The Portland daily press., 1878-05-18
ALVth COngress-ReguIar Session
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON. May II.
Mr.. Davis from the judiciary committee reported
with amendments the Senate bill to provide for rhe
Calendared.
Davis of West Virginia said that the select COM
miJtee appointed time since to investigate the
financial reports books and accounts of the treasury
department have been at work and some progress
has been made. The two clerks allowed the com
mittee were now examining books OF the depart
ment The committee was of the opinion that JUS
tice could not be done to the subject and report be
resolution authorizing the committee to continue
an investigation and sit during the recess.
Morrill, objected to the present consideration of the
resolution and desired that it be laid over till to-
morrow. Resolution was then laid aside.
Mr.. Terry fiOm the post office committee reported
the post route bill with numerous amendments.
Calendared.
Mr.. Mcmillan from the committee on claims
reported with amendments the House bill making
appropriations for the payment of claims allowed by
the Southern claims commission. Calendared.
AT the expiration of the morning hour Mr.. Morrill,.
to speak in opposition to the bill repeating the specie
resumption act, but said he prepared to pro-
coed with his remarks today On this motion further
consideration of thai bill postponed until Satur-
The Senate bill to incorporate the sububan Rail-
way Co. of Washington in the District OF Columbia
was amended and passed.
Mr.. Hamiin called up the House bill to extend the
privileges of sections 2s9O 1897, inclusive, of the
said the sections provided for goods being entered
and bonded at certain ports for reception to other
ports and the object of this bill was include Bath
in such ports. The bill was passed.
The Senate then proceeded to consider the pension
bills on the calendar, and number were passed.
The Senate then went into executive session and
when the doors were reOpened adjourned to Monda y
HOUSE.
Mr.. Sparks Of Illinois reported the Senate amend
ments, to the Indian appropriation bill. Non-con-
CURED in.
on Commerce, reported substitute for the bill
regulating Interstate commerce. Ordered printed
and rec0mmitted
The regular order was then demanded by Mr..
Potter, and the question REQUIRED on seconding the
demand for the previous question on the Florida
The Speaker announced 80 Alternatives, no mega
tives. The usual point, mo quorum" was raised
BY Mr.. Hale, and the Speaker appointed Messrs
Hale and Potter tellers.
Mr.. Hale reported affirmative 1922, negative none.
MIR. P0tter-No, Mr.. Speaker, 1 report the gentle
man from Maine in the negative.
The Speaker-The tellers report 1872 alternatives
Mr.. Hale.The Speaker must take the responsibility
Of that decision. Let it be distinctly understood
that gentleman is compelled to vote, whether he
The Speaker-The gentleman was teller and the
gentleman from New York reported him as voting in
Mr.. Conger-The gentleman from New York can't
report anything but what the tellers have agreed
upon. make that point that neither teller can
report except what is agreed on by both.
MIR. Hale-Let me state how l understand it.
was appointed by the chair as teller, as member
OF the House. in order in conjunction with the gentle
man from New York to count he votes by agreement
between that gentleman and myself AS is usually the
In the he M
did not agree. and have not agreed. and do not
agree with the gentleman from New York, in report
ing that voted as member OF the House. have
the same privileges that every member has. 1 did
not vote, and reported that none had voted in the
negative. The gentleman will not say that he and
agreed that there was one vote 10 the negative and
assuredly the chair cannot, when the teleTs at
variance, decide that member has voted when he
has not.
MIR. Potter-There never can be any dispute with
me about question of patent fact. have done
what have been doing for about twenty times
during the last few days, and reported the gentleman
from Maine in the negatiae. He began by counting
me one in the affirmative, and did the same with
him in the negative reported him as 8. be reported
was teller. He said he did not vote.
not?
Mr.. Potter-PossibIy the House does.
The Speaker-The gentleman from Maine was
appointed teller because he was present. His party
the report OF the gentleman from New York.
Mr.. Hale-Suppose he had reported me in the
The Speaker-That would have been an unfaithful
report.
MIR. Hale-This is an unfaithful report, because I
Mr.. Garfield called attention to the fact that
rule provided that members passing between the
telers should be counted. The gentleman from
Maine had not passed between the tellers.
Speaker-That is an absurdity. How are tellers to
pass between themselves.
Potter-I do not care to raise any question about
this. The gentleman was here The only question is
whether he voted.
Hale-I did not.
Potter-I accept that and report none in the mega
HaIe-No quorum.
"A call of the House then ordered and disclosed
the presence OF 258 only lacking thirty of the
full house.
Potter-I move to dispense with further proceed
ngs under the CALL but give notice that if another
call is required shall move to have the doors closed
and the Sergeant-at.A.ms sent after absent MEM
bers
moved to lay the resolution on the table.
The Speaker (after much coloquial argument in
law) declined to recognize motion to
lay it on the table and ruled that the question
not condition to which the rule relied on by Mr..
Hale applied and that the question after the call OF
the House reverted to the point where it was when
1t found itself without quorum-that is voting on
the demand for the previous question.
Mr.. Hale appealed from the ruling Of the Chair.
Mr.. Potter moved to lay the appeal ON the table.
=, Motion was agreed to, yeas 143, nays ia, When
the result OF the vote was announced, Potter rose
and was proceeding to put inquiry to Hale as TO
what the Republican side of the House would consent
to do in case he withdrew his demand for the pre-
vious question but before he could get through the
sentence he stopped by Copger objecting to any
thing whatever in the name of discussion. To this
declaration of continued hostties the Democrats
piled with shouts Of GAIL right" and Mr. Potter
merely adding that his object was to see whether
llibusteriDg could not be stopped called for the reg
ular order.
Again the fruitless formality Of vote by tellers
was gone through and the result announced, yeas
14O nays none. quorum voting, but the Democrats
coming to within seven of the requisite number.
On the motion OF Potter another call of the House
was ordered and this was an unexpected initial
movement OF serious attempt to enforce the pres
ence OF quoru n to reach vote OH the resolution.
A call OF the House ordered yeas 100. nays Ill,
five Republicans voting in the affirmative which
would leave the entire Democratic voting force at
145 or lag with the speaker, which is less than the
required number Tor quorum.
The call OF the House showed the presence of 299
mem bers only "A less than full House.
Then at 1.25 the doors were ordered to be closed
and resolution was offered by Mr.. Potter directing
the Speaker issue his warrant to the sergeant at
arms to arrest and take into custody and bring to the
bar of the House such of its members as were now
absent without leave of the House.
Excuses were made for Mr.. Freeman of Pennsyl-
vania, MIR. Willetts OF Michigan and Mr.. Sapp of
Iowa. and they were excused when the Democrats
were assured that these members were not paired.
MIR. Crapo asked that his colleague, Mr.. Loring,
who was iii at his room should be excused
On the usual question being asked from the Demo-
cratic side whether Mr.. Loring was paired Mr..
Grape replied that he understood he was paired with
Mr. Goode of Virginia.
Mr.. Goode stated that Mr.. Loring was not paired
with him. There had been such a pair existing but
he had written to MIR. Loring last Tuesday stating