Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-02

referred, Jne most important 0elng q re-
solution by Mr.. Arnold, of Missouri, re-
Questing therecall of Patrick Egan,
minister TO Chile.
When the consideration of report Of
Committee on Rules was resumed, the
pending amendment was one offered by
MIR. Oates OF Alabama, providing for
Committee on order of business to con-
Sist OF hfteen members, of which the
Speaker shall be eX-offieiO chairman.
Mr.. Pickler, Of South Dakota, in
sisted on being heard on an amendment
10 the Committee on Invalid Pensions,
but the Speaker refused to hear him.
Finally the services Of the Sergeant-at-
Arms were called into reQuisition, and
before the menacing mace Mr.. Picker
yielded and gracefully took his seat.
Mr.. Oates amendment was rejected.
On motion of Mr.. McCreary, Of Ken
lucky, an amendment was agreed TO re-
Quiring general appropriation bills to
be reported within eighty days Of the
appointment of the committees in a
long session and within forty days in
short session.
just at this juncture, Mr.. Bryan, of
Nebraska, provoked the hilarity OF the
Democratic side by deftly conveying the
intelligence TO the House that the Su-
preme Court had decided that Hon.
James L. Boyd was the legally elected
Governor of Nebraska. The news, said
he, is thus conveyed to you that this
House may join with the people OF Ne
braSks in rejoicing over the restoration
OF popular government in that State.
After this little episode, the consider
tion OF the rules was again resumed and
Mr.. Enloe, of Tennessee, offered an
amendment providing that committees
In reporting private bills shall file them
with the clerk and that they shall by
him be placed upon the appropriate
calender. Agreed to: yeas, 169; nays,
nays, "A.
Mr.. Burrows, of Michigan, offered an
amendment re-establishing the rule OF
the last Congress, empowering the
Speaker TO count a quorum when such
quorum. was present and not voting.
Mr. Anderson, of West Virginia, moved
to amend the amendment by adding a
clause providing that in no case shall
the hat or cloak or umbrella of mem-
Der, In the cloak room be counted.
Democratic applause.l
Mr. Reed, of Maine, retorted that his
impression was that the officers OF this
House elected by whatever party, were
quite capable Of carrying out the rules
Of the House as they understood them,
and it seemed to him that IL would be
great mistake for a presiding officer to
omit TO take notice of what he (Mr.
Reed believed to be quorum under
the constitution.
In other words he desired to call at
tention to what seemed TO him to be a
fact; that If this House had a majority
Mr.. Anderson, Of West Virginia, made
no issue withe gentleman from Maine
(Alr. Reed that the officers OF the
House were faithful and would do their
work honestly. But it would not be
disputed that during tho sessions OF the
Fifty-6rSt Congress the Speaker
counted a quorum by counting gentle
men who were down stairs In the bath
tubs, in order that the Republican
majority might carry out what 1t in
tended to do as against the expressed
will OF the people.
Take for instance, the case OF Mr..
Forman, ofIllinoiS, who had been count
ed to make a quorum when 1t was not In
the District of Columbia. He Mr. AL
dersonl was not here to say that hats
and umbrellas had been counted to
make up quorum but to say that
empty space had been counted time and
again. His amendment was not intend
ed as reflection upon the present
Speaker or upon the Committee on
= fy,FnnHnA n q rpflaNtinn
on the dolngs and actions and tyranny
and arbitrary will Of the last Speaker
and the Republican majority which had
stood at his back.
The people had passed upon these do
ingS, and had said by an overwhelming
vote that they would have no more
counting Of quorum such as had been
INDUCED In by the Fifty-arst Con-
greSS.
Mr. Reed replied to the specific state
ment made by the gentleman from West
Virginia 10 the effect that Mr.. Forman,
of Illinois, had been counted to make a
Quorum during the last Congress, when
in fact he was absent from the city. This
statement he admitted was corrected.
The gentleman from Illinois, Mr.. Pay
son, then occupied the chair, and
he had made an error in the
count. There was no method Of count
ing a vote or the presence Of member
that was not liable to error and mis-
take; and there had been repeated in
stanc eS under the rules Of the present
House when members were recorded err
roneousIy. These errors would exist
under any system.
After further debate Mr.. Anderson, Of
West Virginia, withdrew his amend
ment. and the question was taken on
Mr.. Burroughs amendment. The yeas
and nays were ordered, pending which
the House adjourned.