Evening journal., 1890-01-22
WRAAGLING OVER RULES.
A Lively Debate Stirs Up the
House.
SPEAKER REED WAS SUSTAINED.

Mr. Mills. Of Texas, Compares Him with
the Cara Very Warm Time over MIR.
Bland's Appeal from the Decision of
the Chair.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2a-The house spent
greater part OF the day debating decision
Of the speaker, which was finally sustained.
Monday Mr.. Bland, Of Missouri, moved that
the house adjourn, and on division the
speaker declared the motion lost Mr. Bland
thereupon demanded tellefs. and according
to The Record the speaker replied: "There
is no provision for tellersn No record OF
this appearing in the journal Mr.. Bland
moved 70 have the journal amended accord
ingly. The speaker stated that he was in
formed that such details were not inserted
In the journal Mr.. Blands motion 10 adj
journ was submitted, and on division the
motion was declared lost by a vote Of IS TO
95. Mr., Bland demanded tellers The speaker
inquired Of Mr.. Bland whether he had dis
covered any ground why tellers should be
appointed. Mr. Bland said his demand was
made under the general practice of the
house The speaker declined TO entertain
the demand for teIlers Mr.. Bland appealed
from the decision of tho chair
The Speaker Called a Csar.
Mr. Mills, of Texas, said that a vote by
tellers wasa much part Of the parliament
airy law as a motion TO adjourn Il was the
only vote by which the house could correct
decision Of the speaker, and il the house
did not have a right to this vote the speaker
became car Mr.. Cannon said he knew OF
no rule authorizing tellers. A demand for
ayes and nays was a constitutional right,
but demand for tellers was not Mr.. Bayne
Of Pennsylvania, upheld the decision Of the
chair. Mr.. Breckenridge Of Arkansas, said
under the ruling the house would be at the
mercy Of the speaker
Mr.. Mcmillan, of Tennessee. said that the
present occupant OF the chair had himself
held that the right existed to have tellers to
determine whether the speaker was accurate
in his count On previous occasion Mr..
Bland had demanded tellers and the speaker
had appointed them. Why should the house
have one code Of rules one day and another
code anotherl
The Rights Of the Minority.
Mr. Blount, Of Georgia, said he would
uphold the rights OF the minority, and that
those who would trample on those rights
must take the responsibility The debate
was continued by Messrs. Gear of Iowa,
Crisp Of Georgia, Perkins of Kansas, Cutch-
con Of Michigan and Carlisle Of Kentucky.
Mr.. Carlisle held that the parliamentary
law ought TO be construed in relation TO its
notifications by the rules Of former con-
gresses II had been held from time inn
memorial in English speaking legislative
assemblies that no presiding officer could
~. IA A a
body over which he presided
Speaker Reed Defends Himself
In submitting the question the speaker
stated that he could not see how the rules Of
the last house could govern the present
house indirectly. The fact that they had
been made as rules showed clearly the neces-
sity OF special enactment The United
States he said, is filled with people unusu-
ally devoted to public meetings These
meetings were governed by principles which
had been acted upon until they had become
well defined parliamentary usage That
there was no arbitrary control Of the house
by the chair was shown by the fact that at
the moment an appeal from the decision Of
the chair was pending. The chair had no
objection to ordering tellers, but ii was not
a question Of personal preference; il was a
\ question Of right As to the possibility Of
the speaker making false count which the
tellers could rectify, rule Of the last house
provided that one-hfth Of a quorum must
demand tellers and the speaker must count
that one-ffth. Ultimately, therefore, the
speaker was the counting officer.
The Appeal Tabled.
Mr.. Cannon, Of Illinois, moved to lay the
appeal on the table. Mr.. Mills, Of Texas.
raised the point OF order that parliamentary
usage recognized no such motion. The
point was overruled and Mr. Cannon's mo-
tion was agreed to- Yeas, 149; nays, 1856.
Mr.. Bland's motion 70 amend the journal
was then lost: Yeas, 130; nays, 14O. The
journal was then approved.
The Worlds fair committee was granted
permission to sit during the sessions Of the
house. The senate resolution was passed
authorizing the marshal Of the United
States supreme court to loan to the New
York Bar association portraits Of the chief
justices for exhibition at the Judiciary CEN
tennial, New York, Feb. T.
Secretary Window sent to the house a
letter requesting that the limit Of cost Of the
postoffice and court house at Troy, ~ Y, be
increased from $500, 900 TO $500, 900 instead
of to $1,000 as recommended IN a former
letter.
To Preserve the Forests.
The president sent to the house letter
from Professor T. c. Mendenhall, superin-
tendent of the coast survey, and president Of
the American Association for the Advance
ment Of Science, containing a memorial pre-
pared by a committee of the association
relating to the preservation of the forests
on the public domain. The president earn
estly recommends that adequate legislation
may be provided 70 prevent the rapid and
needless destruction Of the great American
forest areas
The military affairs committee Of the
house have decided to report favorably the
bill providing for an assistant secretary Of
war at a salary Of 81, 500 per annum.
Irving Scott, Of the Union iron works Of
San Francisco, addressed the house commit
tee on naval affairs on the ship building in
terests of the United States. He expressed
himself as satisfied that there were enough
ship building plants in the country to sue
cessfully carry out the plans for the increase
Of the navy.
Pension Arguments Heard.
A committee Of the Grand Army Of the
Republic, consisting Of Gems Merritt, Of
Boston, Blue, Of Kansas Burst, Of Illinois,
and Kountz, of Ohio, were before the house
committee on invalid pensions, and submitted.
arguments in favor Of the passage of the disa-
bility and service pension bills e. A. Snow,
Of Boston, soldier who had lost the use of