Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-10-21
A nrNocaArIc oelNloN.

A DEMOCRATIC OPINION
when the rule which Permitted the
counting 20 a quorum VAS introduced In
Congrcs. last winter, their Vas an I'm
phatic decaniion by the pcmocrats
that they should tcst the constitutional
nv Of ths rule BY carrying a csss a. The
supreme coart At the drst opportunity.
The opportunity csme-and went, aud
another came aud went, AMI still anoth-
81. and The D,moCrsts have made M
move. Some New Work importers, Who
arv financially Interested, are going To
attend 10 the matter. The Dingley hin
for the classification ~ worstcis a.
wcolens was passed BY counting a
quorum. New Nork importers, Who
we're by tn ls~ required o. paya higher
rate % duty, protested, aud alleged a.
cue point the unconstiiutiouality ~ the
quorum ccunting rule. The bosrd %
custom. appraiser. gave hearings In the
matter. and has sustained the at by q
unanimous decision written BY the chair.
man % the board. Judge >omerNille,
Democrat. The matter relating o. the
quorum rule has b-cn reiterated many
times sincc the cNclting sc"nes ~ the
early part % the session, bat h l. such
good .ound senss that everybody ought
20 rad Il. Moreover, II l. an official
opinion. and IL forcshsdoSing % vhst
the Justice. % the supreme court Sould
probably sAy, II the question "a. car
ric,i Ca them, q. Il NAV D.
The constitution % the United >taies,
Article I, section 5, provides that "a ma
iority II each louse shall constitute a
quorum o. ID business. bat that
smaller numhsr NAV adjourn from daN
o. dsy, and may o. authorized o. cuui-
Pei the ATTENDANCE % abs.ut meinhsr.,"
under proper penalties. II !. further
DECLARED that leach House NAV d.t.rn-
lns the rules % II. proceedings. AM
that each House shall keep Journal 20
IT. pfucc.ilugs,~ aud ''the yeas and naYs
% the memher. ~ the House on anv
question shall ~ the desire 20 onc-hith
% tho-e present be entered In The bur
nal"
Ths Journal 81 The House prcc.ciings
unquestiOnahly shows q majority 20 All
the members o. D. prcseni, aud a major
iiy undoubtedly constitutes quorum o.
DO business. The inquiry thru !. -
duc,d o. this Can the llouss authorize
IT, journals o. b. ~ prepared a. o. shoS
quorum o. D. present, although many
81 tho.s inClud-,i o. make az The quorum
wcrv slleut Nhsu the Vuie was takru hy
"yeA." and "nays, aud rviussi them
selves o. rrcori their Vutes' IN oar judg-
ment this authority seems 90 follow by
implication from the thru powers ~
prcssly enumerated In section 5, article
!. above cited I'D The power 20 the
House o. keep iournal q L. Own pro-
Cccdings. which carrics With Il the pow
~ o. make such journal sI..ak the truth /,
a. The power a. compel the ATTENDANCE
90 ah-rut members, Which also implies
the authority o. utilize their Attendance
after their corporal prvsencc l. suicrccd.
II could not D. intended that Any msm-
bef should D. compelled o. vote lrrvsPeCt-
I've of anv parliamentary rule CA thls
suhiect. ~ The power 20 the llUuse
o. make il oSu rules 20 parliamentary
proceeding This would seem O. en-
brace the authority o. adopt auy mode
20 AscsrtAinlng the presence - a quorum
IN the House within the Discretion %
that body not expressly of Implicitly
prohibited hy the constitution.
The ssttled rule a construction l. that
constitutions. like statutss, must p. Cuu-
structs,i In the light % ths principles -
the common las. This rule generally
Was that a majority 20 IN. quorum ~ an
assembly actually prv.cnt must control.
although lrss than a quorum NAV vote.
To reach the conclusion that the House
~ Representatives ~ the nlied states
Congrrss, invested AZ u l. with the eN-
prvss powers 90 determine the rule. 20
L. prucceslings." cannot cunstltutioually
change pry-sNistiug rule on the sub
i.ct under consideration 80 a. o. dsClarv
ca la journals The fact 20 a quorum -
Ing present. II The fact exists, Ne must
D. pointed o. some CLAUSE Ia The federal
consultation Nhich curtall. or limits The
general power o. make such rulrs, 80 a.
o. forbid th- eNerciss ~ such authority.
The theory 20 tn Lac l. that members
cannot b. refusing o. vote 40 AT ar,'ufn-
plish more toward defeating a bili or
resolution than they could BY voting
against n. The prcsencs 20 "a qualified
msm'sr ~ the lluus. uhile The lrgi.la-
live business II progressing must Tor
this reason b. construed a. participA-
tion in such business. The compulsory
Atten,lancs - rvcusant mcmhsr. wouh
D. nugatory power Ia tn ahssncv ~
the IoSvr Ca rvcoguifs thsir prv-ence
after th.y hid tcyn hroughi iuio the
Him. A Fsftr.aI - Krfss Their. fnrs
Nhsn present, cannot lawfully rate
a. an ah,licatiun "a mruhsrship BY q
member Who i actually In the House.
Adj o. thess consideration. tbe propo-
sltion 20 law, nON generally sccyptct
by N. courts, that uo lsw ouglt o. D.
devlared Unconstitutional uulcss In clear
Csses. Nh.rv the deyiiing Court enter
tains M douht ss o. IT, uncunstituilon-
ality. and 80 have no alternative l~ft bat
O. sustain the at u NAY ., lS'so, under
tttu.lFrafinu