Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-07-28
BILL ALLOWING SALE
Of ". & A. WILL De
REPORTED FAVORABLY
Eight of Twenty-One Members
of House Committee Meet
and Hear Speaker BIrweII
Talk for Measure

II became known today that eight of
the twenty-one members of the Western
and Atlantic railroad committee of tho
house of representatives held meeting
Tuesday afternoon and voted to recon-
mend the passage of a bill by Repre-
sentative Burwell, of Hancock county,
who is speaker of the house, looking TO
the sale of the Western and Atlantic
railroad.
The bill amends the act creating the
Western and Atlantic releasing commits
sion so as TO enlarge the commissions
authority by giving it power to consider
proposals for the sale. of the Western
and Atlantic railroad, lin the event the
commission should be unable 10 nego-
tiate a satisfactory lease"
The vote of the eight members of the
Western and Atlantic committee of the
house is understood to have been six in
favor of the bill and two against 1t.
Those who voted in favor of the bill,
were:
Morris, of Cobb; Cole, of Barlow;
Swift, of Muscogee, Hutcheson, of Turn
err: Bradford, of Whitfield; Dart, of
Glynn.
Those who voted against the bill
were:
Andrews. of Fulton; Elders. of TAFT
nall.
Representative Burwell appeared be-
fore the eight members of the commit
tee and urged them to give his bill
favorable report. Nobody appeared
against the bill.
AMENDMENTS KILLED.
Representatives Morris, of Cobb, and
Cole, of Barlow, ii is further learned.
wanted to amend the bill by making
IL compulsory upon the Western and At
20 cell N1..
road. but the others present were not
willing to go this far.
Thee members of the committee came
in a few moments after the eight MEM
bers had voted and adjourned, and ex-
pressed themselves as being violently
opposed to the bill. They demanded that
the matter be re-opened so that they
could cast their votes against a favor
able report, but their demand was not
granted.
Representative Walter p. Andrews, of
Fulton county. the chairman of the COM
mittee. when questioned Thursday con-
corning the details of the meeting, had
the following to say:
THE speaker asked me to call a meet
ing to consider his bill. He was very
anxious, for some reason. to get action
by the committee as quickly as possible.
I got together sort OF hurried meet
ing, but was unable to secure the at
tendance OF the full committee Only
eight members were present. The secre-
tary Of the committee is Representative
Morris. Of Cobb. He called the roll.
informed me that quorum was present,
and I proceeded. Whether eight MEM
bers constitute quorum of the Western
and Atlantic committee, I am not posi-
lively certain. Each committee makes
it's own rules as to a quorum. AS 1 say,
the speaker wanted the matter hurried
along as much as possible. He did not
ay why. but got the impression that he
had some political reason for wanting
it."
STATEMENT BY BURWELL.
Mr.. Burwell Thursday stated that he
had several times requested Chairman
Andrews to call a meeting of the COM
mittee to consider his bill. but that he
had been unable to get him to do so I'M
til Thursday afternoon.
1.-THE session Of the general assembly
| is rapidly drawing to a close" said Mr..
Burwell, land I wanted my bill acted
upon in time to give it a chance before
the end of the session. The meeting was
called in the regular way, the secretary
called the roll and announced that there
was a quorum present. I don't know
how many members of that committee IL
requires to constitute a quorum. Some
| of the large committees provide that a
fw members shall constitute a quorum
I submitted by argument on the bill and
the committee reported it favorably by
vote of six TO two. That is all there
| is to It,
Thursday morning Mr.. Andrews asked
unanimous consent of the house to have
the bill recommitted. He stated that
there were only eight out Of twenty-one
members of the committee present when
the measure was considered and some
of those absent wish to be heard upon It.
Representative Yeomans, of Terrell, ob-
iected. Then Mr.. Andrews made mo-
ton that the bill be recommftted. Speak
er Burwell ruled that the motion was out
of order and held that a motion to re-
commit was not in order until the bill
came up for its third reading.