Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-18
LIN the HnuAR.

WASHINGTON, May lion motion of Mr.
Sparks the senate amendments to the Indian
appropriation bill were non-concurred in.
The regular order was then demanded by
Mr.. Potter. and the question required on sec
onding the demand tor the previous question
on the Florida resolution. On a standing
vote the speaker announced the result to be
50 in the affirmative, none in the negative,
and the usual point of ''no quorum was
raised by Mr.. Hale.
The speaker appointed Messrs. Hale and
Potter to take their places as tellers, and at
the conclusion of the voting Mr.. Hale report
ed the vote to be: Affirmative, 122, negative,
none.
Mr.. Potter-No, Mr.. Speaker; report the
gentleman from Maine in the negative.
The Speaker-The tellers report 122 in the
affirmative, and l in the negative.
Mr.. Hale-The speaker must take the re-
sponsibility for that decision. Let it be dis
tinctly understood that a gentleman is COM
PEELED to vote, whether he wishes to or not.
The SEeaker-The gentleman was a teller,
and the gentleman from New York reported
him as voting in the negative.
Mr.. Conger-The gentleman from New
York cannot report anything but what the
tellers agree upon. | make that a point of
order, that neither teller can report except
what is agreed upon by both.
Mr.. Hale-Let me state how understood
it. | was appointed by the chair as a teller
as a member of the house in order, in
conjunction with the gentleman from New
York, to count the votes; and by an agree
ment between that gentleman and myself as
is usually the case, in counting for the afhrma-
tive he was counted one. The yeas passed
through; they were one hundred and twenty
two. did not agree; and do not agree with the
gentleman from New York in reporting that
l voted. AS a member of the house, have
the same privileges every member has. l
did not vote, and | announced that none had
voted In the negative. The gentleman will
not say that he and | agreed that there was
one vote in the negative, and assuredly the
chair cannot, when the tellers are at variance,
decide that member has voted when he has
not.
Mr.. Potter-There never can be any dis
pute 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 negative. He began by counting me one
in the affirmative. IIeported him as he re-
ported me. There can be no dispute about
the fact that he was teller. He says he did
not vote.
Mr.. Hale-Who knows better than |
whether voted or not?
Mr.. Potter-Possibly the house does.
The Speaker-The gentleman was appoint
ed a teller because he was present. His
party friends are constructively absent. The
chair accepts the report of the gentleman
from New York.
Mr.; Hale-s9ppOse he had reported me in
The Speaker-That would have been an
unfaitbfu report.
Mr.. Hale-This is an unfaithful report, be-
cause did not vote at all.
Mr.. Garfield called attention to the fact
that the rule provided that the members
passing between the tellers should be count
ed. The gentleman from Name had not
passed between the tellers.
The Speaker-That Is an absurdity. How
are the tellers to pass between themselves?
Mr.. Conger-I object to the return of the
tellers, because they do not agree, and de-
mand other tellers. l do not care to raise
any question this The gentleman was
here. The only question: whether he voted.
Mr.. Hale did not vote.
Mr.. Potter accept that, and report none
in the negative.
Mr.. Hale-No quorum.
A call of the house was then ordered, which
disclosed the presence of two hundred and
ifty-eight members. lacking thirty-four of a
full house.
Mr.. Potter-I move to dispense with fur
Their proceedings under the call, but | give
notice that if another call is required shall
move to have the doors closed and have the
sergeant at arms sent after the absent MEM
bers.
Further proceedings being dispensed with,
Mr.. Hale moved to lay the resolution on the
table.
The speaker, after much colloquial argu-
ment on parliamentary law, declined to recog-
nize the motion to Jay on the table, and ruled
that the question was not a condition to
which the rule relied on by Mr.. Hale applied,
and that the question after call of the house
reverted back to the point where it was when
it found itself without a quorum, that IS
voting on a demand for the previous question.
Mr.. Hale appealed from the ruling OF the
chair and Mr.. Potter moved to lay the appeal
on the table, and tue latter motion was
agreed to-yeas, 143; nays, ia.
When the result was announced Mr.. Potter
rose and was proceeding to put An inquiry to
Mr.. Hale, as to what the Republican side of
the house would consent to do in case
he iwithdrew2the demand for the previous
question, but before he could get through
with the sentence he was stopped by Mr..
Conger objecting to anything whatever In the
nature of a discussion. To this declaration
of continued hostiities, tine Democrats re-
piled with shouts of ''all right" and Mr..
Potter merely adding that his object was to
see whether flibusterlng could not be stopped.
The call for the regular order was again
fruitless, the 10 mality of vote by tel
lers was gone through, and the resultwas an
nounced-ayes, 140; noes, 0. No quorum
voting, but the Democrats coming to within
seven of the requisite number.
On motion of Mr.. Potter another call of
the house was ordered at twenty-five minutes
past twelve, and this was expected to be the
initial movement of serious and protracted
attempt to enforce the presence of quorum,
and to reach vote on the resolution. A call
of the house was ordered-yeas, $50; nays,
ITO. There were FIVE Republicans voting in
the affirmative, which would leave the entire
Democratic voting force at one hundred and
forty-6ve out of one hundred and forty-six,
with the speaker, which is but one less than
is requisite to make quorum. A call of the
house showed the presence of two hundred
and sixty nine members-only twenty-four
less than full house. The doors were then,
at twenty-five minutes past one, ordered to
be closed and a resolution was offered by Mr..
Potter directing the speaker to issue his war
rant TO the sergeant at arms to arrest, take
into custody and bring to the bar of the
house such members as are now absent with
out leave of the house. Excuses were made
for Freeman, Willett and Sapp, and they
were excused when the Democrats were as
sured that the members were not paired.
Mr.. Grape asked that his colleague Loringl
who was i'll at his home. should be excused.
On the usual question being asked from the
Democratic side, as to whether Mr.. Loring
was paired, Mr.. Grape replied that he un-
| derstoOd he was paired with Mr.. Goode.
Mr.. Goode said Mr.. Loring was not paired