Telegram-herald., 1890-02-04

eat or 4heens. RS p4rbaneatary ~
znd csmDan senss require Their pres
enee- eellnk = 50 a2o-t aoa .1si
pf7senes . 70 30 dstern ned. rar .
there any feq1 Feoaeat - 60 partefp-
ton n t1e easi1ess or tae House Those
to questions are nos constitutional I'd
49, sense aat SIMPLY p4rhAfnsntsfY
A' oe4fng apoa lle securing ~ a q'lo-
t" ~ latf o. ter t-arst AIS res le
lelt a parliamentary -as beyond
H-ef7 allsr1A Anee. No reI meut -
q. 49, tast members alust be- compelled
lo lattc pate before taef cAn ~ con
-aeied a. p@fl ~ quorum ll~
fe1efal Constitution authorizes tle
com p-.,oif y atlei'i Ante ~ tlen-iers Art.
go Cd Secure a quorum. out s4ys
nothing about Tier paTtc. patton n
business OF sls@er.-s ~ ro-i..ai. before
,aey may he counted A1y fartAer re-
fsn.r-i man mere presence = there
l'.e ne 20 custom Only ~n.en mss Pei
ioae aNat ~.ln ~ ahy time - aay
ii'tise- Tie present hols' nas done
away ~iA p
How the presence OF members o.
ne let-ru acdf The Constitution does
cot proslee mean. butparlamenlarv
law does. aad here comedies with com.
mon sense. Gushing .avs "In some
Il tae Ways above mentioned. the quo
rum ot each legislative assembly be-
come. established a. tixcd number.
the presence or absence OF which can
always be a-certalued by counting.
This : usually done, after the assembly
: constituted, by is presiding officer.
who announces or reports the result"
2l3.. Again "When the number
necessary 20 constitute a quorum D.,
nxed abso olutely, it Is only necessary %
count the members present, IN order 10
ascertain whether the requisite number
IS in attendance" u 260I. "If il ap-
pears on division, or # notice is taken
by any member, that quorum IS not
present. Z then becomes the immediate
duty OF the presiding officer 10 count
the members In counting for
tins purpose, the presiding officer, II he
IS a member, reckons himself, and IN
cludes al members who come in after
the counting mas commenced" !" Z 369l.
This is simply what Speaker Reed has
done, and tine practice has been rec
ognized III the House itself. On page
2l2 Of the Digest We ind this: "The
practice Of counting the House by the
speaker. of late years, mas frequently
been resorted 70. % ascertain the pres
ence Of a quorum. and is a more ex-
peditous method than calling the
roll"
When a quorum IS present. the will of
the majority stands As the Will of the
whole. Cushing SAYS: "In all collec-
tive bodies Of men, assembled and act
ng together for the purDose OF dcljbe.
rating and deciding upon anv subject.
or for the purpose oil clecting to any
office. II is an admitted principle. that
Whatever IS donc or agreed to by the
greater number, shall stand a the act
or the NIL Of the whole" l3II5l Again.
"Thc common sense Of maakind recoc-
nzcs the authority of the majority a,
the only solid foundation of all popular
government" Speaker Reed has SIM
pIy aided IN carrying ont the principle
which lies at the foundation Of our Gov
crumeut.
10 IS PLAN that no constitutional or
parliamentary principles have been vio
lated. The only thing Speaker Reed ha,
shattered IS that practice known as till
oustering, together with certain fictiOns
and iolhcs relied upon to support 1t. 4
memher has no right to absent hi~solt
nor to refuse To- participate m the hus.-
ness of tho House Gushing SAYS
Every member OF legislative assem-
bly, Is under p constitutional Obligation
+ to attend the service ot the House To
"nro ne belongs hotn m tho FIRST M
stance l"' th' purpose of be'ng qual'-
u'd ana assuming the functions oi a
member and afterwards, tor the pur-
pose 'i participating IN tne dahy husi-
ness ff''', Ihis IS one "i to" du-
e- contemplated m hi' oath oi office.