HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES.
MONDAY, March 9, 1885 - 9 a. m.PREPARING THE HOUSE JOURNAL.
Mr. McMULLEN moved that be authorized to draw a warrant in favor of Joseph T. Fanning for indexing and proofreading the House journal for the session of 1885.
Mr. PATTEN moved to amend that the matter be referred to a special committal to report at 2 o'clock. Mr. SEARS said that the House was read to act now, and that the work is worth $400.
Mr. GORDON maintained that such work was the duty of the Assistant Secretary of the Senate and Assistant Clerk of the House.
The motion to refer to a committee was laid on the table by yeas 43, nays 31.
The resolution was then adopted.
THANKS TO THE SPEAKER.
Mr. WILLIAMS offered the following resolution, which was adopted:
Resolved, That the thanks of this House are due and hereby tendered to Hon. Charles L. Jewett, Speaker, for his uniform kindness and courtesy during the session, and for the able and impartial manner in which he has discharged his duties.
BREVIER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS.
Mr. JAMISON offered a resolution that W. H. Drapier be allowed two-thirds of a cent per page per copy for 1,750 copies of the Brevier Legislative Reports of the present session.
The resolution was referred to the Committee on Printing with instructions to report in the afternoon.
THANKS TO THE READING CLERK.
Mr. McHENRY offered a resolution thanking Martin A. Morrison, Reading Clerk, for his courtesy and ability.
The resolution was adopted.
The SPEAKER: I am glad this has been adopted. Mr. Morrison has always been at his post, has been patient and most courteous.
PROOFREADING PAY.
Mr. WILLIAMS offered a resolution to allow the Reading Clerk and File Clerk $65 each for proofreading.
Mr. PLEASANTS moved to amend as that they be allowed $100.
The amendment was rejected by yeas 22, nays 39.
page: 329[View Page 329]The resolution was amended, by allowing each $61, and passed by yeas 52, nays 20.
REVISED STATUTES.
Mr. HELMS offered a resolution that the members of the House be allowed to retain the Revised Statutes in their possession by paying the Secretary of State $1.50 each per copy.
Mr. MOCK moved to amend by making the price $1 per copy.
Mr. WILLIAMS moved to amend that the members whose copies have been carried away or lost be excused from paying for them.
The amendment was rejected.
THANKS TO NEWSPAPER REPORTERS.
Mr. KRUGER offered a resolution thanking the representatives of the press for their fair and impartial reports of proceedings.
Mr. WILLIAMS moved to amend that the resolution shall refer to only those truly good newspapers who have ever been true.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr. GOODING made an ineffectual motion - yeas, 12; nays, 65 - to lay the resolution on the table.
Mr. BROWNING, explaining his vote, said that he was in favor of free speech, but the press of Indianapolis had been too free with their slander, lying and so on. He would see them in heaven before he would thank them.
Mr. GOODING: The reporters from the Republican press have lost no opportunity to assail Democrats on this floor who have felt it their duty to espouse causes which did not agree with the ideas of these reporters. They have abused their places and should be expelled from the House. They have lost no opportunity to abuse their trusts. If they were worthy of notice I should have paid some attention to them. It takes about three of the little gentlemen to make one man. am told there is to be a special session; if so I shall, at the close, arise to a question of privilege and have something to say. I expect these papers will continue in their abuse. But I shall not forget my manhood.
Mr. BROWNING: Has any Democratic paper defended the member?
Mr. GOODING: I am talking of Republican papers alone, I have an utter contempt for the little half bred, half idiotic reporters in this House. I vote "aye."
Mr. GORDON: I am disposed to thank the boys because they have done no worse. I shall note "no."
Mr. HOBAN: Thinking that what they have said has come from the head and not the heart, and believing that these boys will like us better as they become acquainted with us, I vote "no."
Mr. HELMS: Having been a newspaper man for several years, and realizing the fact that editors and reportes reporters are not always under oath when writing, and that this is a free country, and that we may say what we please if it be the truth, I have no enmity toward any reporter, and therefore I vote "aye."
Mr. LOYD: In view of the fact that I think the Republican press of Indianapolis has been kind and just, and in the face of the fact that the Democratic press, notably the Sentinel, has arrayed itself against the majority on this floor, I vote "no."
Mr. MOCK: Believing that the newspapers and reporters do not demand this, I vote "aye."
Mr. McMICHAEL: Because I believe in free speech and a free press I vote "no."
Mr. OSBORN: Because I believe the half has not been told I vote "no."
Mr. PATTEN: Life is a warfare and men differ. I have, it is true, had some trouble with reporters here: but when they were over all was past with me. I like a man better when I have had an old fashioned fight with him. I have no grievance now. I would not, had I a chance, vote a reporter from the floor. If what is said against a man is false, it will not hurt him. It is the duty of newspapers to criticise public acts. A personal fight should be below notice. We came from the same family, whether from the jungle or from the plain. If they accuse us of being hogs they are our kin. If I had a personal encounter with a reporter on this floor every day I should not vote to exclude a newspaper man. I vote "no."
Mr. PENDLETON: It you all knew how reporters have to draw on their imaginations at times as I do no one would say much. I vote "no"
Mr. PLEASANTS: By the way some gentlemen on this floor have squirmed and twisted because of criticism, I think a great many things were true, and I vote "no."
Mr. STALEY: Possibly in a small way I have as many grievances as any one - in my name being spelled wrong, speeches given me that I never said, and things I said have been omitted - still I am a member of the guild in a small way, and, as blood is thicker than water, I vote "no."
Mr. BEST: Because I have a kindly feeling for the reporters I vote "no."
The resolution as amended was then adopted.
SYMPHTHY SYMPATHY FOR AN ILL MEMBER.
SPEAKER JEWETT [Mr. Adams in the chair] offered a resolution of sympathy touching the illness of the Representative from Howard County (Mr. Lindsay).
It was adopted.
TO WAIT UPON THE GOVERNOR.
Mr. French and Mr. Floyd, of the committee appointed to wait on the Governor to ascertain whether his Excellency had anything further to communicate to that body, reported that they had performed that service and the Governor had nothing further to communicate to the House.
page: 330[View Page 330]THANKS.
Resolutions thanking the clerks and employes of the House were adopted.
FOR INDEXING.
Mr. CORY moved to reconsider the vote by which the House allows the Assistant Clerk $400 for indexing and proof-reading the House journal.
The motion was laid on the table - yeas, 54; nays, 21.
Mr. PENDLETON, explaining his vote, said that the service was well worth the money. He should vote "no."
Mr. PLEASANTS: For the reason that to oppose this is false economy, I vote "no."
THE SPEAKER'S VALEDICTORY.
Mr. FRENCH moved at 12 o'clock noon that the House adjourn sine die.
Before announcing the result of the vote -
Speaker JEWETT said:
GENTLEMEN OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: The end of the regular session of the Fifty fourth General Assembly of Indiana has been reached. Before declaring the House adjourned without day, I desire to again express to you the thanks which I uttered on taking this chair at the beginning of the session. For the united support you have given to my efforts and the great charity with which you have treated my performance as Speaker, please receive my grateful acknowledgment. If I have been in any degree successful it is because of your intelligent aid when I was right and your generous forbearance when I was wrong. The first hour of this session I declared that, in my opinion, this House was, in point of worth, the peer of any that ever organized in Indiana. What was then an opinion is now a settled conviction. Day after day I have seen you diligently and intelligently discharging your duties as worthy representatives of those who seat you here. It were vain to hope that you shall now be fairly judged, for faultfinding is easy, and criticism is the chief accomplishment of every trifler. But I know you have been faithful, and for the confirmation of this I appeal to the sober second thought of your constituents. To the elective and appointed officers of the House, I also return thanks for their uniform courtesy toward me and their steadfast adherence to their several duties. To them is due the credit that no work has been neglected and that no scandal as to disposition of bills or the disbursment of money has disgraced the House. And now, in uniformity to the vote just taken I declare the House adjourned sine die.
Accordingly the House adjourned without day.
