Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-02-25
FORTY.FlFTH CONGRESS.


OF the Senate last night
Discussion Of the bill to prevent the intro
duction OF contagious diseases, &c, went on I'M
til half-past IL p. M, when the Senate. a vote
being taken on a proposed amendment, again
found itself without gu )rum.
A wearisome discussion enSued as to whe he.
the Sergeant Arms should be instructed to
request the presence OF Senators or to bring
them In, which terminated at midnight with
the adoption Of the former proposition, and that
oficer was so directed.
The Senators who responded to the last roll
call were Messrs. Allison, Bailey, Beck, Booth,
ConOver, Davis Qll.) Eaton, EustiS Ferry. Gar
land, Gordon, Harris HILL Jones (Fla ,)Kelloyg
Herman, KirkwOOd, Mcmillan, Matthews, Merrl-
MOB, Morgan Oglesby, Paddock, Plumb, Ran
man, voorhees, and Wadleigh-total, 80.
Alter an hours waiting for report from the
the order of the Senate, Mr.. VOORHEES, took the
tOOr, and severely an1madherted {aS he hal
done during the discussion above indicated)
upon the refusal Of those present to exercise the
constitutional power of the Senate to compel
the attendance Of its own members. He said he
Wlsned TO notify the country that upon queS-
Tie United States the Senate declined to exer-
else the power conferred upon it by the consti-
tuition, and, instead OF compelling members, who
are sleeping in their beds or enjoying tnem-
selves at foreign ministers balls, to come here
ard attend to their public duties had merely
.'requested' their attendance. He felt dis
be obtained to consider bill OF this paramount
importance.
At l 90 the Sergeant alarms reported that in
obedience TO the order Of the Senate he had
notified Senators Conklng, Howe, Chaffee, NC
PheTson. Burnside Sharon, Wallace, Davis (W.
va, BaTnum. Bruce. Anthony, Bayard, Blaine,
Jones (Neyada) Furthermore that MesSrS.
Chatfee, Mcpherson, Sharon, Bruce and Wal
lace were detained at their lodgings by sick
ness: that MeSsrS Anthony, Blaine and Davis
are paired; that Messrs. Burnside and Howe hal
f-tf in,
fer the other Senator's had not yet returned
Mir. Harris thefeupon moved that the Ser
Seant-at-A1mS be instructed to compel the AT
tendance OF absent members except such as are
i'll. WHO in addition to those above named in-
GUIDED Senators Sargent and Randolph
rms motion was agreed TO, and another
tedious period Of waiting and non-action ensued.
INote.-Old employees OF the Senate remark
that this is the first time in the history of the
American Senate that such an order has been
madeJ
journment, disclosed the presence Of less than
quorum, there being only yeas and IS yeas.
shortly afterwards the Sergeant-at-ArmS pre-
Sented the following report:
In obedience TO The second order Of the Sen
ate IN regard TO The attendance of absent men,
DeTS messengers communicating the command
OF the senate have waited upon Senators Davis
So1 W. va, Conkling. salisbury, Blaine, Me-
Donald, M0rrlli, Dawes, Anthony and Patter-
son. Senators Davis, Morrill,, Dawes and An
thOny have reported in person. Senator Blaine
promised Immediate attendance. Senator COnk-
ling would give 40 assurance Of Attendance
Senators Mcdonald and Patterson were found
at their lodgings, sick: Senators Bay ard, Butler.
Hamiin, Barnum and Chandler did not open
their doors. Other messengers have not re-
ported
JOHN r. FRENCH, Sergeant-a Arms"
Mr.. EdmundS (SOttO voce(.-'TEat'S what YOU
call compelling the absenteeS, is it,"
Mir. Harris inquired IL the Senate had not
power under the Constitution and its own rules
TO compel the attendance of its members?
DttIcpr-Th4t 10 fn
to decide. The Sergeant-at-Arms has made his
report.
Mr.. Harrls.-But has he executed his order?
MIR. Cockrell.-lie is iii process of executing
it now.
Mr. Harris.--Vely well. If he needs more
time make no complaint.
desires to know if it is his duty to force an en-
trance if, upon applying at the residence of
Senator, he is refused admtttance?
Mr.. Anthony (SarCaSttcaliy).-I suggest that
this is one OF the few instances in which the
use OF the military has not been prohibited.
tLaughterl
tor from Tennessee tMr. Harris) would have the
Sergeant alarms intrude into the chambers OF
Senators and take them by force?
Mr. Harris replied that no Senator had the
right TO absent Himself from the transaction of
public business. II he did so without leave
the Senate had power under the constitution
and rules to compel his attendance, and if this
required an invasion Of his residence the power
should be exercised.
Mr.. Morgan said he desired to present to the
attention Of the Senate the case of Senator
Conkling, who ould give no assurance of at
tendance, and to inquire how long the Senate
OF the United States should have wait for the
attendance OF that Senator. He moved that
the Sergeant-at-Arms be Instructed to bring
Mr.. .Conkling into the Senate. He made the
motion special because he had not heard of any
other Senator who had defied the power OF the
Senate and refused to comply with its demand.
He wished to know If one man should dominate
the Senate or should the Senate exercise Its au-
thorlty.
Mr.. Eaton thought twas not proper to single
out Senator in this way. 1t would be better
to make general order to enforce the attend
ance Of AL Senators able to be here.
M Ha1fs AR agea ws1 @ aaa moSea TO
Mr.. Herman expressed his belief that none Of
the senators who had not yet arrived intended
to defy the constitution or this body. Gentle
men walked up at three O'Clock in the morning
after perhaps leaving the Senate chamber
paired-were not likely to discuss matters very
precisely with the Sergeant-at-Arms' messen-
Mr.. Thurman called attention to the language
OF the constitution, that the rules shall be en-
forced in such manner and under such penal
ties as either house shall provide, aad after
pointing out that the Senate has provided no
penalty for cases like the present, he expressed
grave doubts as TO the exlstance OF any author
ity for the Sert cant alarms to break through
door, as had been suggested. Besides, such
thing as breaking down door and dragging
Senator here would be inexpressibly disgrace
ful. and he Shrank with horror from the idea.
Although he thus believed there was practi-
cally no power TO enforce the rule In question,
and although he did not believe the Senate
wCud gain any time for the proper transaction
OF public business by continuing, he never
theless felt that as the effort to obtain quo
rum had been pushed thus far, 1t should be COM
p,eted.
Mr. VOORHEES, ironically deprecated any fur
ther efforts to bring Senators here to attend to
their duties, and remarked that he had never
known more contemplate farce at o'clock in
the morning.
MI Harris amendment was adopted; yeas 80
nays 10; and the motion Of Mr.. Morgan as thus
amended. and made OF general application, was
then agreed to.
MI Kernan moved to dispense with further
proceedings under the order. Rejected: yeas
Is, nays "a.
Pending the execution OF the order, uhe pres
ence Of a quorum being disclosed by the last
two yOteS,} the Senate proceeded with the con-
! stderatiOn Of the bill to prevent the introduc-
| uon OF contagious or infectious diseases into
! the United States, and to establish a bureau OF
| public health
| Mr.. Kernan's amendment offered last even-
| Ing was re1ected-yeaS II. nays 81; and the bill,
| without further discussion, was read third
| time and then passed.
| The Senate then took up the deficiency ap-
pIopriatton bill, at 4:55 am. adjourned to meet
| at one O'Clock this afternoon.
TO.day'S Proceedings.
The Senate met at o'clock pm.
Messrs. Bayard, Morrill, and Ferry were an.
4 >S--AN