Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-01-22
Exciting Time In the House Over Ap-
pointment OF TeIlers Speaker Reed
Sustained by tho House.

iesteIuhy, Just pfeFlous 10 Adjournment,
Bland of Missouri mo ed that the House
adjourn on division. TIE Speaker declared
the motion lost Bland thereup demand
ed tellers. According to the Record. this
morning, the Speaker replied. There is
no provision for telIers" No record of
this fact was made in the journal Thi,
morning Bland moved to have the journal
amended accordingly.
The speaker stated he had made repl, in
an interrogative form, the gentlemen from
Missouri seemingly acquiesced in it. The
chair was informed that such details were
not inserted in the journal. On division he
declared the motion lost Bland demanded
the tellers. The speaker inquired whether
the gentleman from Missouri had discover
ed any ground why the tellers should be
appointed. The chair last night suggested
that it would like his attention called to any
provision regarding the teilers. Bland
said he had demanded the telers under the
genera! practice of the House. The Speak
er declined to entertain the demand for
tellers. Bland demanded yeas and nays,
and almost at the same moment appealed
from the decision of the chair.
The Speaker said the appeal came
rather late, but he would try and entertain
it. Mills of Texas argued that the vote
by the tellers was as much a part of the
Parliamentary law IS a motion to adjourn.
This was the only vote by which the
House could correct the decision of the
speaker, but if the House did not have q
right to this vote, the Speaker became q
mere Gar. A long debate followed, in
which many members took part.
Carlisle of Kentucky entered into the dis
cussion of what the Parliamentary Law con-
sisted in. He submitted this House, in
absence of any conventional rules estab-
lished by itself, was to be governed by gen.
eral Parliamentary laws as modified by
rules heretofore prevailing.
In submitting the appeal to the house the
Speaker said 1.-The chair has ala ays been
unable to see how it 10 possible for q
house which has passed out Of existence to
bind by rules and regulations q house
which was to come into existence in the
future. The very fact that they have been
made a. rules shows clearly the necessity
of special enactment. II they become by
indirection the rules of the next house il
would not become necessary to re.enact
them. This house, then, is governed by
general parliamentary law, such a. has
been established in the same manner al
the common law of England is established,
by repeated decisions and general acquies-
cenees of people in the system which gov
erns ordinary assemblies. The United
States is filled with people unusually de-
voted to public meetings. These prblic
meetings have to be governed BY 4 system
of principles discovered and acted upon by
various meetings to such an extent that we'll
defined parliamentary Law 10 established.
All decisions Of the chair made under the
proper circumstances and in good faith
are subject to revision by Q majority of the
House. consequently there is not nor can
not be any arbitrary control Of this body
against its will. The present occupant of the
chair has frequently ordered tellers since
the beginning of this congress and vas not
unwilling to do so, but the question has
come up now as . question Of right. Wha T.
ever the personal wishes of the occupant
of the chair might be he Vas obliged to de-
eide in accordance with what be regards a
the unmistsksble parliamentary law of the
land. 1t has been stated that teilers were
usual in the British parliament. That is
true. That 10 one of their customs but
taking vote by tellers there WAS diferen,
from taking vote BY tellers here
II requires that those Who occnpy . GER
taig attitude towards the question. to 70
into the lobby and be counted, while other,
are counted in another place, and the pro
ceeding 10 entirely unlike that adopted
here. II 10 method Of division. Some
fears are expressed - to the result Of the
occupant Of the chair desiring to vres
from the members their control. Ali ths
parliamentary Law must be made on tb.
supposition that the man elected to presid.
over the deliberation of body must be u
honest oficial. honestly performing hi
duties. 1t has been suggested also thu
the Speaker may. on the question Of order
ing yeas and nays, miscount; if teller
Gao be ordered. the miscount may b,
corrected. II 10 necessary, in order to hav,
tellers, to have . fifth Of quorum demand
ing them. under the rule Of the last Hous,
and the Speaker must count that fifth. Uhi
mately, therefore. the Speaker 10 th,
, counting ofacer. and any supposition tha
he.sould betfay his duty 10 not the suppo
sition on which parliamentary lsv
founded. or the rules of the last House
Finding parliamentary Law to be - I con
ceive il, that division may be had, vhereb,
the Speaker may make the count, first, b,
the sound Of his voice, second, BY ID
members arising. and that his record ma
Be corrected under constitutional right b
yeas and nays. I have been compelled I
make The decision have uade."
Cannon Of Ilhnois, moved 70 lay the a