Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-04-16
Derby, April II, 1888
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, Aprit 9Th.

Washington, april 9th.
The deadlock which entirely stopped
LEGISLATION in the lower branch of
congress last week will be historic
al one. The filibustering continued
uninterruptedly for five days, roll call
following roll call on alternate mo-
tons for adjournment and recess.
Both sides doggedly determined to
keep up the fight. Both were in the
worst of tempers over the matter,and
unfortunately, under the present
working rules of the House, deter
mined minority has it in its power to
prevent legislation by dilatory tactics.
The issues on which the House was
divided, to the shameful delay and
embarrassment of other important
business, were these: The majority
of the judiciary committee hold IN re-
GARD to the direct tax bill of 1861
that it should either be collected In
full, or abandoned, and restitution
made to those who have paid. The
minority claim that as the govern
ment. in the exercise of constitu-
tional power, laid and collected this
tax, and applied it to constitutional
purpose-that of the common defense
those who paid it,whether states or
citizens, have no claim either in law
or equity for the return of any part
of if. AS for those who have not
paid, the government has concluded
to treat all further obligation to pay
as cancelled. This is the case in
brief.
The bill has not yet even been
touched. Tuesday and Wednesday
had been set apart for the discussion
of the bill but both days filibustered
away and the remainder of the week
went in the same way. A vote for
adjournment could not be reached,
and consequently the bill could not
be laid aside.
Several times during the deadlocb
it was discovered after a recess thai
: there was not quorum present. Their
there would be call of the House
The doors would be locked and thu
r Seroeant-at-Arms and his assistant
would go out in quest of the absent
: ees. The victims would be brough
S in singly and in squads and placed a
Y the bar of the House where they wer
i required to explain their delinquency
n AS usual a great deal of merrlmen
!. was created by the excuses of tn
t prisoners who were badly guyed b
s their colleagues, much to the enter
n tainment of the galleries. A popula
n excuse among the captured congress
l. men was that they had been abser
lie getting something to eat.
lie Deadlocks in the House are nc
frequent. One of the most notab
g however was when the democrat
IS tried to defeat the counting in
to HAYES, and this was only broke
~ when at 4 o'clock, on the morning {
Friday, March I'd, 1877, Mr.. RAJ
dali, who was in the chair, absolute
ly declined to entertain any furth
dilatory motions, and instructed IL
clerk of the house to inform the SCI
ate that the house was ready to pr
'or coed with the count. 1t was crls
to in the history of the country. Nj
IT'S HAYES was in Ohio, and only fort
M. eight hours of President Grants ter
rse remained. When another filibuste
thv ing motion was about to be made NJ
lily Randall refused to recognize t
70 member for that purpose. The mel
Der asked an appeal, but Mr.. Randi
,al decided that recognition was matt
entirely within the jurisdiction of