Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-03-29
THE CAG-RULE
AT LEGISLATURE
Casting Aside All Precedent Bal
timore City Gets Grab Deal
On Anne Arundel.
THE CLOTURE RULE ADOPTED
Annexation Bill Passes and Again Bal
timOre City Gets What She Wants
Will Control Next Session Of
Legislature Counties a
Nonentity.

NOuentilY.
Casting aside the precedent of years
and for the first time in the memory of
anyone about the legislative halls the
MaryalIh Senate last night applied
"gag-rule" to carry out the will of
Baltimore city in the fight to grab
portion of Anne Arundel and Balti-
more counties for its own enlargement
Inducing Senator Speicher, of Gar
rett county, who was speaking in sup
port of Senator Duvall's amendment to
provide a referendum to the bill under
/ which only the people in the TO be an
neXed territory should vote. the city
people first slipped in motion to go
into executive session and, after hav-
ing thus gotten the floor from Senator
Speicher, called the previous question
This was at about $50 o'clock this
morning, after a session of seven hours
With Senator John Mudd, a Repub-
lican member from Charles county, in
the chair the cloture rule was adopted
by vote of 9 TO IA, all further amend
ments were each adopted, Senator Du-
offered by or i'm the interest of Balti-
more city. and then on the reading
clerks desk all debate arbitrarily shut
off and Senator Duvall and his friends
among the anti-anneXationists were
denied the floor So heavily was the
steam roller used ii finally becamenec-
esary for Senator Duvall to force a
vote of protest by appealing from the
ruling of The presiding officer. The
city people mad the votes. however, a:sl
the appeal was not sustained
After the screws had been put on
and the arneXationists had grabbed
control of the situation the city amend
mems were each adopted, Senator Du-
valfs amendments sent to the desk
were ruled out of order and the bin de-
clared ready for its thirh reading
The game fight which Senator Du-
vail continued to make however, kept
the session going until within a few
minutes of o'clock, when an adjourn
ment until today at noon was taken
Hardly had the Senate adjourned be-
fore President Campbell had the bill
as amended, on its way to the printer
in Baltimore. so that the copies of the
amended measure would be ready for
the Senate to give it's final rearling
and send it to the House at the earliest
possible moment
Senator Duvall, of Anne Arundel, and
Senator Allen, of Baltimore county
bore the brunt of the fight to delay
vote last night. but were very ably as
sisted by Senators Williams of Cecil
county, and Speicher. Senator Speich-
er came as one of the last of the speak
ers in opposition TO the Frick amend
ment to have the strictly local ques-
tion olfecting only Anne Arundel and
Baltimore counties referred 10 the vo-
ters of the whole State for approval or
rejection. He had probably nct spoken
for more than a half hour when The
clouds began to gatn'~
Senators were none to- interested IN
what he was SAYING. All during the
weary night they had beer strayine
from the Senate Chamber as enc after
another of the anti-annexationists
spoke Often they were compelled t.
hurry back to respond to their names
on motions made to adjourn or 70 post
pone or to establish a quorum.
When Senator Speicher, in answer
to a question, stated that b was pre-
| pared to talk all night il necessary.
| efforts were launced at once to "Trip
/ him and get the floor aWav from him.
Senator .Frick, Norris, OGDEN and
! Campbell,of Baltimore city and others
| who were backing them. gathered in
the office of President Campbell After
agreeing upon their program in Presi-
| dent Campbell's room, they unostenta-
tiously drifted back one or two a; a
| time. until their voting strength was
again assembled. Then Holmead. of
! Prince Georges county moved that the
| Senate so into executive session. s;eh-
| ator Speicher yielding the floor to aim
| for a moment. The executive session
| motion prevailed and every one but
| members were excluded from the Sen
/ ate chamber.
When the door was opened Senator
! Duvall was demanding recognition on
a point of personal privilege over the
manner in which he and his frineds
were being ridden over rough shod
Senator Mudd. occupying the chair
/ ruled that he was not confining him
self to point of privilege, but was
merely complaining of the indignity
that had been thrust upon Senator
Speicher. Then Senator Speicher. took
the floor to speak for himself, ami Sen.
ator Mudd ruled him out of order and
charged him with berating the chair
and the members of the Senate.
Senator Frick. of Baltimore city.was
interrupting the efforts of Senaors Du
vail. Allen. Speicher and Williams t.
gain recognition, and altogether thu
whole Senate was fighting mad Sen
ator Frick finally insisted upon hii
motion to put the previous question
Inquiries were made concerning h,
meaning of the motion, but none of tn,
anti-annexation Senators seemed abl,
TO get any satisfaction from either tn,
chair or Senator Frick. Senator Will
Jams then moved that Senator Frick'