Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-26
HALT STEAM ROLLER"
ON ANNEXATION BILL
Delegates Melvin And Bryan Fore
stall Proceedings In House
GOES OVER TO THURSDAY
Made Special Order For That Day And
1t Is Thought 1t Will Be Finally
Disposed Of Them.

The nYely sklrmlSh III the House OF
Delegates yesterday when the fighting
on the Annexation Bill suddenly got
under way, resulted in a decided up
set OF the plans Of the Republican ma
chine leaders, and a corresponding
victory for the delegations from Bal
timOre and Anne Arundel Counties.
The Republican leaders, headed by
former u. S. Senator William p. Jack
son, held a "consecretionn meeting
and dinner at Carvel Hall the night
before and there renewed their orders
for a clear track for the annexation
bin the following morning no matter
what happened The Speaker Of the
House was there and the chairman of
the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Con-
molly, of Baltimore City. and the pro
gram decided on was that the bill
would be Immediately reported favor
ably from that committee, put on the
floor of the House for passage to it's
third reading and beyond the stage
for any mendments, and that the
House would be kept in session until
all tht was done even if it took uitil
Saturday night to do it,
However, Delegates Bryant. of Bal
timore County and Melvin, of Anne
Arundel County, got wind of this pro-
gram of railroading the bill and went
before the Judiciary Committee, Of
which they are members. yesterday
morning with certain important
amendments and asked TO have them
considered by the committee before
the original bill was voted on. This
was stated to be the first time that the
bill itself had ever been taken up be-
fore the committee. However. it was
announced by the chairman that he
would have to report the bill out inn
mediately and no opportunity of
amendments was given Mr. Clagett.
Of Prince Georges, joined Delegates
Bryant and Melvin in entering pro-
test TO this procedure, but by that
time the House was ready to con-
vene.
Then and there was that Messrs.
Bryant and Melvin led spirited at
tack on the Republican steam roller"
that threw it off the track for the
time being. Their appeals for fair
play converted enough Republicans to
carry by 56 to A. Mr. Bryants mo-
ton was for postponement until
Thursday next at 1890 p. NJ, at which
time the bill will be taken up and con-
tinued until finally disposed of. After
the skirnAsh was over the House ad-
journed until Tuesday night
1t is understood that there is a
strong sentiment among those legis-
lators which might be called open
minded that Baltimore City has no
fair case against Anne Arundel Coun-
ty, and that this county should be ex-
empted from the bill, even if it should
be decided that the territory in Bal
timore County adjacent TO the city
should be taken Other objections
urged to the bill in its prest form are
that it takes no account of the coun-
tys bonded ded nor undertakes to pay
for some of its bridges and other prop
erty which the city viii confscate If
allowed to go through with the bill.
These glaring defects and injustices
were shown up by Mr. Melvin on the
floor of the House and that the amend
ments to cover these we're submitted
TO the Judiciary Committee who de-
elined to consider them or any ameAd-
ments whatever to the original Balti-
more City bill At the special meet
ing of the Legislature next Thurs
day the whole question of amendments
will come up anew and some lively
parliamentary battles will undoubted-
ly be staged