New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-28
THE BILL FOR A NEW ELECTION.

THE BILL FOR A NEW ELECTION.
1T is RUSHED THROUGH THE HOUSE IN DEfiANCE
OF THE RULES. AND QUIETLY BURIED IN ihH
sENATE-RUMORs AND HOPES.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
WASHINGTON. Feb. 27.-Spcaker Randall rail-
roaded through the House to-day David Dudley
Fields bill to encourage flbnstering 1t provides
that in case the office of President becomes vacant
through the failure of the two houses to ascertain
and declare the result of the election, or from any
other canse the President of the Senate or if there
be none, the Speaker of the House. or, II
that office is vacant, then the Secretary OF
State shall act as President until a new election
shall take place. The passage of this important
measure occupied less than hour, and was made
possible only by series of, to say the least, very
doubtful rulings by the Speaker. In the hrst place.
the point of order was made against 1t by Mr. Bur-
chard of Illinois that Proctor Knotts committee,
from which Mr.. Field reported it, had never Deen
authorized to report by bill; and even II II had'
that the subject matter of the Dill had never
been referred to it. Speaker Randall oyerruled TINS
noint saving that the committee undoubtedly had
the right to report at any time, and 1t MADE no
especial difference whether it reported by bill or
otherwise. AS to the question whether the SUBJECT
matter had been referred to the committee or not he
decided that this one of those questions OF such
constitutional privilege that it was in order at any
time whether the rules of the House forbid or not
and that 1t was Tor the House ltseII 10 uetlhiine
when such an occasion arose.
The next objection was based on Rule 116, which
provides that all bills shall have three separate
readings and that no two readings of any measure
shall take place on the same day. Nobody was able
70 understand exactly how Mr. Randall got over this
ruIe The first and second readings ordered by
a vote OF the House, and when the third reading
was proposed the point of order which was made by
Mr.. Wilson of Iowa was coOlly ignored Mr. Field,
at the earnest solicitation Of some of the RepuD-
LEANS cOndesccnded TO allow - minutes debate on
each side. which was afterward extended or III
minutes. No very striking points were made in the
brief discussion that followed, and the bill was
agreed to by small majority.
The Speakers haste to force the bill through
the intermediate parliamentary stages to a
final vote lends color TO the theory OF certain
Republicans that this bill in mysterious way is
TO afford preteXt in the Senate for the defeat OF
the Presidential count and the election to the Presl-
dency of the Senate of some one whom the
Democrats uniting with few Republicans,
are willing 10 support. Mr.. Neal OF Ono,
Democrat. in his speech in oppo-
sitop to the bill, admitted that such
theories were entertained by the Democrats,
for he warned his colleagues that again they were
being deluded by snare similar to that in which
they were caught by the passage of the Electoral
bill and that the person to be chosen President of
fine Senate would not be the Senator of their choice
lint would be Oliver p. Morton of Indiana. lie closed
his speech by saying that he would prefer that
Rutherford b. Hayes should be President of the
United States for four years than that Mr Morton
shoud be President for four months, four weeks, or
four days.
Some of the Democrats belonging to the revolu-
tionary clique still predict that Mr. Hayes will not
he inaugurated. They undoubtedly base this hope
on some action which they expect the Senate to
take. Some of the more enthusiastic of them are
asserting tonight that as many as thirteen Re
publican Senators have been found who Will
unite with the Democrats III the selection
of Republican President OF the Senate
and common runOr says that Mr.. Conkling IS to be
the man. Among these thirteen are named all the
Southern Republican Senators, including five whose
terms expire or the 4th of March, Two of these
thirteen have Indignantly denied to-day that they
have entertained any such conspiracy, and they in
innate that il would not be safe for any
person even to suggest it to them. There
NAV have been time when n few Of the
Southern Republican Senators might have been
induced TO enter into such an arrangement, but now
that the inauguration of Gov. Hayes seems posi-
lively assured they would have everything to lose
and nothing to gain by such course So far az
ruInor connects the name of Senator Conkllng with
this movement his friends deny again to-day, with
great emphasis that the story is anything except
Islander.
There is no danger, however that Mr.. Fields bill
will ever pass the Senate. The Democrats who are
managing this revolutionary proceeding desired to
have this bill referred to the Committee the Ju
dietary. of which Mr.. Conklmg, during Mr.. Ed
muuds's service on the Electoral Commission, Is
acting chairman. FOrsOme unexplained reason they
have confidently believed that that committee
would make q favorable report on the measure,
and that thus fortified 1t might be adopted
by the Senate. The Republicans were not to
be caught mapping, however. As soon as the bill
WAS received in the Senate it was sent without dis
cussop TO the Committee Privileges and Elections,
of which Mr. Logan Is acting chairman during Mr..
Morton's service on the Electoral Commission. If
there was any doubt To its fate in the Judiciary
Committee there certainly il none to what will
Elections. In parliamentary language, David Dud-
lev Fields measure has been sent to a nurse which
cares not Tor IT.
THE FILIBUSTERS
APPLAUSE IN THE HOUSE OVER THE RECEss-WHAf
THEY HOPE FOR TODAY.
[BY TELEGRAPH TIE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON Feb. 27.-The Democratic conspira-
tors could not restrain their satisfaction this even
. l.