The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-09
BLAIR GAINS HIS POINT.
THE VOTE ON HIS BILL TO BE
TAKEN NEXT WEDNESDAY.

Senator Call Speaks in Favor of the
Measure and Characterizes the
Objections to 1t as Chestnuts-Rid-
dleberger Again Prevented from
Reaching the Public Ear.
WASHINGTON, Feb, S.-The Senate at 2:l0
o'clock to-day took up the unfinished bust
ness-the Blair educational bill. Mr. Blair
said that so far as he could Judge of the
condition of the debate the bill might be
disposed cf by the Senate to-day, certainly
if the session were slightly prolonged. In
any event he would ask the Senate to dis
pose of it tomorrow.
Mr.. Call spoke in support of the bill. If
be could believe, he said, that the evils fore
told by the enemies of the bill would follow
its enactment, he would vote against it,
although he had voted twice for it. But he
did not so believe. As to the constitutional
objections made to it, he said that the quo
tations from jefferson and Madison and the
early fathers of the republic were nearly
100 years old, and that these interpretations
had been over-rldden, every one of them, by
the practice of the government and with
the ncquiescence of the people.
FIXING THE TIME FOR THE VOTE.
At the close of Mr. Calls remarks Mr.
Blair asked to have the time fixed for the
vote on the bill and the pending amend
ments and he suggested o'clock to-mor-
row.
Mr.. Plumb objected to that He would
be glad to have the time fixed, but further
in the future. He would have something to
say about the bill. but he was not prepared
with the statistics which he wanted to use.
Another Senator had informed him that he
also wished to speak. He suggested next
Wednesday at 3 o'clock, and Mr.. Blair
accepted that suggestion, and unanimous
consent was given to it,
Mr.. Harris moved to proceed to execu-
tive business, but he offered to withdraw
the motion, in order to have a vote on Mr..
Ribdleberger's resolution, provided it could
be had without any discussion.
INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Mr.. Riddleberger declared that he would
make no conditions as to the resolution or
treaty, and demanded the yeas and nays on
the motion to go into executive session The
Senate then voted (43 to q to proceed to
executive business, Mr.. Riddeberger voting
in the affirmative 4 dramatic, though
momentary scene followed. Mr. Riddle
berger arose as the chair announced the
vote and attempted to speak.
The chair directed as usual: "The Ser
geant-at- Arms will clear the galleries and
close the dOorSn
The Senator from Virginia, who has
bronchial affection which renders it difficult
for him to make himself audible, pale with
excitement, said: Il beg pardon, sir,
arise to move reconsideration Of the
vote" "a pause during which the Ser
geant-at-Arms was executing his orders. ]
Have | not right, sir, to move recon
sideration; voted in the affirmative for
that purpose" IA further pause.l II have
the right and no sergeant-at-arms can re
strain me from. The closing of the doors
shut off further proceedings from the public
ear. 1t is understood that the Senator from
Virginia continued his remarks, but di-
rected them against the substance of the
British treaty, and that he consumed the
time until 4 :55 O'Clock, at which hour the
Senate adjourned.
1t is reported that the Senate in secret
session this afternoon postponed further
consideration of the British extraditlon
treaty until next December.
HOW THE MATTER STANDS.
The Republican Senators are not as fond
and as proud of Mr.. Riddleberger as they
were in 1881, when he first turned his face
to the morning. Day by day they grow to
dislike him more and more. He is a con-
stant otfense to them. For weeks he has
been trying to kill the British extradition
treaty in open session, under the supposi-
Gion that its provisions would permit the
extradition of Irish agitators. The Repub-
licans know that the treaty ought
to be ratified. They know that
it could not be construed as Mr.. Riddle
berger fears, yet they dare not talk about
it in open Senate for fear of violating the
rules, and they dare not do anything with
it in executive session for fear that Mr.
Riddleberger should blurt it right out in
open session, where they could neither ex-
plain nor defend it. To-day Mr.. Riddle
berger gave them ali bad quarter of an
hour He was manifestly intoxicated His
legs were not affected, but his tongue was
His speech was so indistinct that what he
said had to be guessed at.