New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-31
4 QUORUM PRESENT.

Speaker Reeds decision was anticipated In re-
marks by THE TRIBUNE some time ago. lie has
found it duty "to open his eyes and see Tor
himself whether there is a quorum present
Then the great constitutional lawyers OF the
Democracy. lineal successors of those who tried
TO make the Constitution the left wing OF Lees
army, went into great passion, and declared
that the Speaker had no business to have eyes
All reforms in parliamentary procedure are
of necessity regarded by many with some as
trust because they reverse long established
customs. But the highest law of each and
every parliamentary body is that 1t shall have
the right to do the business for which 1t was
created. When any custom has come 10 De
subversive of the proper functions OF the Dody
it must in some way be changed, no matter how
venerable it may be. Hence it is mere waste
of time to quote Speaker Reed himself, or Mr..
Blaine or any precedent in the entire parlia-
mentary history of Congress, against the pro-
posal that minority shall no longer be able
70 block public business by acting unlawfully.
The true question is whether a change from
mast customs and rulings has become neces-
sary in order to preserve to the House the
proper exercise of its functions.
Speaker Reed has simply applied common
sense to the question: and it is to his credit that
he has been able to do so without caring for
the fact that in the past he has worked as
member under the rules and customs as they
stood and has upheld them, and has strlyen to
use them to the best advantage for those with
whom he acted. He is now the organ OF the
House His first duty is to insure the proper
discharge of its functions. He has become con-
WINGED that the rules and customs which he
supported in the past do now threaten the use
funess of the House as lawmaking body, and
that it is therefore his duty to seek for some
remedy. The Speaker is required to have eyes
in deciding which member is entitled to recog-
milton, in counting members, and in the per-
formance of many other official duties. He is
required to enforce the law that the House may
compel the attendance of members. That law
is in effect violated by personal presence with
refusal to vote, if the personal presence is not
TO be reckoned to make quorum. The House
cannot compel a member to yote that is a
physical impcSsibility. But the law gives il
the power to compel his physical presence, and
that implies the power to take benefit in some
way from that physical presence.
Antiquity and long sanction do not make an
unlawful act more reasonable or proper. In
its spirit the refusal of present members to vote
in ordor to break quorum was always unaw-
full, if the past custom as to the mode of reck-
oning quorum was in accordance with law
In declaring that a Speaker has the power on
his own responsibility to see whether there is a
quorum present, and to require that fact to be
recorded Speaker Reed has supplied the only
remedy that is consistent with the right OF the
body to compel the physical attendance OF
members, and with the physical imposSibility
of compelling the members to vote when pres
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