, 1890-06-20

said he desired the members of the house
to divest themselves of the idea that any
unusual procedure had taken place IN
connection with this bill The reference
OF bills of this kind and in this way had
been oil 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 a corner. In the regular cousre
of business the journal clerk 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.
The speaker had been asked whether he
had any particular direction TO make In
regard to 1t. Knowing the bill to be one
Of grave public importance and anxious
that he should bave all possible light on
the subject, the chair had consulted the
Democratic members of the committee
on rules (Blount and McMillan), and the
gentlemen from Missouri and Ii inois
(Blaud and SpriDger), not Tor the pur-
pose of throwing any responsibility upon
them. but 10 order that he might benefit
BY any light they might be able to give.
After couversing with those gentlemen It
had seemed clear TO the chair that the
rules of the house covered the question
and that his duty was to treat the bill as
he would treat any other. Accordingly
the clerk was not directed to make
any change in regard to reference.
The house must bear in mind
this was not a question of politics or
currency. 1t was q question of Darlia-
~lentary law, and on the decision of the
house depended the carrying out of the
system of rules the house had adopted.
\ a - --s.E.1 81 l. 0-.C~a-Aa 1traofo
by the speaker under the present system
Of rules the house could change the refer
ence. Did this bill contain provisions
which ouQhtto be considered in commit
tee of the whole2 There was a provision
in the original house bill BY which certain
bullion was to be purchased and certifi-
Gates issued thereon. The senate amend
ment was an amendment for free coinage
aud tor this an appropriation was made.
One thing was clear in parliamentary
law. 1t was that this bill
was one of those which would be properly
considered in committee of the whole,
and this being so. it was the obvious duty
OF the chair to refer it in the same man
ner in which hundreds and thousands OF
bills had been referred during the present
session. The point of order raised by
the gentleman from Illinois (Cannon) put
the chair in an embarrassing position, be-
cauce the proposed action Of the house
was a declaration that an error had been
made in parliamentary law 1t was pro
posed to erase from the journal a question
OF fact. While the chair might have
seemed in doubt about the point OF order.
he felt it was a question that the house
ought to determine. He would therefore
override the points of order and submit
the question to the house.
Cannon moved to table Mills resolu-
ton. Gu a standing vote this was car
ried-l20 to ITO. Morrow of California.
Bartine of Nevada and Townsend of
Colorado voted with the Democrats. They
were overlooked by the speaker in the
first count, but Morrow called attention to
the omission and it was rectiied.
On the vote of tellers tho motion to
table wss los;-yeas lis, NAYS 1913 The
question then REQUIRED on Mills resolu-
ton which agreed to-yeas III, nays III.
At the conclusion Of tho roll call the
vote stood, yeas lle. nays III. A change
of one vote would be necessary to defeat
the resolution by a tie vote, and that
change was made by Furnston Of Kansas
amid derisive cheers of the Demo rats.
This lett the vote. yeas lis. nays lis, but
the change proved unavailinRly for ABBOTT
Of Texas and Bullock of Florida, whose
names were not recorded, stated they had
voted in the affirmative and the speaker
accepting their statements the vote stood,
yeas l20, nays IlS. Then Mckinley
arose and changed his vote to the afirma
tive, aud the vote was finally announced,
yeas l2l. nays III. Mckinley was her
recognized to move a reconsideration and
also to move an adjournment, Mills man
aging to sandwich a motion to lay the
motion to reconsider on the table. On
the motion to lay Mills resolution on the
table the following Republicans voted
with the Democrats in the negative: Bar
tine, Carter, DeHaven. Evarts,
Kelley, Morrow and Townsend OF Colo
RADIO. On the resolution itself Evarts
did not vote. but the others named
voted 10 the affirmative. Mckinley also
voted IN The affirmative, but only tor the
The motion to adjourn was lost
yeas ll9. navs 120. The vote tbeu
recurring on Mills motion to table the
motion to reconsider it was agreed to-
yeas l2l, nays ia.
Mills then moved to approve the Jour
nal as amended, asking to withdraw the
preamble which recites that the order of
reference made by the speaker in refer
ring the silver bill to the committee on
coinage, weights and measures was incor-
rect under the rules of the hou+ e and done
without authority under said rules.
Mckinley objected, and the question
required on the adoption of the pream
BILE. (Republicap applause.
Springer moved the approval OF the
Journal as amended. pending which, on
motion of Mckinley, the house ad-
iourned,