New-York tribune., 1875-02-26
WASHINGTON.

PROSPECTS OF THE FORCE BILL.
rsx THAT MAY DE CONSUMED IN READING THE
IouRN,z-sEyERAL IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS TO
RE oFpERKp-REsULT OF ADOPTING OR REJECT
ING THE AMESDMENTs, IN RESPECT TO THR
FAH OF THE BILL
IBY TRLEenAPH 10 THE rRIBuSEl
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-The Force bill. being the
unfinished business will be taken up again imme-
diatsly after the reading of the journal tomorrow
morning As more than 90 hours of the last legsla-
tive day spent principally In calling the roll
md as the Speaker has ruled that those Tolls
fern n part Of the Journal the reading OF
that journal. unless dispensed with by unan-
smous consent or by o two-thirds vote suspending
the rules will occupy several hours. After that,
Mr. Coburn has the floor for an hour. and may call
the previous question, after admitting such amend
ments ss he may choose 1t is hardly probable that
the previous question will be seconded tomorrow,
unless the door for amendments fs opened
very widely. Mr.. Cannon has already given
notice of one to strike out the section giving the
President power to suspend the writ OF habeas
corpus, and Judge Hoar has announced that he will
move to strike out the first second, and fourth sec
tions. These refer to the invasion OF State by
TIVE or more persons, a conspiracy to usurp gov
ernment by two or more persons, and to the duties
Of election officers Gen. Butler will also move to
buit the power to euspend the writ Of habeas
corpus to two years. the object being to prevent the
next President should he be Democrat, from exer-
cising this power. Should any of these important
amendments be cut OFF, members who favor them
will vote against the BILL and there is little proba-
bility that it will be agreed to in any form.
FILIBUSTERING AGAINST THE FORCE BILL.
THE TRICK OF GEN. BUTLER-CAUsEs OF ITS FALL
URE-TuE NEW RULE ONLY APPLIES TO QUO
RUM-EAsE WITH WHICH THE BILL COULD HAVE
BEEN BROUGHT UP IN AN HONEST wAY-GEN.
BUTLER AND Mr.. RANDALL AS LEADERS.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBUSE.I
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25-The deadlock in the
House of Representatives, which continued from u
o'clock last evening until o'clock this afternoon,
was the result of two blunders made by Gen. Butler
and his associates. The first blunder to suppose
that they could gain any advantage by resorting to
a disreputable trick in order to get their caucus
Force bill before the House, and the other to i'm
agiue that they strong enough to accomplish
anything without the assistance of the mon who
are the recognized leaders of their partysuch men
as Messrs Blaine, Dawes, Garfield Ellis II. Roberts,
Judge Poland, and Others
The trick was thoroughly characteristic of Gen.
Butler and the desperate set of politicians who COM
pose the greater part of the rank and file of his fol-
lowing. Every day this week they had attempted
to induce the House to consider the Force bill. but
been voted down by large majority. Finally yes
terday morning the several reports from the COM
mittees that have been investigating in the South
came in conflict with the Sundry Civil Appropria-
tlon BILL when Mr. Poland explained that. by an
derstanding with Mr.. Garfield, he would not inter
pose any objection to the consideration of the Ap-
preparation b provided that after it passed he had
an opportunity to call up his Arkansas resolutions
OF course Messrs Coburn and Butler did not agree to
this, but after long debate they were voted down
and had to submit. When the question of taking
recess was raised, Mr.. Garfield said that it
was to be devoted to the consideration OF
the Appropriation bill, and Mr.. Coburn
moved to amend by setting the evening aside for the
Force bill This the House would not agree to. The
evening session last night was therefore generally
understood TO be for the purpose Of proceeding with
the Appropriation BILL
Unless the business of the House is to be OF
unusual interest or Importance, many OF the mem
bers are In the habit OF absenting themselves from
the evening sessions. Gen. Butler anticipated that
this would be the last night, and so caused all
the friends of the Force bill to be present, while
more than one half Of the Democrats and many OF
the Republicans vino expected to vote against 1t
wore not in their seats when the House called
to order 1t is doubtful if there was quorum. all
told, at halfpast7 T. Gen Buffers plan only partly
going into Committee Of the Whole on the Appro-
priation bill but there his power stopped. The Re
pubcans present did not constitute quorum OF
the House. No business could be transacted with
ont Quorum The Democrats would not assist IN
making quorum but sat still in their seats and re-
fused to vote, thus throwing the House into that
condition where nothing was in order but call OF
the House OF motion to adjourn. In this condition
the House continued until nearly noon to-day.
The order of events which wa sseveral times re-
peated. was as follows: Calling the Yeas and Nays
on calling the House; calling the House, voting to
continue or discontinue proceedings under the call
reconsGerine the last vote voting to Lay the recon
alteration on the table; vote on any new question
that,might be raised; a motion to call the House.
Ac Whenever the proceedings under the call OF
the House were stopped, and the next motion the
Democrats refused to vote, another call was ordered
and the old routine was continued Ii will be seen
that the new rule could not reach this case as that
Only applies when quorum is present, and then 1t
gives the control of business TO the majority OF the
House.
At about noon to-day the result Of vote showed
for the first time the presence of more than l45 Re-
publcans and the deadlock was broken. at the
same time the number of motions which werespend-
ing or which were still in order was great enough TO
consume the time for four hours longer, and then,
the bill being fairly before the House, an ADJOURN
ment was carried. Had not the Radicals resorted to
trick in the hope of getting the bill up In thin
house tie great waste Of time at this critical stage
of the session might have been saved. Had it been
publicly announced that an attempt would be made
TO take mp the Force bill, the Republicans would all
have been there and would have been able either TO
take it up without delay or to have refused to do
;okso ifrhf hova