Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-06-20

question. Mills protested and Springer
got excited, and shouted out to the speak
er: you can ignore the rights of repre-
sertatives of the people, but the people
will put You down at the polls next No
vember, and your party with you" This
was rapturously applauded by the Demo
Gratis. The speaker remained calm and
the vote was taken, resulting in eleven
majority again the previous question, thus
refusing to approve the journal. The Re
publicans who refused TO vote with their
party were Bartine of Nevada, Dehaven of
California, Kelly of Kansas, Kerr of Iowa
Lind of Minnesota, Morrow of California
and Townsend of Colorado. Applause by
the Democrats
Mills Moves n Correction.
When the applause had ceased the
speaker recognized Mills, who offered q
resolution that the order of reference made
by the speaker of the silver bill to the
committee on coinage, weights and meas
ures was incorrect under the rules of the
house and was made without authority
under the rules, and resolving that the
journal he corrected by striking the entry
from 1t. Cannon raised the point of or
der that the resolution proposed to strike
out an entry which recorded question of
fact, which point Mills characterized rs
the most absurd and reckless position he
had ever seen n man take He declared
that the house kept the journal, not the
speaker. Springer claimed that the house
had the right to revise the journal and
said that the purpose of the reference was
to prevent the house voting on the bill
Butterworth Makes a Point.
ButterwOrth said that the resolution of
fered recited that certain thing was
done; that it was done enormously, and
that because it was done enormously it
WAS not done at all Laughter He con-
tended that under the rules the speaker
was authorized to make the reference The
resolution rebuked the speaker for con-
forming to the plain letter of the rules,
and to vote for it meant to unhorse the
Republicans and put the Democrats in
the saddle. Anderson though a free
coinage man, supported the speakers rul-
ing, and in reply to question, COnger,
chairman of the coinage committee, said
he had no intention of preventing silver
legislation.
Discussing the Rules.
Cannon, replying to the assertions of the
Democrats that the Republican leaders
would not permit vote on free coinage
said, The majority can do anything it de-
sires. Derisive Democratic laughter
The discussion proceeded at great length
rs to whether the speaker was right in his
reference of the bill under the rules Prec-
edents were cited on both sides Mills
said that his point was that the bill I'M
der the rules was on the speakers table,
to he disposed of by the house, and Breck-
inridge of Kentucky declared that the
speakers action was not erroneous, but il
legal and consequently void-in other
words Mills was right and, instead of the
bill having been referred, il was still on
the table.
Speaker Reeds Statement
Then the speaker began to talk He said
he desired the members of the house to di-
vest themselves of the idea that any up-
usual procedure had taken place in con-
nection with this bill The reference of
bills of this kind and in this way had
been daily occurrence since the adop-
ton of the present rules. The chair de-
sired also that the house should know
that this particular transaction did not
take place in corner. In the regular
course of business the journal clerk had
informed the speaker that among the list
of bills to be referred under the rules to
appropriate committees was the silver
bill with senate amendments.
Bland and Springer Consulted.
The speaker had been asked whether he
had any particular direction to make in
regard to it. Knowing the bill to be- one
of grave public importance, and anxious
that he should have all possible light on
the subject, the chair had consulted the
Democratic members of the committee on
rules lBlount and McMillanl, and the
gentlemen from Missouri and Illinois
[Bland and Springerl, not for the pur-
pose of throwing any responsibility upon
them, but in order that he might benefit
by any light they might be able to give.
After conversing with those gentlemen
1t had seemed clear to the chair that the
rules of the house covered the question,
and that his duty was to treat the bill rs
he would treat any other measure. Ac-
cOrdingly the clerk was not directed to
make any change in regard to the refer
ence
The Question of Reference.
Did this bill contain provisions which,
under the rules, ought to be considered in
committee of the whole? There was a pro-
vision in the original house bill by which
certain bullion was to be purchased and
certificates issued thereon. The senate
amendment was an amendment for free
coinage, and for this an appropriation was
made. If anything was clear in parlia-
mentary law, it was that this bill was one
of those which would be properly consid-
cred in committee of the whole; and this
being so, it was the obvious duty of the
chair to refer it i'm the same manner In
which hundreds and thousands of bills
had been referred during the present ses-
sion
CannOn's Point Overruled.
1he point of order raised by the gentle
man from Illinois [Cannonl put the chair
In an embarrassing position, because the
proposed action of the house was declar-
alton that an error had been made in par
law. 1t was proposed to erase
from the journal question of fact. While
the chair might have some doubt about
the point of order, he felt that it was q
question which the house ought to deter
mine. He would, therefore, override the
point nf OIL -1..s szsz-s-ss. the Question to
me house.
The Result of the Voting.
Then the voting began. Cannon moved
to table Mills resolution; rejected-yeas
49, nays, 123-Bartine, Carter, DeHaven,
Ewart, Kelly, Morrow, and Townsend Of
Colorado, Republicans, voting with the
Democrats. Mills resolution was then
agreed to-yeas, 12l; nays, 11S. Mckinley
changed his vote so as to move recon-
which he did, but Mills moved
to lay the motion on the table, which