The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-21
BLAIR'S BILL Is BEATEN.
THE SENATE NULLIFIES ALL THE
TALK BY A VOTE OF 81 TO 81.

The Measures Author Gives Notice
of a Motion to Reconsider, but a
Change in the Result Not at All
Probable-senator Hawley Sprung a
Telling Fact at the Last Moment.
WASHINGTON, March 2O.-To their own
great surprise the senator's killed the Blair
bill this evening. Its friends and its
enemies alike had come to the conclusio n
that it would pass by small majority, and
held that opinion even while the vote was
being taken. No one was SO surprised as
Mr.. Blair. He followed the roll call with
such care that he knew when it was COM
pleted that his bin was dead There was
just one chance to galvanize it back to life
again, and Mr.. Blair, who never lacks
energy, promptly secured it before the Vice
President could announce the result, for
which the Senate waited in breathless
silence.
BLAIR'S EXCITEEENT.
Mr.. Blair, for once perfectly white with
excitement, strobe out into tine main isles
and dramatically demanded to be recog-
nized by the Vice President. The Vice
President of course recognized him, and
bhOA AtAAs lle@Ai SAoL5CN uAo NObS3 oO % W 10
able to move to reconsider. Then the Vice
President, in his dry, broken-like way, an
nounced the result. The Senate buzzed
with the sensation. Mr.. Blair tried to move
at once to reconsider, but Mr.. Edmunds,
who was even angrier than Mr.. Blair,
moved to go into executive session, in order
that be might tell Mr. Hawley justAwhat he
thought of the conduct which had angered
him so. Mr.. Edmunds yielded, however, to
allow Mr.. Blair to give notice Of his motion
to reconsider, which he did and then sank
into his chair, utterly Disguised and ex-
hausted.
WHAT EDMUNDS WAS MAD ABOUT.
The thing which angered Mr.. Edmunds
SO was Mr.. Hawley'S presentation at the
very last minute of the prospective con-
gressional balance sheet, showing that if
congress kept on as it was going it would
bring about deficiency of S73,0O0,00 and
make tax reduction impossible. 1t is not too
much to say that this brief statement had
more influence on the result than any Of the
long speeches, except possibly Mr.. Blalr's.
EDMUNDs SAW ITS FORCE.
Mr. Edmunds, who saw the force and
effect of it, declared in a very impertinent
way that it was out of order and in viola
tion of an understanding to have no more
debate, and he emphasized his assertion by
sitting down suddenly and refusing to make
any reply to Mr. Hawley. Mr.. Hawley
was very courteous, both then and after
ward when Mr.. Edmunds lectured him on
improperly behind closed doors.
Mr. Blair will probably press his motion
to reconsider, but there is no reason to
believe that it will carry.
THE SENATE ENLIGHTENED.
Having twice passed the Blair bill by a
considerable majority when it could not be-
come law, the Senate has become SO en-
lightened that it refuses to pass it when it
can become a law. The Senate did not
divide on party lines, but it is proper to
say that much of the credit for
the result is due 10 MeSsrs. Hawley, Frye,
Aldrich, and Spooner. Mr.. Beck, who has
been kept away from the Senate by SO
much illness, was only able to say with
something OF his old vigor that he would
have voted against the bill in all its forms
if it had not been that his colleague had
paired him with Mr.. Brown of Georgia.
Senators Cameron and Quay were both
paired for the bill with Senators Butler and
Call, respectively.
II Mr.. Blair's motion to reconsider is de-
feated, as it probably will be, he and few
other friends of the bill will try to pass it
through the House with view to IN king
the Senate pass upon it again, when noth-
ing but the Senate will stand between it and
the President. But thes men who voted
against it to-day are not to be changed.