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Show BROWNING IS GIVEN A JOLT PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL AT-TEMPTS AT-TEMPTS TO APPLY A "GAG." Republicans Sit Down on Him, Dickson, Dick-son, in a Clever Manner, Reply. Ing to a Personal Attack. The first tilt of a partisan nature in Ihe present city council was started last evening at the council meeting by President Frowning, when. In anticipation an-ticipation of an opinion from the city attorney which was In the hands of the recorder, passing upon the right of Mr. Browning to retain his seat as presiding officer, the president of the council announced that he withdrew all standing committees formerly appointed ap-pointed by him. In announcing the withdrawal of the committees. Mr. Browning stated that he was doing so for the purposa of leaving the legally declared president free to select his own committees. The Republican members of the council, coun-cil, however, thought they saw a "nigger "nig-ger in the wood pile," or, as Councilman Council-man Dickson shortly afterwards put It, "President Browning had something tip his sloee." The opinion of Ihe city attorney was that when Mr. Browning was elected president of Ihe council it was for his full term of office as councilman, four years, and that he is the legal holder c.f the K)sltlon at this time. Strictly partisan lines were drawn between the Republican and Democratic Demo-cratic members of the council. The vote was six Republicans against four Democrats, when the council refused to sustain President Browning, declaring de-claring out of order Councilman Dickson's Dick-son's motion that the committee formerly for-merly appointed by President Browning Brown-ing and concurred in bv the committee commit-tee of the whole, be retained. Animated words followed on both 6'des and President Browning became personal in his address to the council after he had called Dana to the chair. The president said that the motion f Dlcksnn was nut of order and would not be considered at nil; that there were no committees before the council coun-cil because he had withdrawn them, and that he would proceed to name his committees. lie also contended that it was a rule of the council that the president has the right to name the committees, and that if the council desired to change the rule It would require a two-thirds majority vote to do so. Councilman Austin appealed from the decision of the president. A strict party tote Browning failed to be. sustained, sus-tained, the Democrats voting to sustain sus-tain the presiding officer and the Republicans Re-publicans voting against him. Councllmen Flygare anil I'eery of the Democratic side of the house insinuated in-sinuated that Councilman Dickson and others of the majority side were discourteous dis-courteous to the president in depriving depriv-ing him of the right to appoint his committees at that time. Retorts from Dickson, Dana and Austin wore to the effect that the majority ma-jority had Ielded a number of committee com-mittee positions to favor the mluorlty, and that they felt they had been more than fair all the way through. They took exceptions to Browning's attempted at-tempted "gag" rule, believing that the majority of, the council should have the affairs of the city In hand, and conduct the business of the council, as they were held responsible In city affairs. To foil the majority In its determination determi-nation to retain the committees formerly for-merly appointed bv the president. Councilman Peery made a motion that the matter be referred to the city attorney at-torney for a legal opinion Austin immediately im-mediately made a motion that it be not referred to the attorney. This question brought forth a more heate 1 discussion than the previous one, Austin Aus-tin commenting adversely on the former for-mer opinions of the city attorney, referring re-ferring particularly to the advice of the attorney In the revocation of the Frye franchise, which Involved the council in a muddle. President Browning, Brown-ing, sweating under the collar, tooli the floor and assailed his colleague. Dr. Dickson, of the Fifth ward In pajing his respects to Councilman Council-man Dickson. Mr. Browning stated that there was a certain councilman that aspired to the presidency of the council, who had been the mover of the proposition to get a legal opinion on the question as to whether the present president could legally remain, re-main, and that because his plans had been thwarted and his "wings clipped' clip-ped' he was disgruntled. Continuing further, he said: "There Is one councilman In the Fifth ward who imagines that he controls con-trols the whole ward and that the other oth-er councilman Is a mere figure-head " Dickson's reply was most courteous, but carried some rich irony which struck home with foice. When the amendment was carried bv a C to 4 vote, the matter was dropped, drop-ped, the Republicans gaining a complete com-plete victory and thwarting what Unconsidered Un-considered an attempt on the part of the president of the council to enforce "pag"' rule and foist upon the council an entirely new personnel In the committees. |