New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-03
YESTERDAY IN THE HOUSE.
wALLING AND CoCHRANR FILIBUsTE. N A sTRA
CLING wAY-A FLING AT THE RETURNING BOAI
APPROPRIATIONS.


wALLTNG AND CoCHRANf FILIBUsrER II sTRAG-
CLING wAY-A FLING AT THE RETURNING BOARD
APPROPRIATIONS.
lBY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUSE1
WASHINGTON March 2.-One hundred and fifty
members of the House were in their places to-day
when the Speaker called that body to order. ma
jorty OF them looked as fresh as though they had
not spent the greater part of the night ut the Capitol
but few, chiefly those who were prominent az
leaders Of the fbustcrs and had been under n
greater strain of excitement than the others, looked
baggard and weary. The revOlutonists, who have
for the first time in their lives been brought into
prominence by the opportunity gwen them to
throw distractions in the way Of an
orderly execution of the law, unable to settle
back suddenly into their customary Obscnrty and
utered helplessly around the House for an hour
two to-day, Influenced by no purpose apparently
except to make all the trouble they could and pre-
vent the public business from proceeding They de-
manded a call of the House, although the Speaker
had announced quorum to be present, and at once
began to iilibuser against every legitimate item OF
business which was proposed Mr. Waling of Ohio,
the man who during yesterdays session declared
that flibusterng was the highest patriotism,
attempted to place himself in the way of the progress
of business, until the Speaker losing patience with
him while maintaing parliamentary decorum,
fairly pounded the obsirepcrols member down. Mr..
Wamgs only associate in this di5rcputable BUSH
ness was Mr.. Cochranc Oi Pennsylvania.
The special spite of Tho defeated party mani
tested By the introduction of two resolutions pro-
v1ding for the immediate release from the custody of
the House of the members of the Louisiana Return
ing Board. To these resolutions were appended
prcambes of a nature especially offensive to the
Republicans which won Id have required corfes-
sion that the Electoral Commission had been guilty
of fraud. OF course the Republicans would not
vote for Them and without their support the ncces-
sary two-thirds was lacking. Beaten once in an
attempt to suspend the rules the same resolution
was introduced in different form as a question of
high privilege, which could be passed by majority
vote; but the Republicans, ever ready
to take advantage of their parliamentary
rights, did not forget that even privileged
questions under the rules must lie upon the table
one day before action can be taken upon them The
second attempt to suspend the rules also fail
ure While it is undoubtedly the duty of the House
to release these men before the Congress expires,
and while a writ of habeas c0rpus was sued out to-
day in their favor il mahts very little difference
whether any action is taken by the House on their
case O. not. At II O'clock OH Sunday, when the
term of the present Congress expires, those men VIII
90 free in any event. The power that now holds
them will have passed away.
During the day session to-day the chief legislative
act was the passage of the Army Appropriation bill.
This contained two sections obnoxious tO tine Re
publicans attached at the dictatlOn of the Demo-
cratic caucus. One to which reference has been
made elsewhere proposes gradual reduction OF the
arms to II, 900. The other is penal clause pro-
limiting the Executive from using troops To sustain
the State Governments in Louisiana or South Car
DINA Ii was tine programme OF the Republican
leaders to make no opposition to the bill, provided
they were not required to go record in passing it,
and to allow all differences to be settled
between the two Houses in committees
of conference Following this policy, which
was well understood the bill passed even with
out "A division. The attempt to order the Yeas and
NAYS failed. The only man who seemed greatly cx-
cited at this was Gen. Iiurlbut of Illinois, Stand
ing in the aisle he protested against the bill and
demanded that the vote should be taken upon it;
but when it was declared carried he threw down
the COPY of the bill which he had in his hand with
great yehemence and walked into the cloak room,
giving expression 10 his opinion on the subject III
very forcbe language.
The River and IIarbor bill, which 1t was attempted
70 pass in like manner under suspension OF the
rules failed receiving barely majority, and by 10
b., trn