St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-02


the mace Mr. Picker yielded and grace
fully took his seat.
Mr.. Oates amendment was rejected.
Mr.. Hooker'S motion to strike out the
clause giving the committee on rules
power TO call up its reports at any
time, and preventing dilatory MOTORS
being made when they are under con-
sideration, was lost; yeas 81. nays 129.
On motion of Mr.. McCreary, of Ken
lucky. an amendment was agreed to re-
curing general appropriation bills to
be reported within eighty days Of the
appointment of the committees in a
long session, and within forty days in a
short session.
Royd's Victory.
Just at this juncture Mr.. Bryant. Of
Nebraska, provoked the hilarity of the
Democratic side by deity conveying the
Intelligence 10 the house that the SUI
preme court had decided that Hon.
James Z. Boyd was the legally elected
governor of Nebraska. IL move" said
he, ITO strike out the last word of the
pending amendment. 1t is not because
l have any special dislike for that last
word, but [ desire at this time and un-
der this motion to convey TO the house
an item of news which | am sure it Will
be glad to receive. In 1890 the people
or Nebraska. by plurality of more
than 1000 votes, elected Hon. James Z.
Boyd as governor of that state. ZAP
plause. The ex-governor con-
ground that Mr.. Boyd, although
for forty years a resident of Nebraska.
twice mayor of Omaha and a member of
two constitutional conventions, was not
Il citizen of the state within the pro-
visions of the constitution. The state
court, by vote of to l, declared Mr..
Boyd not a citizen. | wish to announce
to the house that the United States SUI
preme court has just declared Gov.
Boyd citizen and entitled to the office.
Great applause on Democratic side
The news is thus conveyed to You that
this house may join with Nebraska in
rejoicing over the restoration of popular
government in that state" Renewed
applause.
Counting Quorum.
Mr.. Burrows. of Michigan. offered an
amendment re-establiShing the rule of
the last congress empowering the speak
er to count quorum when such quo
rum is present and not voting. Mr..
Anderson, Of West Virginia, moved to
amend the amendment be adding a
clause providing that in no case shall
the hat or cloak or umbrella of q meni-
Der in the cloak room be counted. Dem
ocratic applause.
Mr.. Reed replied that his impression
was that the officers of the house
elected by whatever party were quite
capable OF honestly carrying out the
rules of the house as they understood
them, and il seemed to him that it
would be great mistake for a
presiding officer to omit to take
- hot I,n
believed to be quorum under the con-
stitution. In other words he desired to
call attention to what seemed to him to
be fact, that If this house had majority
OF members actually present it was then
and there constituted body to do buSl-
ness. and it had not itself any right to
obscure that fact, to refuse to admit or
TO refuse to take any reasonable method
of ascertaining it. The amendment of
the gentleman from Michigan proposed
to ascertain that fact. LAS that idea,"
concluded Mr.. Reed, ''has had the sane
ton of every court 10 which it has been
referred think it should have the sane
ton of this house." Great applause.l
Rubbing 1t Into Reed.
Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, quoted from
utterances made by tie gentleman from
Maine (Mr. Reed in 1880, giving his
lQCr Va STlielI CONSTITUTED QuOl ulll uC
gentleman from Maine had then said
that the constitutional idea of quorum
was not the presence of all the men,
berS of the house, but a majority of the
members present and participating in
the business of the house. 1t was not
the actual presence of members, but
their Judgments and votes that the coll
stitution called for. He (Mr. Dockery)
simply wished to let the house know
that the gentleman from Maine (Mr.
Reed had changed his opinion.
Mr.. Anderson, of West Virginia, made
no issue with the gentleman from
Maine that the officers of the house
were faithful and would do their work
honestly. But it would not be disputed
that during the sessions of the Fifty
first congress the speaker counted a
quorum by counting gentlemen who
were down stairs in the bath tubs in
order that the Republican majority
might carry out what it intended to do
as against the expressed wish of the
people.
Cochran to the Floor.
After further debate, Mr.. Cochran, of
New York, took the floor. and his re-
marks, without going to the extent of
unfolding the unlimited right of the
speaker to count quorum, advocated
Sucn rule as would permit the house
to transact business when there was
quorum present and refusing to VOTE
He would favor the closing OF the doors
during every roll call. He would give
to the house. either through the speaker
or upon motion of any member, the
power to compel any Republican MEM
Der to bear that part of the legislation
which his presence gave, and which
was accorded to his presence and not
his voice. Applause.
The house had a right to take an alb
sent member by force and bring him to
the bar, and it had the right to punish
him. Was not that counting him for
one purpose? And if he could be counted
for the purpose of punishment. could he
not be counted for the interests of the
government? Could that representative,
after having been arrested and released
or punished, remain here silent and i'll
open contempt of the house, aud was
the house powerless to count him? He
(Mr. Cockran) believed the house had a
right to count quorum in any way it
saw proper. [Applause.
Mr.. Anderson, of West Virginia, with
drew his amendment, and the question
was taken on Mr.. Burrows amendment.
The yeas and nays were ordered, pend
ing which the house adjourned.