New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-01-26
A BEGINNING IN THE HOUSE.

by name.
A BEGINNING IN THE HOUSE.
A GENEROUS POLICY PURSUED BY THE OPPONENTS
OF TIE BILL-YEsTERDAYs sPEECHEs AND
PROCEEDINGS.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-The most important hour
ofto-day's session in the House the first one.
From the reading of the journal until the discussion
on the Compromise bill began there was very gen
eral and intense interest in the arrangements which
would be made for its management III the House.
and every indication of its appearance was hoSI
eagerly watched Some routine business, occupy
ing few minutes, was transacted, when Mr..
SIMPSON, one of the clerks of the Senate, appeared
with the bill, which he presented IN the midst
of profound silence. 1t of course went at once
to the Speakers table. Mr.. Payne, chairman of the
House branch of the joint committee, was already
upon the floor to ask that unanimous consent be
given to take the bill from the table and refer it to
his committee. Then followed some moments of
such suspense as are rarely witnessed in the pro-
cecdings of Congress. The one opportunity for the
opponents of the bill to make their opposition effect
i've had then arrived. Objection then made might
postpone action upon the measure, and might even
endanger it's final success. All eyes were turned
toward these few prominent Republicans WHO nave
constituted themselves the champions of the Oppo-
stion but no one of them made word of objection.
The fate of the bill in the House was then and
there determined. The one opportunity for its
enemies to make war upon it with any
hope OF success was allowed to pass
unimproved. Then Mr.. Payne, in the midst of per-
feet silence such prevails in the House only once
in session. reported il back at once, and announced
the proposition of the committee that debate shCu!d
continue until 9 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, at
e ~ II D,,ia md 2uriru tha La
hours with speeches limited to ten and five minutes
any member who failed to obtain the floor having
a right TO print such remarks the subject as he
desired in he Record. No one seemed to breathe
the Sneaker asked for objections to this arrange
ment but the hum of voices Immediately filled The
hall again after he announced that he heard none,
and that the arrangement was therefore agreed to.
Thus was the dead point for the bill i'll the House
passed Its friends now had it completely within
their control The right TO offer amendments before
the previous question had been voted upon was SUR
rendered without protest, and the future course of
The measure through the House will probably be I'M
impeded.
Mr. McCrary opened the discussion, in accordance
with the previous arrangements of the committee.
For few minutes he held the attention OF the
House, but then many of the members broke up into
little knots filing the chamber with the buzz of
q
the end. The discussion in the Senate, where tie
interest in the fate of this eliminated yes
terlay had taken the edgeof of the desire TO hear
the matter debated During the afternoon other
snoecbes were made by MessIs IO2r, Ilunton, GOOde
and Hewitt in favor OF the bill, and by Messrs Hale
and Monroe in opposition
Thegreat speech of the day was that of George +.
Hoar. Mr.. Goode of Virginia, who preceded him,
had drawn very vivid picture of the danger that
would attend the defeat of the measure. lie SAID
that the two houses would undoubtedly disa-
gee: that the House would then elect Gov.
Tilden. and the President of the Senate, ex
ercising the powers which many Republicans
believe to be vested in him, would count
Gov Hayes in; then the country would ma
itself with two Executives, each backed by great
party and or the other would have To surrender
ANONYMOUSLY or fight. This expression drew forth
loud murmurs of dissent from the Republican side
Of the House. The scene was dramatic. Mr.. Goode
continued. Are gentlemen ready for that I" and
several members Oh the Republican side shouted in
rcn,v. ayes. we are" Mr.. Hoar had care
fullv prepared his argument in favor of the BILL
condensing into less than twenty minutes all the
stronpest arguments in its behalf but he oc cnpied
the few minutes in which Mr.. GOOde closed his
speech in writing an introduction i'll reply to tins
intenperate and threatening prediction. lie SAID
that he did not support the bill because threats OF
war had been made by anybody. IL such threats
were simple buster they were beneath notice; IL
thew were made seriously they deserved the con-
TEMPT of the American people, and were only less
wicked and unpatriotic than it would be for any
public man to LET them swervo him from his convic-
tions of duty. Mr. Hoars speech was the only one
that was attentively listened to throughout Al It's
close it WIS warmly applauded by Republicans and
Democrats alike.
The opening speech III opposition TO the Dill was
made by Mr. Hale of Maine. He opened by hring
broadsde into the ranks OF those Republicans who'
he said. had sbrked their duty during the campa gn
at the seaside and i'll the mountains, and are now
willing to throw away the victory which they did so
little 10 win He thought that the timdity OF the
business interests of the country ought not TO nave
much weight with Congress at this Time and com
pared it to a similar state OF things III 1850, Wheh
ak men in New-York City besitated about calling
meeting TO declare in support of the Union for fear
that the business men might not approve OF II. nc
believed in the old adage. THAT God made the