The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-11
NO BREAK IN THE HOUSE
FUTILE EFFORTS BY MR., OATES
TO BIND THE DEMOCRATS.

Fun.
WASHINGTON, April 10.-The House met
at II AS o'clock this morning, the Legisla-
tive dav of Wednesday last continuing.
Mr.. Phelan, of Tennessee, as a privileged
question submitted the conference report
mon the bill authorizing the construction
of a brid across the Mississippi river at
Memphis, Tenn. The Senate amendment
repeating the bridge charter now existing
is agreed to- The report was adopted.
Mr.. Blount, of Georgia asked unanimous
consent to report the post office appropria-
ton bill, but demand for the regular
order from Mr. Reed, of Maine, operated as
an objection, and the seventh day of the
contest over the direct tax bill was
formally opened Motions for recesses of
from ten, fifteen. twenty and twenty-five
minutes were submitted by Messrs. Breckin-
ridge of Arkansas, Weaver of Iowa, An
derson of Illinois and Oates of Alabama.
This was further supplemented with mo-
tions to adjourn until Thursday, to adjourn
until Friday and to adjourn until Satur-
day.
Mr. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, called atten-
ton to the violation of the rule prohibiting
smoking upon the floor, and the Speaker
pro TEN. mir Hatch, of Missouri) imme-
diately ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms and
Doorkeeper to enforce the rule.
NO TALK OF A COMPROMISE.
There is no change or prospect of change
in the deadlock. No concessions have been
made by either side of the controversy, and
all talk of a compromise has ceased. 1t is
generally thought among the members that
condition Of OFF will
tinue until Tuesday next-the day when it
is intended to call up the tariff bill--when
determined effort will be made to break
the deadlock. There is desire on the
part of the Democratic advocates of the
direct tax bill to have a caucus called for
the purpose of determining what course
should be pursued to put an end to the
present stagnation of business, but while
the opponents indicate willingness to have
a caucus called for consultation they de-
cline to be bound by the caucus action. The
call of the House was in progress at t3 o'clock.
NO ENLIvENING INCIDENT.
The hours wore away without being
marked by single incident of interest
Late in the afternoon vote was taken upon
a motion to adjourn in order that test
might be made of the strength of the COM
batants. The affirmative vote was so, ex-
actly the number who voted in a similar
manner yesterday. The negative vote fell off
from 156 yesterday to l46 to-day-the falling
off being accounted for by the fact that a
number of leaves of absence were granted,
mainly from the ranks of the supporters of
the bill. Subsequently the Sergeant-at- Arms
appeared and stated that all the members
who were reported as absent had returned
to the House except such as had been excused
or were out of the city, and the House hav-
aI bic 1.ai rca6 c+o 70
of lassitude.
Mr.. Parker, of New York, was the first
to claim the attention with parliamentary
inquiry. 1t was, he said, the custom of the
House to send out special committees for
the purpose of investigating the causes and
effects of great railroad Strikes he desired
to know whether it would be in order for
the great railroad companies to create a
committee to investigate the causes and eff
fects of the strike now existing in the House
of Representatives.
The Speaker pro tenn was not Of the opin-
ion that the inquiry presented was a parla-
mentary one, and Mr.. Parker resumed his
seat with his query unanswered.
Mr. LAwLER AT THE BAR.
At $50 o'clock the Sergeant-at- Arms ap-
peared at the bar of the House, having in
custody Mr.. I.awler, of Illinois, who was
subjected to a good deal of badinage by his
fellow-members as he formulated his excuse
for having been absent. He had been, he
said, at home answering his correspondence,
in the expectation that the situation in the
House would remain unchanged
E. B. Taylor moved to excuse the gentle
man on payment of fine of SO. He said
that he felt the time. had arrived when the
House should assert its power to have it's
members present whenever necessary. He
aJ Z hot fba hI;aa;o
was the party before the bar of the House,
because he did not believe that the gentle
man was any of ener absent than many
others, but it seemed to him that man
elected as a member Of this honorable body
had his business here when the House was
in session, and has no business elsewhere
He protested against the idea that the mat
ter of being present was one Of personal
convenience and not of duty, and he pro-
tested most seriously against the manner in
which the Houcs had treated the offense of
absenteeism, by making light of it, and by
being frivolous when members were brought
before the bar upon that charge.
HE MEANT 1T.
He had offered the resolution in perfect
good faith, not desiring to injure the feel
ings of any one; but he wished that the
penalty should be imposed, and that If the
penalty should be increased until absolute
expulsion should become the remedy.
A member suggested that instead of $40,
a fine Of barrel Of apples should be i'm
posed.
Mr.. Taylor remarked that that was an
other Of those propositions that made the
House notorious and ridiculous in the eyes
of the country.
Mr.. Lawler attempted to ask Mr.. Taylor
n question, but had proceeded no furter
than being little short" when he was in
terrupted by a shout of laughter
Mr.. Taylor said that to remedy that diff
hculty he wuuld furnish the gentlemen
with $40, to which Mr.. L1wler replied
amid renewed laughter that he would ac-
cept the donation.
Finally on motion of Mr.. Wheeler, of
Alabama, Mr. Lawler was was excused
without the imposition of any fine.
INNocUoUs DEsUETUDE.
The House then resumed its air of unin.
teresting idleness. The only amusement
furnished was in the cloak room on the
Democratic side, to which some of the more
genial spirits among the Republicans had
gathered TO chat with their Democratic adj
Versaries. The doors leading from the
cloak room to the hall of the House we're
closed, so as TO prevent the hearty
laughter evoked by some good story
related by Mr.. Weaver, OF Iowa,
or Mr.. Burrows, of Michigan disturbing the
rest of the members who wero seeking sleep
upon some convenient lounge. Through
the cracks OF the doors, however, came the
strains of college songs and negro melodies.
mn impromptu glee club being under the