The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-03-03
Gkf 8ullftim.
Lively Two-Hours' Osbsts on
the Vermont Case.
Mysterious Movements Of the ver-
mont Democratic Returns.
TIE last state Reached.


WAsnINoToN, March latter the
passage of some senate bills removing
political liabilities, Mr.. O'Brien moved
q call OF the house.
The speaker counted the house and
found there was q quorum present and SO
announced.
Mr.. walling submitted that the roll
had to be called in order to verify the
tact.
The speaker stated that the motion for
. call Of the house was In order. The
chair regarded 1t a. of dilatory charac-
ter, but was bound TO submit.
Mr.. O'Rfien inquired whether il was
not within the knowledge of the chair
that In former congresses there were
calls Of the house even when it had been
ascsrtained that there was quorum
present.
The speaker replied that that had oc-
CURED where gentlemen had declined to
vote and that while it was allowable
under the rales OF the house it was not
allowable under law and that he was not
responsible for the law.
Mr.. Wood claimed the floor to offer a
resolution but Mr.. Walling insisted on
his motion for call Of the house.
Mr.. Hoskins remarked that the house
was operating under the electoral COM
mission law, that the chair has ascer-
tanned the presence of quorum, and that
the motion for cali Of the house should
not be entertained. fla call of the house
were to be allowed at any time during
the proceedings, then they could never be
completed.
The Speaker: The chair has the right
10 find out whether there is a quorum.
Mr.. Hoskins: No; the gentleman has
q right to claim that there is no quorum
present. When the speaker has ascer-
tanned there is
The speaker: There is quorum pres
ent, but the gentleman from Ohio (Wall-
ing) il not willing to take the statement
OF the chair.
Mr.. Walling: disclaim any reflection
on the chair, but have the right to
know whether there is quorum pres
emit, and I demand the yeas and nays on
my motion.
The yeas and nays were ordered and
resulted: Yeas, 68; nays, 1859; 30 the
call of the house was refused.
This little movement was so far sue.
eessful a. to have occupied An hour and
. quarter Of the time of the house. /
was followed BY q motion to reconsider
the vote, and, although Mr.. Wood made
the point Of order that such q motion
could have no practical effect on legisla.
ton, bat was papsbly and unquestion.
ably q dilatory motion, 1t was allowed
by the speaker, who said he had never
yet ruled or decided either by inference
or otherwise that motion to reconsider
was dilatory motion. On the contrary,
the chair was very clear that what the
house could do 1t could undo by mo.
ton 10 reconsider.
Mr.. Hale moved to lay the motion to
reconsider on the table. Agreed to:
Yeas ia, nays 65.
As soon a. the vote was announced q
struggle for recognition by the speaker
was made between Messrs. Wood, Pop.
pleton, Caulisld and Mills, each having
proposition to submit which each
claimed to be of the highest privilege.
Ii was made known In the course OF
the colloQuy that the speaker. who had
recognized Mr.. Wood before the motion
for call Of the house, and who after.
wards learned that Mr.. Poppleton pre-.
sented the objection to the certificate
from Vermont, sent for both these gen.
tlemsn and arranged that the resolution
prepared BY Mr.. W God should DO offered
BY Mr.. Poppleton, who, under the
usage, was entitled to the floor. and tina,
Mr.. Wood should move the previous
question upon it,
In the meantime Mr.. Caultield, who
had failed In his efforts to be recognized
by the chair, handed over to Mr.. Popple.
ton resolution which he had prepared
ard Mr.. Popplston sent it to the clerks
desk.
The speaker suggested that the action
was hardly In consonance with the
agreement made. but Mr.. Poppleton re-
pied he had been q party in the prepa-
ration Of Mr.. Caulhsld's resolution, and
that 1t had direct reference to tho objee
ton to the certificate from Vermont.
The speaker thsreupon directed it I,
- read, and 1t was read.
II reeites In the form Of q preamble tina
sealed package, addressed to the presi
dent Of the senate, purporting to contain
The electoral vote OF Vermont. was Dolly
cred yesterday to the president OF tn
senate By Mr.. Hewitt; that 1t appears b,
telegram from the clerk of the Unite'
States district court OF Vermont that tn
duplicate OF such returns was deposite,
IN the Once On the 18th OF December
1ue; that such package had beef
made Q part Of the objection to the certi
aeats Of Vermont and stu remained un
opsns1, and that The objection cannot bt
esnsideFsd untsl such package Is opened
asssrding to law; that such package 1,
rstaissd By the prssident OF secretary o
the senate, and therefore resolving tina
ths refusal Of ths pEssidsnt Of the sspst