Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-23
A TWO DAYS RECESS.
The House Strikes Its Flag to Santa
Claus.
SENATOR'S SARCASTIC TALK.
Mr.. Morgan Makes Remarks About
the Election Bill.
COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS.
SENATE,

SENATE.
The resolution offered yesterday BY Mr..
Morgan directing the committee on privileges
and elections to amend the elections bill so as
to show what are the changes and modi6ca-
tions intended to be made was taken up.
MIR. EDMUNDs' POINT OF ORDER
Mr.. Edmunds reserved point Of order
against the resolution to the effect that the
parliamentary mode of amending a bill is by
Offering an amendment in open Senate, or BY
moving to recommit.
Mr.. Morgan admitted that his resolution was
an unusual one, but he justified it on the
ground that If he were to move to recommit
the bill that motion would be attributed to a
desire to delay action. He called attention to
the TACT that there was not now quorum Of
Senators present and that there had not been
more than fifteen Senators present at the open
ing since the Senate had begun to meet at 10
clock.
The Senator in charge of the bill (Mr. Hoar)
mao found himself entirely unable to have q
night session yesterday because there was no
quorum He inferred, therefore, that that
very distinguished Senator (admitted to be
great In every part of his senatorial duties)
could not be great as leader, or else that his
Dill mad not such merit as TO captivate the af-
fectlons OF republican Senators. He (NIr.
Morgan) would have made a motion to re-
that motion would be instantly taken hold of
and given out as a motion for delay whereas
his resolution was offered in absolutely good
faith and addressed itself to the lawyers and
parliamentarians of the body in a way which,
he thought they would not be able to resist
No Senator on either side of the chamber
could rise and inform the country what the
bill contained. That would not have been SO
if the bill had been the work of some skilled
legislator or able lawyer. but it was patch
work, made up by some intervening man who
thumbed his work, snlixed up his provisions,
got them into cloud of uncertainty and left
Senators to ascertain, in the best way they
could, what is the text of the bill and what the
text means.
MIR. Morgan went on to point out some Of the
uncertainties, contradictions and defects of
various provisions Of the bill.
MIR. HoAR's REMARK.
Mr.. Hoar remarked that Mr. Morgan's hints
and jibes as to the origin of the bill were
founded upon absolute ignorance of what he
was talking about.
MIR. Morgan admitted that that was true. but
said that that ignorance was the offspring of
the mind Of the Senator from Massachusetts,
who had left himself. the world and the Senator
from Alabama all in ignorance Of what the bill
meant. He saw the two Senators before him
(referring to Messrs. Hoar and Enmunds). one
OF whom announced some time ago that he
MI Morgan) was more crazy than usual, while
the other said now that he was absolutely
ignorant. He would inform those Senators
that whatever they could do with their own con-
stituents about matters of that kind they could
not convince the people of Alabama that he
was either an i8noramus or a fool.
DID NOT MEAN TO BE UNCIvIL.
Both Mr.. Edmunds and Mr.. Hoar rose; but
the latter succeeded in obtaining the floor, and
he explained that what he meant was that
when Mr.. Morgan attributed certain sections
OF the bill to Mr.. Davenport and certain others
to him Mr.. Hoar) he could not possibly know
what ne was talking about, and could only be
guessing. and he was altogether mistaken in
his guess That was what he meant No man
had higher respect than he had for the legal
learning, the senatorial abilities and the per-
sonal qualities of the Senator from Alabama
and if the phrase which he (NIr. Hoar) had
used was an uncivil one, he expressed his regret
for having used it.
Mr.. Morgan resumed his argument and had
not finished it when the morning hour expired
(at IL oclock); but he said that he would try
to elucidate the subject a little more fully to-
morrow.
WILL REPLY TO MR. GRAY.
Mr.. Higgins said that he did not feel at lib
erty yesterday, when Mr.. Voorhees, had the
floor, to make such an answer to his colleague
QIr. Gray as his colleagues remark called
for, but he would do so later today, when his
colleague would be present
THE FINANCE BILL.
Mr.. Sherman, from the committee on finance,
reported the bill to provide against the con-
traction of the currency and for other pur-
poses the caucus billy, and it was read twice
and placed on the calendar.
MR.. CALLS SPEECH.
The election bill was then taken up and Mr..
Call addressed the Senate in opposition to it.
1t was the most important bill Che said) ever
presented in the history of the legislation of
the country. Its enactment into law would
constitute a change in the powers of the gov
ernment great as that which characterized
the republic Of Rome when it was changed into
a monarchy. The Earl OF STAFFORD had been
impeached by the British parliament in l643
for an attempt to subvert the fundamental
laws Of the kingdom, and the pending measure
was quite as foul an attempt to subvert the
fundamental laws of the country.
HOUSE.