Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-16

| acts after his election to the presiding
chair was to disfranchise Is members
of this House by not putting them on
committees. The only thing we have
ever done was TO oppose the chairman
of the Montgomery County delegation
| The Speaker by this broke another
precedent, and do you expect that the
grand inquest committee which he has
| appointed to do anything but white
wash everybody?"
Again Speaker Lee was on his feet
| to say that Coburn had no right tt
attack his honesty in the matter OF
the selection of members OF com.
mittees.
Coburn said that he had no personal
quarrel with any Of the members OF
the Grand inquest committee or die
he attack their integrity, but, he added
| ability to say yes when the speaker
mods"
Rules Called Discarded.
Another effort was here made by
| Speaker Lee to have Coburn sit down
| but it was unsuccessful. When Lee
| brought forth the rules, Coburn re-
Piled: "Those rules have gone into the
| discard" He said his order offered a
direct challenge to the Democratic
| party, and sought then to read his
order, which had been prevented BY
reference to committee. Lee sought tC
prevent it by another point of order
saying that 1t was impertinent, and
| Coburn said that if there was any
lawyer in the House who had practiced
more than 80 days who would say tina!
the reading of the order was imperti-
nent, he would sit down without furthel
1 NJ
| Coburn'S order. for which he sought
| immediate consideration, was directed
| to Gov. Ritchie and asked specifically
If during the past five years any State
road funds had been used in any pub
lie celebration, and if SO, where, wher
and In what amount and to whom the
disbursements were made. 1t asked
specifically about the opening of the
Severn River Bridge and the remova
of the tolls from the Havre de Grace
Bridge, details as to authority for thu
expenditure and the accounts to which
they were charged.
rs there anything to be lost by the
passage of that order?" Coburn asked
IF there is nothing wrong with thoss
| expenditures, then let the governor tel
1t to the people of Maryland The gooc
road mess is our mess. We are re.
sponsible. We must cure it. Let mt
sound warning to the Democratic
members of this House"
Here he was interrupted by Lee ane
the chair to say he was out of order
but despite objections continued:
"A warning that If you sidestep OF
evade the plain challenge of this order
you sound the death knell of yours ane
my party forever. Well, got most o.
Speaker Lee then pointed out that
Inc rules provide for the sending of all
resolutions and orders to committee. Ir
the Judgment of the chair there was nC
reason why this could not 20 to com.
mittee so that members would kuo,,
what they were voting on. He con.
tended That there was no way to choke
any one OIL in the House, and that Il
a member desired to get a particular
piece of legislation on the floor he coulC
do so by getting a petition signed bJ
10 members. He said that Coburr
wanted it considered before the mem.
bers understood it. He said that onl,
Coourns friends were familiar with the
order.
Refers to Reservation,
Delegate Daniel C. JOSEPH. Baltimore
ClCy lnSurgent, supported Coburn. point
ing out that when Coburn sent IN tn,
! order he made a distinct reservation
that he would make a motion as s,,u
as the order was read, but was prevent.
ed ny the speakers action. Joseph sale
that he had a right to make a reserva
Llon ana q right to make q motion
The point involved, said Joseph, is: I.
TINS House TO be run fairly or not?
MINORITY Floor Leader James j. Lind
n
the previous question, and on the fina
vote the chair was sustained by a vot.
Of II to %.
delegate Gray from Baltimore Cit,
then protested against the committe,
assignments, pointing out that Their,
were ~ members who were not on an,
committee, and therefore could no
serve their constituents, and that il
some instances there were individual
delegates who had eight committee as
slgnments. He insisted that no MAJ
could efficiently act on SO many com
mlttees, and that the business of TIN
State would suffer.
After these skirmishes, the grand in
quest committee resolution was received
IL SAID that it was the purpose of tn,
committee to conduct complete ant
competent investigation of the affair."
OF the Maryland State Roads Commits
sion. and that as the committee regar,
the naming of counsel as the most i'm
portant part of the conduct of sucl
an investigation, that Charles McTIenr,
Howard and Joseph c. France of Bal
tlmore, and Alexander Armstrong o
Hagerstown were appointed counsel.
The resolution then said that eth
committee viii hold as many meeting
OF the committee as necessary to con
duct an investigation of the affairs O
the Maryland State Road Commission
and will take all necessary steps +
secure financial support for the vigorou
conduct of the work both of the coun
sci appointed by the committee and Q
the committee
After the introduction of severa
bills, including the Statewide prohibi
| ton law the nrodl1ct of the Marylafl