Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-09-12

invented machine which recorded the
votes of all the members instantaneously
and accurately, making a record of the
vote. Numerous other devices have been
offered, most of them employing electricity,
and operating upon the principle that mem
bere should push the button and the ma
chine could be depended upon to do the
rest. There is no doubt of the utility Of
these devices.
The house has four methods of voting.
First viva voce. A question is put by the
speaker, and those in favor thereof call out
AYE" and those opposed no." just as in
a town meeting or any mass gathering
Judging from the volume of the sound
though in cases of doubt the rule is to de-
clare in favor of the Republicans when
the Republicans are in the majority-the
speaker says, "The ayes seem to have it,"
Here he pauses two or three seconds, and if
no one interrupts him he goes on with,
THE ayes have it and the amendment is
adopted" But in most cases he will be
interrupted by demands for division"
and then those in favor of the bill are
asked to rise and he counted With his
gavel in hand the speaker notes the num-
Der of members standing. The ayes will
be seated and the nays will rise" Upon
announcement of the result OF the vote the
yeas and nays may be demanded by mem
bers who are not satisfied with the ballot
as taken. But in case the standing vote
has failed to show the presence of quo
rum telers are called for. Voting by
tellers is one of the most picturesque of all
the methods employed by the house. 1t is
the method which strangers always watch
with keenest interest.
More than hundred years ago, April
II, 1850, the house adopted a method of
division which was borrowed from the old
practice of the English house of commons.
Members voting in the affirmative went to
the right of the chair, and those in the
negative to the left. But it was found that
the passing of members to and fro from
one side of the house to the other created
confusion and consumed time, and in two
months the house adopted the methods Of
voting still in vogue.
When tellers are demanded the speaker
designates two members, usually the lead
ers of the contending factions, to take
their places at the head of the central
aisle The tellers always shake hands like
prize fighters on coming together in the
discharge of this duty. 1t sometime, hap
pens that men who are personal enemies
are thus brought face to face and hand in
hand in this way. An old member of the
house tells me he remembers an occasion
on which Mr. Blaine and Mr.. Conkling,
then members of the house, were appointed
tellers after they had quarreled They
shook hands with stately po'teness, but
did not indulge in badnage or small talk,
as the tellers frequently do while waiting
for tardy members,
Voting by tellers gives good opportunity
to study the physique and the pecuiarities
of statesmen. Many are as sober AS judges,
but the majority greet the occasion as one
of relief from the weary work of sitting
still, and make the most of it by cracking
Jokes, slapping one another on the back
and playing little pranks Often a laugh
is raised by some little man like Gen.
Wheeler or Yardley falling in between two
of the giants of the house, like Barnes and
Cogswell. twas of Barnes, the leviathan,
that a witty teller once said, as the big
member passed through. "Two more, Mr.
Speaker"
| When the vote by tellers is announced it
is still competent for members to demand
the yeas and nays, and the constitution
guarantees the yeas and nays on call of