Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-06

Yesterday was gala day in the House
and the spirit of talk reigned supreme. In
fact almost everybody was on his feet and
figuring away, at some time or other, during
the day, and at times the scene was both ex-
citing and dramatic.
The first tilt of the day occurred on the
report of the committee substituting new
bill for the Senate and House bills for the
recovery and cancellation of the old railroad
bonds. Morse started the ball by moving to
indefinitely postpone. The subject of the
bill was simply, he contended, a recognition
of the bonds in the interest of
the bondholders and not of the people.
Bowler and Colvil came to his support,
while Kinds, McBroom and others argu ed in
favor of the acceptance of the report of the
committee, which finally prevailed, when the
wrangle ended by the bill being ordered to
be placed on the head of the list of general
orders.
A temporary lull ensued which, however,
was decidedly brief and was rudely broken,
when the real bone of contention of the day.
the textbook bill, was taken up. Morse sent
up an amendment in favor of submitting the
matter to the people at the coming fall cleo
ton. Bowler sailed in with point of order
which failed to quash the irrepressible
Morse. just then the old Goodhue war
horse, Collvill, got the floor and the music
commenced in earnest. He pitched into the
friends of the bill and proceeded to handle
them without gloves, charging that they
were openly trading for votes on all conceiv
able measures, which was, he said, the very
worst species of bribery that could be made
use of to thrust their infamous measure upon
an unwilling people. Proceeding in this
vein for some time, he capped the climax
and raised general howl of indignation
among the school book champions, when he
charged that Donnelly, the great champion
of the bill, had a half interest
in the contract, and that this
accounted for the great interest felt by
him in forcing this measure on the people,
About this time the excitement reached its
highest pitch. Rahilly, Bowler and other
champions of the bill, made concerted
effort to shut of the speaker. But the old
war horse was on his metal, and was in no
mood to be put down. The speakers re-
peated raps to order were of no avail in
quleting the scene of confusion caused by a
dozen or more attempting to gain the floor,
and all speaking at the same moment. Col
Colville, however, held the floor and finished
his argument despite the clamor raised
against him. Then came Bowler with his
unheard of proposition to allow one not a
member to appear and address the House,
which COL Teller very properly characterized
as anomalous and absurd. Bowler insisted
on his motion being put to allow Donnelly
to come in and make speech, when Hicks
cut this portion of the Gordian knot by NOV
ing to lay his, Bowler's, motion on the table,
which prevailed. The defeat of the PROPOSE
ton, however, did not discourage the friends
of the bill, and the fight went on apace. At
length, vote on the Morse amendment was
taken and the amendment was adopted by
the close vote of 81 to SO. Further DELAYS
ensued and in the interim the confusion
heightened rather than decreased. A mis-
understanding in reference to Sanborn's vote
led to Giles, an opponent of the bill, moving
to reconsider the vote whereby Morse's
amendment had been adopted. This was
when the House was laboring under the
impression that such motion was in order
prior to the passage of the bill so amended.
| After the House realized the situation, it was
generally recognized that such a motion
was out of order, and the bill was put on it's
passage. Then when the bill was passed,
the motion to reconsider prevailed, and the
Morse amendment again underwent the
ordeal, and was rejected ayes 81, nays 81.
Next came dilatory motions, which bid fair
| to bring on deadlock for some time,
which was finally broken by the operation of
the previous question. Then came the final
test vote on concurrence in the Senate
amendment, which, to the surprise and dis
may of the friends of the bill, was disagreed
to. This ended the squabble for the time
being, and the House took recess.
Routine Report.
| THE BONDS.
Mr. Campbell, from the Judiciary committee
| reported substitute for the Senate and House
bills relating to the cancellation and destruc.
ton of the old railroad bonds and the granting
therefor of certain lands, which MAS read.
|