill to that effect. introduced b.
Representative Jester. was passed b,
the House after Mr.. Burnet explained
IL. He said the State law is not clea
as to whether Delaware chartered in
surance companies majority o
whose capital stock is invested il
business carried on in this stat
should be taxed or are exempt Mr.
Burnet said the Continental and tn
Home companies pay tax on thei
surplus and premiums, even thougl
there Is a question whether the com