Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-18

QuIISQ Ny the IulcS, duQ LL0 uOuS0 udQ
power to consider the bill by sections. 1t
had the power TO consider by paragraphs,
but over and above all by the plain law,
which any common man might read as he
ran, had the power after the five minute de-
bate begun on the section to close the debate
on that section l understand this motion is
not one that is made every day, but great
emergencies now rest on this house which
do not come every day. Derisive laughter
on the Democratic side. We have been
challenged by men on the other side that
we were derelict in our duty.
Mr.. Blackburn don't understand that
is the argument on the point Of order.
Mr.. Haskell Completing his sentence)
and I will put matters to the test now.
Applause on the Republican side.
Mr.. Blackburn said he was not sur.
prised that the gentleman from Kansas
wandered from the point of order, neither
he or any other man could sue out war
rant and find precedent for the motion
which he made. Never before had it been
attempted to close the debate in the pro-
visions of the revenue bill, the subject
matter of which had never been consid-
cred in committee OF the whole, forty four
pages of the bill had been considered, and
the motion was to close the
mouths of members till 1,O40 pages
had been reached. It was q propo-
sition to gag the representatives
of the people. Until the second section
was reached, the gentleman from Iowa, Mr..
Kasson) had brought in few days since,a
resolution looking toward the closing de-
bate, and it had not yet been called up.
''If you WANT he continued, ''tO silence
discussion, why do you not follow up your
own challenge and bring the resolution up
in the committee on rules and bring it be-
fore the house. With emphasis. You
have not dared to do it. We challenge no
contest, but we stand ready to meet it, and
the committee on rules has never been
called together to consider it. You
may succeed IN gagging the house, but
you can't gag the American people, and
you can't gag their representatives in
this fashion, which is more adroit than
mannerly, without protest is made.
Mr.. Kelly, in reply to the statement of
Carlisle that the pending motion was I'M
precedented, said that within his congress
sional experience precisely the same motion
had been made, and had prevailed in the
Forty third congress, when Mr.. Dawes was
chairman of the ways and means commit
tee, and the revenue bill was before
congress. 1t not being DESTROYS of
letting his bill be nibbled to
death by pissmires or kicked to
death by grasshoppers, he had moved to
limit debate to a certain hour and the mo-
ton after severe contest, prevailed. A
large part of the bill had been considered
without discussion.
In spite of this assertion by Mr.. Kelly,
Mr.. Blackburn denied that there was any
precedent, and said it was neither cautious
nor prudent nor wise to refuse the house
the right of debate on these matters. He
believed the revenue bill had never been
reported or read to the house.
Mr.. Hammond said he had nothing to
do with the passion Which began this mo-
| ton, and did not care whether or not it
had precedent. If there was precedent,
it never ought to be followed. Any ruling
by any speaker or action by any house
which would pass the tariff bill without
the right of discussion and amendment
was revolutionary, ''and' continued Ham
mond, with greatssemphasis, ''if wished to
damn your party. Mr.. Speaker, I would
pray that you would follow that precedent
to-day. This is an outburst of passion.
1t is beneath the dignity of the house to
do business this way. If 1T can be done
by brute force, let it be done, but
even that will not speed the passage of
your bill. Cannot 10000 amendments be
proposed as easily as one? Cannot 10000
votes be taken as easily as one?"
''Does the gentleman propose to state to
the country that 10000 amendments will
be offsred?' inquired Mr.. Haskell, and
Immediately dozen Democratic members
were on their feet, with an affirmative an
swer. But Mr.. Hammond retained the
floor, and definitely replied: 1 say for
myself, as one of the representatives
of the people, that I would stand
in person and make million to defeat
such an outrage. Applause on the Dem
ocratic side. Let any man tell me that I
shall be gagged when you propose to tax
| the people who voted for me to represent
| them. I would die before the wrong should
be perpetrated.
Mr.. Randall believe this proposition
is the result ef a moment of excitement.
l know it does not spring from the DELHI
Grafton of the committee in this house,
and further, l am of the opinion that when
calm and cooler heads and judgments
prevail lit will be conceded it is
not step in the right direction. Now,
have stood here and have counseled and
voted against every motion made which
bore the ssmblance of being or which on
the part of the other side was alleged for
the purpose of delay. In view of this fact,
1 want SO say there may have been Grim
nation and recrimination from the re-
spective sides and without particle of
purpose to offend. I will say that the i'm
preston has been made on my mind that
for the past week the other side had
not been pushing this bill in
manner to secure its ultimate action in
this house. Deprecatory cries of ooh!
ohp' on the Republican side. In view of
these facts consider this proposition is
unreasonable and made more so in the
face of the concilatory proposition of the
gentleman from Kentucky (Carlisle(. who
offered by unanimous consent to have de-
bate on the pending schedule closed in
thirty minutes, and if the object of the
other side is to push this into position of
obstruction they may, and trust they will
hesitate, else we may assume that attitude.
Mr.. Robinson of Massachusetts said the
ruling asked for by the gentleman from
Kansas would carry the house into posi-
ton that every appropriation bill, every