Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-21
CLOSURE IN THE SENATE.
THE RULE AT LAST FORMALLY CALLED
UP BY ALDRICH.
To-Day Is Expected to Witness Decisive
Victory for the Force Bill Advocates
Details of Useless but at Times Anus
ing Debate.
tFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT ]

IFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.-The sun has
risen and set on another day of failure ;oi
the Republican Senators. The necessary
majority was present. but the necessary
fnesse and courage seemed to be still absent
Mr.. Mortoa's gelatinous decision on Senator
Georges right to the floor when Senator
Aldrich pressed the closure for considera.
tion is everywhere tonight discussed as the
crucial weakness of the situation for the
managers of the bill.
Had they Edmunds, ingalls, or Sherman
in the chair. they could move forward con-
fdently. With Mr.. Morton they know
not what discontinue the first attempt to
close in on the enemy may befali them. The
effect ofthe action taken tonight has raised
the expectation that tomorrow will witness
the triumph of the Republican Senators
both in the closure and the passage :. the
elections bill. The only element needed is
the strong right arm of presiding officer,
who will do but one thing, do it promptly,
and not suffer it to be undone.
Calling Up the Closure Rule.
Ali morning business being disposed Of,
Mr.. Aldrich moved that the Senate proceed
to the consideration of the resolution to
change the rules submitted by him on the
2Sth of December last The motion was
agreed to without contest on the Democratic
side. Mr.. Harris rose to a question OF
order, and quoted Rule 40, which provides
that no motion to modify, amend, or sus-
pend rule, or part thereof, shall be in
order except on one days notice in writing,
specifying precisely the rule. or part, pro-
posed to be suspended. modified, or
amended, and the parts thereof
The notice given did not, he said, call at
tention to The part of any rule proposed to
be modified, but simply left the Chair and
each Senator to find it out for himself. He
therefore argued that the notice was not
sufficiently specific.
The discussion was progressing when, at 2
P. NJ, the Vice President laid before the
Senate as the unfinished business the cleo
tions bill, aud Mr.. George took the floor to
continue his speech against It. The point
of order was made by Mr.. Edmunds that the
question of change of rules was privileged
question which superseded all other bust
ness. This point was contested by Mr..
Blackburn.
George Held the Floor.
Mr.. George, however, claimed the floor
and declined to yield to anybody. He was
yielding man and had yielded himself
nearly out of court. He then went on with
his speech. He asked and obtained unanl-
nous consent to have the Constitution of
Mississippi published in the Congressional
Record as an appendix to his speech. The
people of Mississippi, he said, begged of
Republican Senators to stay the uplifted
hand of usurpation, because it would never
tn hot in in
in South Carolina, or in any State of the
South, or in any State of the American
Union, the neck of the white race should be
under the foot of the negro, or of the Mon
golian, or any created being.
After Mr.. George had spoken for nearly
three hours and half, Mr.. Butler with a
view to giving him a resting spelD asked
him to yield the floor so that be (Mr. Butler)
might send to the clerks desk and have
read the chapter OF the revised statutes re-
lating to the subject of elections. Mr..
George assented willingly to that arrange
ment. and, after the Secretary had read for
few minutes, Mr.. Butler noticed that the
chapter which was being read was not the
and said he would read the chapter himself.
A Kick at the Vice President.
Before he had begun to read. Mr.. Morgan
rose and said that he now took the floor on
the elections bill, but he was informed bv
the Vice President that he had the name OF
the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr.
Aldrich) next on the list to speak on the
bill. Mr.. Morgan protested against that as
a violation of the rule. and said that the
Chair could no. make an agreement before
hand to parcel off the floor.
The Vice Presidents response to that was
~. r.. n L
to the floor, and Mr.. Edmunds insisted on
the regular order. Mr.. George again offered
to yield the floor to Mr.. Butler, but to that
Mr.. Hoar objected, declaring that under the
usages of the Senate one Senator had not
the right to hold the floor and yield to an
other, except by unanimous consent, other
wise a Senator might hold the floor for the
whole session.
The Vice President again announced that
the Senator from Mississippi was entitled to
the floor, but Mr.. Butler suggested that Mr..
George had yielded to him.
"He cannot yield to anybody" said Mr..
Edmunds.
Then Mr.. George inquired what was the
present situation, and whether he had the
floor or not; and was again informed by the
Wee President that he (Mr. George) was
entitled to the floor. After an interchange
Butler and Mr.. Edmunds, Mr.. Butler asked
Mr.. George if he would permit him to read
few sections from the Revised Statutes.
Objected to Hearing the Statutes.
'If it be agreeable" said Mr.. George,
"to the gentlemen who control the Senate;
but do not wish to be guilty of anything
like high treason.'
Mr.. Butler took that answer for consent,
and said that he would proceed to read
from the Revised Statutes He was stopped,
however, by an objection from Mr.. Hoar;
and the Vice President sustained the OBJ
lection. Mr.. Butler undertook to state the
position of the question, but was stopped by
an objection from Mr.. Sherman, who said
that, point of order having been made
against the Senator from South Carolina, it
was his duty to take his seat and allow the
Chair to decide the point.
Mr.. Butler intimated that it was quite
unnecessary for the Senator from Ohio to
administer lecture to him.
''rhen," said Mr.. Sherman, with show
of irritation. Il demand the enforcement OF
the rule"
The Vice President gave 1t as his opinion
that Mr.. Sherman's point of order was we'll
taken. and that the Senator from South