The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-30
REED COUNTS A QUORUM.
TIE House MORE EXCITED THAN
SINCE TIE DAYS OF 1870.

Butterworth's Spirit Of Fairness All
thnt Prevented the Shutting Off OF
Debate-Crisp Knocks the Speaker
Out by Citing Speeches Made by
Himself and Other Republican Lead
ers on the Same Question Now In
volved.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-Speaker Reed
undertook to count a quorum in the House
to-day, although quorum had not voted.
The democrats protested vigorously. For
ten minutes the scene was more dramatic
than any the House has known since the
electoral commission DAYS Of 1876. The
democrats, finally getting hearing, de-
molished Mr.. Reeds legal position wit
republican decisions and opinions. Never
theless, the republicans are expected by
Mr.. Reed to vote solidly tomorrow to
sustain him, and they will probably do so
unless they hear from their constituents
meanwhile. When Mr.. Reed found this
afternoon that only 161 republicans
had voted in favor of taking ND
the Smith-Jackson election contest from
the Fourth district of West Virginia, and
only two democrats against it, all the other
democrats present remaining silent as their
names were called, he determined to take
the EXTREMIST step at once, regardless of the
protest made in Monday nights caucus by
prominent republicans. He saw a quorum
present, and he proceeded to make the silent
democrats vote by directing the clerk to
call the names Of q score Of them, including
especially the leaders. He felt that the way
to consolidate his followers was to CO nmit
them, so far as he could, to this novel doc
trine. Once IN this new course he thought
they would have difficulty in getting out,
and he fully expects to see Messrs. Lodge,
Burrows. Butterworth, Mckinley, Payson,
and all the others who doubt the legality or
the expediency of his action, nevertheless
vote solidly to support it tomorrow.
HIS ACTION EXPECTED.
The House had been expecting Mr. Reeds
ruling. Over 800 members wore in their
seats awaiting it, as they saw him keep
tally of the democrats who refused to vote
The galleries were crowded, and number
of senators. led by Messrs. ingalls, and
Chandler. came over to see Mr.. Reed ride
roUgh-shod over the democrats" The great
audience was very quiet when Mr. Reed
issued his instructions to the clerk. The
republicans applauded this, but the demo-
Gratis were silent till the clerk read the
first name on the list, that of Mr..
Breckinridge of Kentucky, and the white
haired statesman, fiery red with indigna-
ton, strode down the aisle protes ing
against this unconstitutio al tyranny,
when the democrats sprang to their feet,
and, all their suppressed excitement break
ing forth in a roar of indignant remonstra-
ton, every man shouting at the top of his
voice, Unconstitutional "TyrannicalI I"
Outrageous" or some other words which
let his feeli gs out.
CARLISLE AND REED ALONE COOL.
The calm Carlisle was. the only one who
sat silent. He smiled in all the excitement
at the absurdity of Mr.. Reeds action Mr..
Reed was the only other man who seemed
entirely self-possessed, for the republicans
seemed to be as excited as the democrats,
and jeered while the democrats protested.
After nearly ten minutes of this sensational
uproar the democrats stopped for lack of
breath, and gradually calmed down to the
pers nal responses of the score whose names
tue clerk continued to call throughout the
confusion. When the list had been called,
and the democrats, except Mr.. Crisp,
their leader on this occasion, had taken
their seats, Mr.. Reed, who seems
to be unwilling to trust Mr..
Mckinley or any one but himself,
to lead the republicans, made from the chair
the speech in defense of his action, which
naturally have made, winding up with
formal decision that he had the right to do
what ne had done. IL amused both demo-
Gratis and republicans to see that. Mr..
Reed ignored the precedents Of the House
and rested his case chiefly upon a decision
of David B. Hill, when lieutenant governor,
presiding over the New York state Senate.
Both sides laughed at appropriate points,
the republicans Of course applauding also.
REEDS FOLLOWERS CATCH HIS SPIRIT.
By this time the republicans had, as Mr..
Reed had anticipated, caught his arbitrary
spirit, and SO, after applauding Mr. Reed,
they undertook to prevent Mr.. Crisp from
replying to Mr. Reed on the appeal which
Mr.. Crisp promptly made from Mr.. Reeds
decision, Mr.. Rowell Of Illinois, chairman of
the committee on elections, moving to table.
and Mr.. BOutelle and other loud-mouthed
leaders trying to shout Mr. Crisp down.
Mr.. Crisp stood MS ground bravely, while
the two sides, once mo Q on fire, stood be-
fore each other, but it seemed likely that
Mr.. Crisp would be shut out despite his
hot protest that this would be un-
manly and unfair on the part of
the Speaker and his followers, when suddenly
Mr.. Butterworth, with characteristic courage
and independence, sprang to the front of the
leaderless republi ans. and, turning them
back, saved them from gross injustice by
inducing Mr. Rowell to withdraw his gag
motion before Mr. Crisp proceeded.
Mr.. Hatch of Missouri, in hot wrath, de-
nounced the Speaker for trying to make
him (NIr. Hatch break his pair with Mr..
Rockwell OF Massachusetts,, who has been
Ill at his rooms here.
CRIsP's SPEECH A GREAT ONE.
Mr.. Crisp's speech was pronounced by the
leaders on both sides the greatest success he
ever achieved Both sides listened closely
the better men on the republican side like
Messrs. Mckinley. Burrows and Butter
worth, paying particular attention. The
demo rats listened with delight and the
republicans with something like dismay as
Mr.. Crisp read the comprehensive decision OF
Speaker Blaine during the force bill debate,
directly overturning every point of MIR.
Reeds decision, and the no less conclusive
opinions Of President Garfield and Speaker
Reed himself There was really nothi g
left of Mr.. Reeds decision when Mr.. Crisp
got through with it. So irritated were the
small fry on the republican side by his ar
gument that they finally cut off his speech
when he was about to explain
just why the democrats had refused
to vote, as Mr.. Crisp said so
that he could not expose their partisan pur-
pose to obey their caucus dictation. Even
Mr.. McKinley's appeal to his side could not
get Mr.. Crisp hearing on this point, but,
after all, Mr.. Crisp had destroyed Mr..
Reeds Notifications. and the democrats ap-
I'll