The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-11
A LAUGHABLE EXCUSE.

his excuse that he went away when
motion to adjourn was being voted upon
under the impression that the motion would
prevail, was received with incredulous
laughter
Mr.. Taylor offered his resolution excus-
ing the gentlemen upon the payment of a
fine of $40, and directing the Segeant-at-
Arms to deduct that sum from the gentle
mans salary. He said it was due to the dig
nifty of the House and the dignity of the
country that this matter of absenteeism
should be treated seriously.
Mr.. Crisp suggested that it was not COM
petent for the House by resolution to change
statute prescribing what members salary
should be.
Mr. Cummings, of New York, further
suggested that it was somewhat of a refec
ton upon the gentlemen to direct that the
Sergeant-at-Arms should deduct the fine
from his salary He thought that
the gentleman could manage to pay $40.
Laughter
Notwithstanding the remark that this
was Mr.. Morses second otfense, he was ex-
cused without fine, and Mr. Breckinridge of
Kentucky moved that the House adjourn.
This was defeated by SO yeas to 14l nays
ATTEMPTS TO CALL A CAUCUS.
Efforts were made at intervals all day to
have the Democratic House caucus called
for tonight to break the deadlock, but the
attempt failed The state of the case is
about as follows: Mr.. Glover yesterday Sc
cured twenty signatures to a call-more
than enough to secure caucus last night,
but was defeated by the refusal of the
! House to take a recess at an early hour.
The same call was revived and the date and
| time fixed for tonight. Mr.. Oats and his
friends are perfectly willing to caucus on
condition that the call shall contain the
names of all, or nearly all, of the Demo-
Gratis favorable to the direct tax bill. The
reason for imposing this condition lies in a
desire to bind fast to the caucus decision all
Of the Democratic friends of the BILL and
this desire appears to be based on a belief
that the opponents of the bill would be in
| decided majority in the caucus.
NOT FORCED TO VOTE.
Mr.. Oates says that he would not insist
that the friends of the bill should be forced
by the caucus to vote against it. They
might simply vote to recommit or lay aside
the bill, or join in vote to adjourn, and so
terminate the apparently interminable leg
islative day of Wednesday, April 4. But
at least four Democrats have refused
to sign the call under such
condition, holding that if they
should follow the programme outlined by
Mr.. Oates it would amount to a very trans
parent evasion of responsibility and that
the bill would be killed just as surely as by
a direct vote against it. The opponents of
the bill state that they will prevent a eau
Gus from being held under Mr. Glovers ex !.
isting call by refusing to allow a recess of
the House at time suitable for caucusing,
and this is the situation as the eighth day of
the battle draws to an end.
LITTLE EXCITEMENT.
WASHINGTON, April II, 2:30 A. NAT
12 80 o'clock this morning the House was
1 l.AI..
/ expected and exciting manner, and at one
time it looked as if the deadlock would be
broken. A motion that the committee rise
was pending when Mr.. Boutelle,
| of Maine, rose, and in order
to test the accuracy of the rulings
that motions to excuse member were in
order, moved that Mr.. Breckinridge, of
Arkansas, Mr.. Breckinridge, of Kentucky,
| Mr.. Weaver, of Iowa, and Mr.. Oates, Of
Alabama, be excused from voting.
| These gentlemen declared that they were
able to take care of the nselves.
Mr.. Boutelle insisted, however, that, in
| the light of the recent decisions, it was not
requisite that member give his consent to
a motion to be excused from voting.
Thereupon Mr.. Taulbee, Of Kentucky,
| moved as an amendment that Mr.. Boutelle
himself be excused from voting, which
motion the Speaker pro tenn. (Mr McMil-
Ian, of Tennessee,) declared to be carried
notwithstanding the vociferous demands
for recognition from the Republican side.
TANGLING IT UP.
Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, then moved that
he, himself, be excused from voting, and
! further moved that Mr.. Bsyne, of Penn
! sylvania, be excused from voting upon his
! motion This was supplements by mo-
ton by Mr. Bayne that Mr.. Reed, of
Maine, be excused from voting upon
the motion to excuse him (Mr. Bayne)
| Several other Republicans were upon their
feet desirOus of putting motion upon motion
in order to show the danger resulting from
| a motion to excuse a member from voting,
but the Speaker pro TEN. refused to recog-
| niZa any motion except that Of Mr.. Cannon
to excuse himself, which he declared to be
carried against the protests of the Republi-
cans At this moment a motion came from
| the Democratic side that the House ad-
| iourn a d after a chorus of yeas from the
Democrats, and shout of nays from the
Republicans the gavel of the Speaker hung
in mid air.
WILD EXCITEMENT.
The Republicans, fearful that the gavel
would fall and the House be declared ad-
! iourned, rose as one man to their feet, and
! led by Messrs Reed, Taylor and Rowell
rushed to the front row OF the desks shout
| ing and crying for the yeas and nays. The
| confusion was too great TO be quelled by the
| Speakers gavel, and the services of the
| Sergeant at Arms and his mace of office
were called in, but it was some
time before the officer of the House. armed
with his emblem of authority, could quiet
the now thoroughly excited members.
Mr.. Reed stood directly in front of the
Speakers desk reiterating his demand for
the yeas and nays, holding his position
through all the turmoil, and when compara-
tive quiet had been obtained the Speaker
pro tenn. recognized his demand, and the
! yeas and nays were ordered.
The motion to adjourn was defeated by
65 yeas to 12l nays.
The Speaker pro tenn. then ruled Citing
! from a decision rendered in the Thirty
seventh Congress) that a motion to excuse
q member from voting upon a former
motion to excuse member from voting
was not in order. He, therefore,
ruled that the only motion in
order was Mr.. Boutelles original
motion to excuse four gentlemen from vot-
| ING. whereupon Mr.. Boutelle withdrew his
motion. AT 45 o'clock there was no pros
pect of an adjournment or recess A mo-
| ton to suspend further proceedings under
the call of the House was lost by 4S yeas to
1l9 nays.
Georgia Railroads Called Up.
WASHINGTON, April 10-The Interstate
Commerce Commission has made the fol
| g.. L.n. 80, Nl.fa as.sVx