Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-01

matter | deem it my duty not 10 do 1t L VIII not
do it. Ii | think it proper that 1 should an
swer the question will do so without any re-
scrvalion at al and state exactly the facts oil
the case. =.
Nlr. Tucker. IL We adjourn for an hour will
that be sufficient time for you to consider the
matter? The witness.-No, sir, 1t will DOT.
The committee decided to give the witness
ar hour for consideration. The witness. ten,
ticmcn, it is useless 10 waste that time, Tor
will decline at tbe cud Of the hour Just IS DO
DOW TO answer then the question.
The committee then proceeded with the ex-
jourucd till to. day.
Scene i'll the q. >. House OF Repre-
ScmtatiVcS.
Tie following account Of the scene ln the
hall Of the U. s. House Of Representatives, last
night, il taken from the Washington Republl-
cap. Of course it is colored to suit the most
ultra radical ideas, and will be accepted in that
light. We republish it only Tor its mclo dra.
matte effect:
At 4:3O o'clock Mr.. Holman made motion
for recess until 1880 p. u. The republican
members were disposed to oppose 1t, but they
relraincd ut he suggestion OF MIR. Foster, OF
Ohio, member Of the Committee on Appro.
priatious, who understood that the object OF
the night session was TO consider the legislative
appropriation bill. The true inwardness' OF
the night session was developed, however, is
soon as the House rcasscmbled. Nearly every
democrat was ia his place. Men who have
lust recovered from illness, such as Mr.. Elijah
Ward, had had il whispered in their ears that
| :, al, Into hat
| on hand. Fernando Wood came into the hall
early arrayed in all the glory of swallow tail
coat and white necktic. lie had Intended
going to 4 party, but vas told that every vote
| was needed ut this session, and he was on hand.
pcrhaps he thought that he had converted
some members. who were ready at last to i'm
peach the President This array Of democracy
startled the republicans. They saw at once
that it was not legislative business that had
called them together. They were not long IN
| asccrtainug the fact that there was on the
table memorial from the democratic Governor
of Florida in relation 10 the electoral vote, and
that it was the purpose 10 take that up and re-
fer it to the electoral tribunal.
This could only be done by goiug to business
on the Speakers table. aud q motion 10 do
| thar could only be made after morning hour,
and 50 there was morning hour from 1:30
until $50, after which Mr.. Cox moved to 30
to business on the Speaker 5 table. The re-
puhlicaus resorted TO the parliamentary game
Of Glibuscriug, and, after Que vote had been
taken on u dilalory motion ty yeas and nays,
Speaker Randall, putting on that smile which
is chiIdiike aud bland" as he always does just
before he Is about to pcrp2tralc rape on the
rules Of the House, said he thought there was
q misrepresentation rs to what Was Intended,
and he proposed to have the papers read But
ihe republican members have been deceived SO
often by Randaipa tricks in the Chair that
they could moi trust him, aud therefore object
ed, whereupon Randall as was his clear right
to do, referred the papers to the Clerks desk.
lie then allowed Mr. Cox to withdraw his mo-
ton to 20 to business on the Speakers table,
| and made the outrageous ruling that, as that
motion hid baen Withdrawn, motion to al.
iourn which had been previously made fell with
Il. la almost the salne breath he recognized
hlr, Thlnpsnn. OF Massachusetts,, to present
the rrnnrt of the Florida Investigating commit
tee.
| Then ensueI alcis scene OF disorder and
| confusion rs has not been witnessed on tile floor
| of the House Tor years. Randall held thu gavel
! with an arbitrary haui, aud would recognize
no opr 10 make even the most privileged ma
tons. lie did not even allow the House the
poor privilege ol votlog on the question OF atl-
| iourr!nrnt, aud refused TO recognize points OF
order, thing that no Speaker has ever before
refused. lie was determined to get that report
before the House. though he should, in doing
so, trampIc upon all prccedents and strain aud
stretch the rules to their utmost tension. lie
directed the Clerk to read the report.
Mir. Petit proceeded to do So but his voice
was drowned by members rising and yociicrat.
ing points ORDER Members gathered in the
area in front Of the Clerks desk. Luttrc of
California, demanded that members should
take their seats. sit down yoursclf!' shouted
his colleague, Page, 10 voice that roso above
the surrounding din and confusion; and Page
the Speaker had decided that Mr.. Thompson
was on the floor and could not be taken Oft OF
il, that he must read the report himself Mr..
Thompson, very much excited, left his seat and
went to the Clerks desk, amid the applause OF
the democrats, and commenced to read. But
his voice was drowned by points Of order aud
Resembling ycils and cries TO read louder.
The Speaker, who vas all the while vioiat-
ing the rules iy refusing to recognize gentle
men who were making strictly parliamentary
motions, directed the officer OF the House to
enforce the rules deputy sergeant-at. arms
seized the mace and paraded with it up the
aiscs on the republican side, but he could not
stop the tongues of the members who wanted
Mr. Thompson to read 'loudcr." The report
was 10 doubt very fine, but no one could hear
or understand word he uttered. Randall still
trampled Oh the rules and refused to recognize
points OF order, ard Thompson at last became
exhausted and handed the paper back to Petit,
who read few pages more, when it became
manifest that the reading was q farce, and it
was agreed that the report should be printed.
But Mr.. Randall had made so many queer
rulings that Congcr and others were suspicious.
and wanted to know how about the resolutions
whether they were to be adopted or not.
| Randall announced that he would take no ad-
vantage. Oh, no; not he, lie would submit
the question to the House. The democrats
wanted tue resolutions adopted. The republi-
cans were determined to resist for the time
being, and again resortcd to fIibustcring, and
showing determined front they finally forced
their antagonists to adjourn.