The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-01-12
FOrty-FOurth Congress-.
Tilt Between Blaine, of Maine, and
Randall, OF Pennsylvania.
In Which the Ex.Spcaker Is Made "a
Bite the Dust,

WASHINGTON, January lO.-Randal
moved to suspend the rules of 0rdel
and proceed TO the consideration Of hi
amnesty bill. Blaine suggested that
the Centennial appropriation bill
should be first considered. Randall
insisted on his motion. The rules wer,
suspended by the requisite two-thirds
vote. Randall then demanded the
previous question.
Blaine-Does the gentleman desire
to cut Off the amendment?
Randall desire to have the pre-
vious question seconded, then / will
allow half an hour, which the rules
give me, for discussion TO the other
side of the House.
Blaine-Does the gentleman propose
not to allow any amendment?
Randall will listen to the amend
ment.
Blaine-'rhe gentleman knows very
well that the previous question cuts OIL
any amendment.
Randall-I am quite aware of the eff
feet of it. j have for twelve years
learned its effects in adversely under
your directions and that ofyour side of
the House. [Murmurs of applause on
the Democratic side. The previous
question was seconded by l59 to 50,
Randall, Of Pennsylvanla-As have
one hour for debate propose
Garfield, of Ohio--Under what rule ?
This bill is not report from n
committee and therefore there is no
debate allowed, the previous question
being seconded. Blaine insisted on
the same point and said that the rule
as to allowing an hour for debate after
the previous question applied only to
reports from committees. The pre-
vious question in this case cuts of alb
solutely every moment of debate.
Randall-Does that side of the House
object to debate?
Blaine-It does not; nor does this
side of the House desire any unreason-
able time for debate, although as Con-
gress has been in session five weeks,
and as the sessions of the House have
averaged only about two days per
week, it might be considered that an
hour or two OF debate would not be too
much to allow on bill of this kind.
Randall Persistently) | want to
know If anybody on that side of the
House objects to debate.
Hale, OF Maine-No, sir; but we want
debate and the amendment both.
Garfield-We want u consideration
of the subject, which means debate and
amendment.
Randall propose that we give an
hours consideration to it.
Garfield-(sneeriugly) Aye, consider
alton without amendment.
Blaine-I told the gentleman Rau-
DAILY, in good faith, that it was abso-
lutely impossible for him to pass his
bill under that kind of tactics. The
vote on the previous question has re-
vealed the fact that considerably more
than one-third of the House objects to
the bill going through under gag.
Randall do not propose to put 1t
through under gag. On the contrary,
propose to put it through after de-
bate, if that side of the house will be
itself responsible for there being no
debate. 1t is for that side of the House
to say whether there shall be debate or
not.
Blaine-The gentleman from Penn
sylvania knows that Mr.. Benton left
on record the saying that the very es-
sence of legislative power is amend
ment, and the gentleman from Penn
sylvania confesses the weakness OF his
cause when he attempts to deprive the
minority of the House of the parlia-
mentary right to offer amendments.
Randall--(tauntingly) am glad that
you see light, for during many years
YOU were blind to such considerations.
Laughter on the Democratic side and
in the galleries.
Blaine (defantly) The gentleman
will search the Globe for the last
twelve years in vain for case where
a bill of this magnitude was attempted
to be put through without discussion
and amendment. Sir, | defy him to
give an instance.
Randall-Was not this very bill
passed last year under the previous
question on a report from the Commit
tee on Rules, of which you were
member.
Blaine-And TO which l objected.
Randall-Never, either in or out OF
the committee did you object to 1t.
Blaine-Being in the chair and una
ble to object myself, got several gem
tlemen to object Laughter at the
expense of the late Speaker. / asked
the gentlemen from North Carolina,
Mr.. Rainey, to object to 1t, but e,with
a delicacy which did honor to his pc.
sition and his race, said that he would
he misunderstood If he did so, al
though he thought that the bill ought
to 90 through. -
Randall-I say that this bill Is al
most identical with the bill reported
last session from the Committee ON
Rules without any objection ON your
part.
Blaine-I differ with the gentleman
on that point. l did object to 1t, al-
though the gentleman does not observe
parliamentary rules when he refers to
what took place in committee.
Randall-I repeat that q precisely
similar bill came up last session from
the Committee on Rules, and that mel