, 1890-08-03
TO LIMIT DEBATE.
Blair's Resolution Taken Up
in the Senate.
It is Referred to the Committee
on Rules. t
Only Fifteen Pages Of the Tar.
if Bill Disposed of.
In the Senate.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2.-The senate
met at 10. At roll call forty nine sena-
tons six more than a quorum) we're pres
ent > ,-s 80
The resolution offered yesterday by
Blair instructing the committee on rules
to report within four days a rule for the
incorporation Of the previous question. or
of some method for limiting and closing
debate in the parliamentary procedure of
the senate, was taken mp. Blair said
senators had spoken to him indicating
their desire to be heard before action
should be taken in the matter, and who
we're not ready to proceed. He should
therefore not press the resolution this
morning, but he desired to say that he
had offered the resolution not with a
special reference to any pending bill, but
with the feeling that there was a necessity
for the proposed change. The period
had arrived when. in the transaction of
the country's business, the senate must
haye some way by which a larger
number of important public measures
could be decided. As it now was the whole
business of the country was at the mercy
of one or two individuals who might be
opposed to a measure. The majority was
practically under the control of the
minority. Nobody could complain that
there had been a disposition to procras.
tinate or to obstruct the ordinary course
OF debate and decision Of the tariff bill,
but although the senate had already spent
ten days upon it, only fifteen pages had
been disposed of out of a total of 1872
pages in the bill. and all the great sub
jects OF discusslon--sugar, reciprocity,
etc, were still to come. There was no
reason to suppose, therefore, hat under
the existing rules the bill would be CON
cluded before next December.
Morgan reminded Blair of the long
time (six or seven weeks) consumed in
the consideration of the education bill,
and said that the time had not been
wasted, for the result OF the discussion OF
that. bill had been its defeat, Just as he
hoped the debate on the tariff bill would
result in the defeat of that measure.
The resolution was referred to the com
mittee on rules.
The tariff bill was then taken up. the
question being upon Vests amendment
to reduce the duty on decorated china to
so per cent ad valorem and on plain
white china to 40 per cent, instead OF GO
and So per cent in the house bill, and IS
and so as proposed by the finance com
mittee. rr.-a
After some discussion of the c~hinaware
paragraph George took the floor and
made a long speech on the general sub
ject of the tariff.
Plat replied and denounced an asser-
ton made by George to the effect that
while the duty on steel rails was $ll a tor
the labor in producing the article cost only
Sl.54. The-fact was, if the production
OF a ton of steel cost S24, the labor por-
ton of that cost was not only 81. 81, but
ten times that amount.
Jones of Arkansas supported Georges
statement about steel rails, and also spoke
on chInaware matters, at the close of
which he read from papers the report
from FindlaY, O., as to the purchase by
an English syndicate of the various glass
ware factories, and said the effect OF tariff
legislation was to encourage such trusts
and syndicates.
Reagan warned the senators that the
farmers alliance and workingmen's as
sociations were not to be ignored.
A conference was ordered on the sun
dry civil appropriation bill.
At 5 O'Clock Aldrich, intending to move
an adjournment, proposed that a vote on
the pending question be taken Monday
without further discussion.
Take a vote now. We are ready. We
are always ready to vote as Don as the
discussion is over" were the responses
from several senator's on the Democratic
side.
Aldrich did not think there WAS a quo.
rum present, but he was willing to try. A
vote was taken on Vests amendment and
the result was. yeas II, nays 20-no quo
rum. Paddock and Plumb voted with
the Democrats. The senate then ad'
iourned.