Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-09-25
REsD OILED nnWh

Drlvcn Into II asavIntou OF Its Mo .
cisiOn as 10 QuOrnnI-IBe Democrat ~
IesIstIng by Eheir Absence The
Outrageous UnseaLJnx OF n Member
WASHINGTON, sept. 19.-Speaker Rsai
hstonished tue House to-day by announcing
discovery In the art Of quorum counting,
Heretofore his has insisted that all membsra
present within the hall OF the Housp,
whether voting or not, might be counted In
ofuor TO maSe a quorum, but he has never
questioned the necessity OF the presence OF
lbO members, a majority OF the number
elected to tho Flfty-first Congress. To-day,
however, Mr.. Reed declared that 1Gi nom
Ders would, la his opinion, constitute u
quorum until such time as one or more OF
tue four existing vacancies should be Glled,
storm OF Indignation broke over the
81 iaker's head At this announcement, and
the angry minority was 80 evidently Ia
earnest In dououaeing his high handed
action tina Mr.. Reed wEl actually forced 10
Withdraw his proposition, with thu state.
ment that he would reserve the right to
Iecur 10 IL II upon further consideration he
should find It well founded.
The session throughout was stormy
one, and he scene on the floor OF the
Hose. with thu Republican membsrs, who
hlled nearly every seat on the west side OF
the hall, facing a dreary waste OF empty
oats Sol apart for the Democrats was 80
the Republican Congressional committee,
sent for photographer and had Il seties
OF Views of the House taken for use, AS he
declares, In the coming campaign. lie viii
show tho country, he says, just who IL re-.
Fponsible for the delay In legislation, but
even MIR. Belden Ia forced to admit that no
self.respecting Democrat would remain In
the House and permit himself to be counted
In one OF Mr.. Reeds whitfield. down quo.
runs.
Trouble began early. MIR. OFsrraiI, Of
Virginia. raised the point Of mo quorum"
immediately after the chaplaln's prayer,
but Speaker Reed set his lightning eacula.
tor az work and speedily evolved one. Then
Tho clerk began rea1iag tins journal and
the Democrats one by one folded their tents
hnG quietly stole away, so that by the time
tho question OF approval was put but three
DemOceAtlc members, Representatives Oats
Crisp and oFerrall, remained In their
ats.
Mr.. Crisp was in charge OF the interests
OF the Democrats, and he opened the bali
~ demsadlog correction OF the journal.
10 declhr q that there was no record OF an
Important decision made by the chair yes.
.rdaY, and asked to have the omission
eotltied.
After much spirited discussion during
which Mr.. Crisp rather sharply scored tins
Speaker, few Democrats entered the
chambar aud 1t was disclosed that there
were l'l members pTesent--a quorum aud
four more.
The question then required on ordering
the previous question on the Langston-
Nenable case fhe Democrats then retired,
only Messrs. 0Ferrsll, Crisp, Reilly, Hol.
man ana Parrett remaining la .h-lr seats.
The previous question was ordc d-yens,
III; nays, THE clerk noting quorum.
MIR Oheadla Qnd.) and Mr.. Coleman
Glad, (Repub!ican-) }, voted IN the negative.
The question recurring on the minority
resolution declaring Laagston not elected,
the quorum dlssipated and II call OF tbs
House was ordered, when disclosed the
presence OF 1871 members. The minority
resolution WAS then rejected, and the vote
was taken on the secoad minority resolu-
tion declaring Veuable duly elected Lost
4 TO 1856, the Speaker countlnk quorun
The first majority resolution declHri1g
Venable not elscted was next IN 9t'er, and
BrslA the quoEu.n disappeared Ind once
more II was necessary to order call OF tha
IL use.
0ae more thar a quorum responded on
this call and once more did that quorum
disappear on the pending resoiuti1n-the
vote standing yeas, 142, nays, 4-and once
more was a call ordered.
One hundred and slxty-tour members re-
fpondod to this call. the Republican absen-
tees being T. VI, Browne (lud.) Butterworth,
tionnall Dorsey, Ewart, Finley, Flood,
katcham Knapp, Miliken, Peters, Swaony
and Wilson (Ky) There b9irg no quorum,
til. House al 445, by unanimous consent,
took recees till 8 O'Clock.
At Its evening session the House post.
poned until Wednesday k the bill grant
ins pensions 10 the widows OF Generals
Mcclellan, Fremont and Crook. seventy
two private perslon bills wore passed and
tha House, at 1890, adjourned.