Mohave County miner., 1888-04-21
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WASHINGTON LETTER.
,rRoa OUR RRGuLAR CORRESPONDENT. J.,

one. The fillibustering continued uDin-
terrupted for five days, roll call following
roll call on alternate motions for adjourn
ment and recess. Both sides doggedly
determined to keep up the 6ght. Both
were in the worst OF tempcrs over the
matter, aud unfortunately, under the
present working rules OF the House, a
determined minority has 1t in It's power
TO prevent Legislation by dilatory tactics
The issues ON which the House was
divided, to the shameful delay and EN-.
barrasment Of other important business,
were these: The majority OF the Judici-
ary Committee hold in regard to the
| direct tax bill of 1861 that il slloald either
be collected in irli Or Abandoned, and
restitution made. 10 those who have paid.
The minority claim that as the Govern
Dient, in the exercise OF n cong gitution;i
power, laid and collected this tax, and
| applied it TO a constitutions! purposa---
that oi the common defcnse--those WHO
paid it, whether States or citizens, have
| no claim either in Law Or equity, Tor lie
return ol any part Of it. AS for those vino
have not paid, the Government has coz
c!adcsi to treat all further Civilizations 10
pay as Cancelled. Tlis is the case in
fr.c'
The bill has not yet even heen iouc!rd.
Tuesday and Wednesday had lem set
apart for the discussion OF the bill, but
both days were i!libustered 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 deadlock it
was discovered after recess that there
was not quorum present. Then there
would be call Of the House. The doors
would be locked and the Sergeant-at-A Arms
and his assistants would 90 out in quest
Of the absentees. The victims would be
brought in singly and in squads, and
placed at the bar Of the House, where
they were required TO explain their de-
liDquency. As usual a great deal OF
merriment was created by the excuses OF
the prisoners, who were badly guyed by
their colleagues, much to the entertain
ment Of the galleries. A popular excuse
among the captured Congressman was
that they had been absent getting some
thing to eat.
Deadlocks in the House are not fre-
quent. One Of the most notable, however,
was when the Democrats tried to defeat
the counting in of Hayes, when at 4
O'Clock on the morning Of Friday, March
I'd, 1877, Mr.. Randall, who was in the
chair, absolutely declined 10 entertain
any further dilatory motions, and instruc-
ted the Clerk of the House TO inform the
Senate that the House was ready to pro-
ceed with the count. 1t was a crisis in
the history of the country. Mr.. Hayes
was in Ohio, and only forty-eight hours
OF President Grants term remained
When another fllibustering motion was
about to be made Mr.. Randall refused TO
recognize the member for that purpose
The member asked an appeal, tut Mr.
Randall decided that recognition was n
matter entirely within the jurisdiction Of
tho Chair and not appealable. This
broke the backbone OF the deadlock, and
within an hour Mr.. Hayes was declared
to have received majority Of the cleo
toral votes cast.
Mr.. Randall really made the beginning
Of his reputation many years ago in fill
clustering against what is now known az
the "Force bill," measure which pro-
posed to put troops at the polls In the
South.
The wonder still grows, "Who will the
President appoint to the Chief Justiceship
OF the United States?" II it be true that
he said he would not promote an Associ-
ate Justice; that he would not select a
Southern man; that he will not take
man over sixty years of age, etc, there
are not so many possibilities for the
position after ALL
Senator Blair's proposition to give to
the District Of Columbia one Senator and
Congressional Representatives has been
met with the objection that TO give TO 30
small community vote in the Senate
and several In the House would be an In.
justice TO the whole country and would
aggravate the discontent that many feel
with feature Of our Government that is
an exception TO the general rule Of repre-
sentation according TO population.
The District is fully ready, however, for
this scheme Of political delverence, and
when the bill passes Congress, and her
citizens become citizens of the United
States, there will I've an immense emanci-
patton procession, an oration and a
banquet.
On Friday last the Senate passed III
bills in less than an hour and half.
About half of these had been already
passed by the House. Among them were
some private pension bills, one giving
pension OF s25 a month to DR.. Mary
Walker, as "late Assistant Surgeon,
United States Army" This is we'll timed
for the Doctor, whose pantaloons and
plug hat are decidedly the worse for
wear. Another OF these bills pensions a
soldiers foSter Mother, and another in
ur.aaao The nan uinv ~ Navo,, D.;~..