Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-01-30
THE TUMULT BEGUN
Reed Stirs Up the Menagerie
IN the House.
THE PROMISED RIOT BREAKS OUT.

An Attempt TO Count Quorum That
Didn't Vote Nearly Raises the Roof
The storm RACES with Great Fury for n
Time, but Finally Abstes and Argu-
ment Il Begun-Recd's Statement and
the Views of the Opposition-The Pres
ident Recognizes Brazil.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan 30-The widest
and most tumultuous scene since the recon-
struction times, was enacted in the house
yesterday. After the house had passed bill
relieving the political disabilities of ID. c.
Smith, of Texas. Dalzell OF Pennsylvania
called up the West Virginia contested cleo
ton. Crisp of Georgia raised the question
of consideration, and filibustering at once
began. On this the Democrats generally re-
fused OF vote While the roll was being called
Speaker Reed noted the names OF those
present and not voting. When the vote
was announced, it was found that l6l votes
were In the affirmative and . ia tine mega
tive Crisp at once raised the point of no
quorum and Speaker Reed directed the clerk
20 record the names, list of which he had
kept, of members not voting, but present
Wild Approval and Protest.
A loud shout of approval was raised on the
Republican side Then as the names of the
Democrats were read by the speaker men,
bers got up in their places and protested
against their names being recorded against
their will. Breckenridge of Kentucky, when
hi name was called, took the floor and de-
nounced the action of the speaker as 'revolu-
sionary." With this the Democrats stood up
and cheered him, or shouted their protests
By cries of GEAR which the Republicans
characterized as the "rebel yell The scene at
this moment on the floor of the house was
one of tumult and riot. When quiet was
partially restored Speaker Reed said he was
simply announcing fact, not voting for
members.
The Speaker Makes n Statement.
Subsequently he made a statement In justi-
tication of his course, quoting presidents to
maintain the correctness of his position, and
citing the action of Governor Hill, of New
York, while presiding officer of the New
York state senate in deciding that three
fifths of the members present was sufficient TO
do business-although some of them refrained
from voting-as precisely similar to his
(the speaker's) decision.
Another process, he said, which every old
member would recognize whereby the opin.
ion of the chair Is accepted a. incontestible
| evidence of the recognition of the right to
record m ,mbers present as constituting part
of gu rum who did not vote, was seen in
| the ever day occurrence at certain stages OF
the sessions of the house, when votes were
| announced by the chair containing obviously
and emphatically no quorum. Yet if thepoint
| was not made the bill was always declared
passed; and that could only be on a very
distinct basis, and that was that everybody
present silently agreed to the fact that there
was quorum.
Quoted Against Himself.
Crisp appealed from the decision Of ths
chair, and quoted from Speaker Blaine's
ruling on the force bill, to the effect that the
speaker had not the power 10 count q
quorum, and declared that Speaker Reeds
decision, just made, would be the founda-
tion of the greatest legislative fraud ever
committed. He quoted from remarks of
Reed in former years while on the floor OF
the house, in which he used these words
"The constitutional idea of a quorum is no,
the physical presence of majority of the
members OF the house, but a majority of the
members present and participating in the
business of the house"
IL appeal" Crisp exclaimed, "from PHILIP
drunk TO Phillip sober"
The Constitution Appealed To.
Cannon OF Illinois said the constitution de
cided the question at issue, and said plainly
athe majority of each house shall constitute
| n quorum TO do business" but IL did not say
| that majority should be required to vote
| for a measure, a motion, or resolution in or
der to pass IT.
Carlisle Joins the Fray.
Carlisle said this decision was not n ques-
ton of parliamentary law, but of constitu-
tional law. No speaker had ever before de-
cided that less than a quorum could pass any
bill or vote in the house. II the ruling to-day
was correct, there was no necessity for any
provision of the constitution defining what
less than quorum could do A majority
constituted quorum ito do business" but
! those words were not in the constitution OF
the state of New York upon which Lieuten-
ant Governor Hills decision had been based
Mckinley took the floor and yielded to a
motion TO adjourn, which was carried with
out division. The matter will come again
to-day, probably on the question of approx
ing yesterdays journal.
Got Hot In the Collar.
An amusing incident not put on the rec
DIuS ONCuINtu tue tbHluSiOn was III us
height Democratic member from Indi-
ana, whose name Speaker Reed ordered re-
corded, although he did not vote, rushed up
to the desk and ordered the journal clerk,
under threats of holding him personally re-
sponsib.e to remove his name from the
speakers list The clerk refused, and the
member almost used violence in an attempt
to have his orders carried out. He was
finally soothed by his colleagues and re-
turned to his seat.
Cowles of North Carolina, who was in a
state of unnatural excitement all the fore
noon, was ON the point once or twice of
making personal assault upon the speaker,
and for time It looked as il big row could
not be- avoided The speakers GOODNESS and
the adoption of Ben Butterworth's sugges-
ton to let both sides have a fair hearing
were all that prevented open warfare.