The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-18
mo IMMUNITY FOR FRAUD.
THE POTTER RESOLUTION ADOPTED
YESTERDAY ny THE HOUSE


ucnn Member. Faction. to the Lsst-M
Of rc,ns mud Morse OF Mas-nchusetts-An
IxcitInx Coiloauy About an Alleged Pair.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE revolutionary |
nt,em.t 10 prevent an investigation OF the great |
Fraud 10y dissolvng branch OF the national |
Legislature has failed. The hope OF protecting |
Unyes through n repetition OF the bargain oy |
which he secured the Executive office has been
disappointcd. Five days without a legal quorum,
the House Of Representatives to-day met and
,iseharscd the business before II in spite OF
those Republican members who disregarded a
constitutional duty to protect guilty leaders.
Through it oil the hope lasted that some South
ern Democrats would forget their own past and
tho future OF their party 10y uniting with Re
pubhcans TO prevent investigation. Inn
,eachlncnt has been had for less fla-
grant Interference with the business OF
the House by tho officers OF the Crown
than has distinguished the last days resistance
Hayes and sherman have made to approaching
inquiry. Far into the night the work was carried
on, aud it began with early morning Old party
ouarrels have been healed; new favoritcs have
received strong proof of Presidential favor
Above ALL in its extremity the Administration
has turned to its creators for support BY every
argument and approach 1t has beset and be-
sought the men whose party treachery made
Democrats defeat possible fifteen months ago.
Ii has failed. 1t had assurances and promises.
1t boosted pledges Of no intangible order, not
without hope that these promises would be kept
and these pledges made good.
Conscious that an hours session would bring
quorum. Hale this morning moved to lay Mr..
Pottrr's resolution upon the table. II is an
open secret that in that Vote he counted on Dem
ocra,ic support. He did not have It, The
Speaker ruled the motion out of order. The
House refused to appeal. Final success became
a question OF hours. 1t came. Shortly after
O'Clock Mr. Potter told of the last man in the
last and successful attcmpt TO second the pre-
vious question. quorum was present lie
had succeeded in task he had discharged
without blunder Tho rest was easy. The
resolution was at last passed. shortly after
O'Clock. by n vote Of li5 yeas to nays. both
Democrats-Mlls Of Texas and Morse OF Mas
sachusetts. To the last Republican legislators
treated the duty OF legislation as function TO be
laid aside at the demand OF party and the need
OF IA fraudulent Administration. Tomorrow
Hale PROPOSES 70 demand an inquiry into al, al
seconded by the Democratic majority ~
II has been n day of tedious delays. The
The Suss ssleres It empty. The House ed slowly
A coudsd sky robbed ts glazed s9ot o. half its
hour would pass in iruitiess roll calls beforc the
en9rt besan & To- eni9rce s,trpbdsnce, Po%n Sa
rolling swing chair. H. was in constant counsel
with Republicans. First Hale and Garfield
wheels on which he rested his gloyed hands;
Later other men OF lesser note held counsel
there. conference had been held at his rooms
last night. Ii report did not wrong him. he had
been in easy and free conferences with Hayes
himself. He had 10 deal with Democrats
who had good reason to dread inquiry
He heard friendly overtures to party treaehery
nothing but party, success in party, measures.
He had made public his own record in an au.
thorized and published interview. Hale took
the first step along Il path on which Demo-
cratic aid was expected. Twice the Demo
T6erc S had been i' one &c call OF the House
So near had the Democrats come TO a quorum
a teller in telling votes. Hale had declined to
discharge the other duty Of voting himself
desks Potter was announcing that the next call
would be the last, when Hale made his motion
g. lay the whole subject on the table There is
in this short and silent disposition OF a dis
tasteful question always much that commands
of his hat The men who did not know Ste
phens expected he would DO something. The
on, ali Mr. stephens did was 70 Tut it on again
at somewhat later date. Then. having spent
hall an hour or so in impatiently tapping a long
and shrunken foot. he trundled himself away
anl was seen no more,
At Hae's motion there WIS n little furry. II
was evidently calculated. How accurate is cal
cuatons were would only appear by q roll call.
Some sign Of ass siance came when Waddell-a
man who distinguished himself asrthe oldest
Southern member and whom others distinguish
,shh ni,n M sN,n NV, y, :" fb IL,
which he is-came down the aisle, both arms
spread. and suggested thnt vote be had on this
extraordinary motion. There was general
and suggestive chorus from the Democrats
around him that he had better shut M these
things are left out Of the regular report and
Nndlrl stopped his speechmaking and Joined
one Of the moving, Whispering groups which
was coming Hale's motion. The Speakers
hammer at last brought something like 81
lence, as, he decided ihe, question out OF
rules % Hae 'i and Carried iostied each en- other her
n narrow aisle. each with an open book. The
chorus Of Regular order" Potter meanwhile
waving one arm and asking hearing. At last
debate passed debate Of that technical sori
where man speaks with half his fingers
tucked INFO the place he is consulting In his
manual, and half appealed. sam Cox urging
Nm iher''o rs his short saccato. omectl'
anda swinging arm every time Hale opcned
hls mouth without appealing. Very materially
THIS decision changed the issue. There was
some nope Of Democratic aid on the motion;
tn appeal on ihe tabl,'. "A motion Potter wheeled
IN KY around to make. after STOPPING to confer
Wilh ClN. The end Of 1t was tiat the Demo-
irtls hni l43 votes \ quorum was close at
When the vote was oyor Potter started TO make
tr 'l, f1n...-- ,l.. n" ms irp'ainuly o.
h''s. lint on destroying the body trtnshcting
bns n.-.; hut C"ntor"ui hro-s WIN sharp
oW"f un an npproNlnr shout of Il gular
ori"r' coming from the D.mo' rats. Potter
called division on Nh" second 90 the previous
question. Three Demo rats only tnilrd 10 piss
b'lw.rn tlet'llor-. ono hundred and forty
Voted. 80 quorum sad Hale, raising one
Potter two feet of. and tir raIl hegan. vote by
Ifs ul nnys ORDERING II coming first. and
w"rr within th" chuph.r. When the roll call
wtS over every n"mmr iut twenty-nve was
somewhat qulrt VI mh'r- Werr in their sents
or SnN king On L" lounges. ono man paced
The Sr"akrr T6" n'-lr- wrr, empty II was
!H-i poSs NJ" this order Of business was to lust
me day anl ngnt tlr"u th. NJ man l. nolslly
cna4us,n,l at tHr prospect ol say twenty hours