The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-05-06
E1cusing Day in Congress.

Last Monday week tho House havin,
voted TO hold evening sessions, a quorum
not attending to their duties, the abscntee
were called before the bar Of tho House
and those not excused for thcir absenc,
were fined the usual $40. 1t is to be re
GREETED that when SO much depends upoI
cnergetic action by Congress In giving ,
tone and settled condition to the country
so many mon fritter away the valuable
tihpe. and leave the great work undone:
Mr.. LYNCH. ! rise to parliamenta
ry Inquiry. -. Il. -,
The SPEAKER. Tho gentleman vii
state it. - -. -. = - 49,. .-r
Mr.. LYNCH.-Would 1t bo In qyder Il
mOvo that the gentleman. from Ohio Mr.
Schenck be excused on account of HI,
absence ON Thursday upon his pleasure
excursion, and that the gentleman from
Massachusetts,, CMr. Dawes] tho chairman
Of the Committee on Appropriations, b,
excused for his non-attcndance on Thurs.
day evening last when the House wa'
obliged to adjourn on account of the ab
sence Of members? If SO. then vii
make that motion. -
Mr.. DAWES If the gentleman from
Maine Mr.. Lynch has any criticism n
make upon my course let him present II
here promptly In the House and will re-
spDnd TO It.
Mr.. LYNCH. was only asking II Il
would be proper and parliamentary to
ask that tho. gentleman be excused fol
non-attendance on Thursday evening last,
when an appropriation bill was under
consideration, and the House was obliged
TO adjourn OH account Of the absence o
members. Dbl .r.. "a. .4f
Mr.. FITCH. Is not my resolution the
first business In order? @
The SPEAKER. The first business In
order after the expiration of tho morning
hour to-day Is the consideration OF tho
resolution of the gentleman fnom Nevada
CMr. Fitch TO suspend the rules, pending
ut the adjournment on Monday last.
Mr.. KNOTT. rise to make parlia'
mentary inquiry. ...
Mr.. DAWES. I ask the gentleman tO
yield 10 me. The gentleman from Maine
tMr. Lynch1 has seen fit to make that
Statement in reference to myself. / de-
sire to say the gentleman is entirely mis-
taken. was not absent.
Mr.. LYNCH. ! move that the gentle
man be excused.
Mr.. DAWES. / do not ask the gentle
man from Maine to make that motion.
[Laughter.] l hold myself responsible to
the House and the rules of the I1ousc,and
It Is not necessary for the gentleman to
get excused by making charges against
another member which are not true in
fact. do not think it worth while for
tho gentleman from Maine. to. make
charges which he does not know TO be
trlie. e.. ....-..
Mr.. LYNCH. Mr.. Speaker, It was moi
INV purpose to offer any excuse, for my
absence on Friday evening, but the gen.
'fien,nn from Illinois, the gentlenan from
Ohio, and the gentleman from Alassachu.
setts mfr. Dawes says that he was in the
House on I thursday evening Mt tho time
tha House adjourned.
Mr.. DAWES. I was not In tho Hall,
but was in the Capitol.
Mr.. LYNCH. That was precisely my
case ON Friday evening, and the gentle
man from Massachusetts, having been ex-
cused by the House I have been encour-
aced to ask that also shall he excused.
Mr.. DAWES. They have not excused
me.
Mr.. LYNCH. Tho gentleman offered
an excuse for not being here on Thursday
evening. Now, Mr.. Speaker, during the
time have been member here have
never before been absent during call of
the House. have very oflen hcen pres
ent when would gladly have paid the
fino to have been allowed to be absent.
On the present occasion was detained by
the call of constituent of mine, on my
way to the House, intending to be here
but was delayed half or three quarters
of an hour. When arrived here the
doors were closed. and l could not gain
admittancc; but understood tho gentle
man from Massachusetts,, Mr.. Dawes ion
account of whose absence tho House nd
iourned the night previous, was sitting rs
Judge here, and the gentleman from Ohio,
the Chairman of the Committee Of Ways
and Means, who was absent on u pleasure
excursion the day BEFORE. WAS acting as
prosecuting attorney in arraigninS mem'
bcrs. -
Mr.. SCHENCK. That Is not true.
Mr.. LYNCH. Seeing that could not
gain admission here. retired to the conf
mittce room, and went to work upon mat
ters l had in hanl. holding myself in
readiness, at any time when there was n
disposition to proceed to business. to come
here and attend 10 it.; but rs tho evening
was given up as usual, when there Is q
call Oc the House, t. amusement, l ielt
that nv time could bc better occupied,
and NV constituents better served by the
work / had I'm hand and was then per.
forming. A word in regard to the gen.
tleman from Massachusetts, MIR. Dawes
the chairman of the Committee on Appro-
priations, who seems to be somewhat SEN
sitive because of my allusion to him.
know that II the House hal been for any
length of time in session on Thursday
evening no would have been present at
his post, MS hc always is, urging that bus
incss bc proceeded with.
Mr.. SCHENCK. Will the gentleman
allow me to interrupt him, rs he again
refers to me? | WAS absent, as l have
said, on Thursday; and had there been
call Of the House that night should have
paid my fine, for / had no sufficient cx-
cuse and would not have whined about
1t. That is my position, and / have never
taken any other.
Mr.. LYNCH. have no doubt that the
gentleman would have shown all thai
pluck which is ono of his characteristics.
Mr.. SCEIENCK. You referred to me
in order to Justify yourself.
Mr.. LYNCH. 1,lid not refer to the
gentleman to Justify myself. but only al
luded to tho fact that the gentleman lav-
Ing been absent tho day beforcon plea
sure excursion took the lead In proceed.
Ing on Friday night against those who
were absent. 49,
Mr.. SCHENCK. I did not make the
motion for the call on Friday night. When
n n "a.