The morning call., 1892-02-02
The HOUSE.

Animated Discussion During the Day
Debate OF the New Rules.
Tie principle that the presence Of ma
Ilrity of the members constitutes quorum
has had the sanction Of every court to which
it has been referred, and l think It ought to
have the sanction of this House" This was
the reply Of eX-Speaker Reed to-day in de-
Tending himself against the denunciatiOns
by the Democrats of his official actions in
the last Congress. The rules are still the
subject Of narrowing discussions in the
House. There Is q general dsinclination
on both sides Of the House to regard them
as a party question, and BOurke Cochran.
the Well-knOwn Tammany Congressman,
this evening surprised his colleagues by
eloQuently approving the principle of recOg
njzing the ocular evidence Of quorum, and
his speech was enthusiastically applauded
by the Republicans as an able defense Of
Speaker Reeds rulings.
Immediately after the meeting of the
House this morning there was tilt between
HOar of Massachusetts ID and Morse OF
Massachusetts, lR.) HOar charged Morse
with revising a speech made the other day
and ilterpOlatlng remarks, ETC., putting IN
laughter on the Republican side" etc.
This greatly amused the House. HOar, con-
tliies ofAlO biiS OAlt1 dlIhAoo tilO ANO
can party would ever give 10 Morse's re-
marks would be to those which were never
delivered.
Morse replied that Hoar's statement was
largely and substantially false. lie (M0rSe)
had availed himself of the privilege granted
every member TO revise his remarks. and
added MY young friend from Mass0-
ChusettS Will be wiser when he's older lie
is reported, Nh Speaker, to have shed tears
over your election; he Is reported to have
wet his couch with tears because his candi-
date for Speaker was defeated. He had
seen in the distance a chalrmanship and
clerk: also honor. fame and celebrity
throughout the country, and especially IN
his district in Massachusetts. Those fond
hopes were dashed to the ground by the de-
feat Of his candidate. The young man be-
longs to the kindergarten class at present.
[Great laughter on the Republican side BY
the time This Congress has closed he will
understand the position of the Democratic
party in regard TO the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver, free raw material and
other great economic questions"
Arnold Cf Missouri presented for re'eT-
euce IA resolution requesting the President
10 recall tie Minister Of the United States
10 Chile. Patrick Egan, TO the end that the
reciprocity Of amlcabie relations between
the two Countries may be had and main
tanned
The House at l:5O o'clock resumed con
Rules. The pending amendment TO the
rules was one by Oates providing for a
committee Of fifteen members on the order
Of business.
Picker Of South Dakota wished to offer
an amendment giving the Committee on To-
valid Pensions the right it had during the
Fifty-irst Congress to report at any time
on general pension legislation, but the de-
mand for the previous question by Catch
ings put him of.
Picker demanded a veUfcation of the
vote, but would not assert that an error had
been made, wheTeupOn the Speaker de-
clared the previous question Ordered-lj0
to o.
Picker then moved an adjournment.
LCst-43 to lU3.
The vote recurring on Oates amendment,
no quorum voted, and Plckler raised that
point aud endeayored 10 speak for his
amendment, holding the floor until the Ser
geant-at-ATms was called into reQusItlOn.
Oates amendment was rejected.
On motion Of McCreary of Kentucky an
amendment was agreed 20 requiring the
General Appropriation bills TO be reported
within eighty days after the appointment
Of the committees in the long session, or
forty days IN the short session.
At this junctuTe Bryan OF Nebraska
aroused the enthusiasm Of the Democrats
by taking advantage Of the little motion"
to convey TO them 4 notice Of the Supreme
Courts decision ia the Boyd-Thayer case.
The amendment by Enl0e of Tennessee
providing that committees in reporting pri-
Yate bills shall file them with the Clerk, to
be pacrd upon the appropriate calendar
was agreed 10.
Burrows Of Michigan offered an amend
ment re-estabiishing the rule of the last
Congress empowering the Speaker to count
a quorum.
Anderson Of West Virginia moved to add
a clause providing that in no case shall the
hat, cloak or umbrella of a member in the
cl0ak-rOOm be counted.
Reed replied his impression was that the
officers Of the House elected by whatever
Dartv) were quite capable OF honestly carry
ing out the rules OF the House as they un-
derStuOd them, and il seemed TO him it would
be great mistake for the presiding officer
to omit TO take notice Of what he (Reed)
believed be q quorum under the COnstitu-
ton. OF course if any gentleman believed
sincerely that II was necessary that a ma
1Orlty OF the members should participate in
tie business it would be his duty 10 stand
by the ancient methods; but If he believed
a. he Reed did that the presence of ma
jority Of the members constituted quorum,
be should take the proper means OF ascer-
tanning IL.
Dockery OF Missouri quoted from the
utieranCes made by Reed 10 1850 giving his
idea OF what constituted a quorum. The
gentleman from Maine had then said that
the presence of all the members of the
House, but majority Of the members pres
ent participating In the business. Ii was
not the actual presence Of the members but
their judgments and votes that the COnstitu-
ti0n called for. He (Dockery) simply wished
TO let the House know that the gentleman
from Maine had changed his opinion.
Anderson said the amendment was not
Intended as a reflection upon the present
Speaker or upon the Committee on Rules,
but as a rejection on the dOinRs, actions,
tyranny and arbitrary will of the Speaker
Of the last House and his Republican
brethren who had stood at his back. The
people had passed upon these dOings and
had said by an overwhelming vote that
they would have no more counting of a
quorum such as was INDUCED In by the
Fifty-frst Congress.
Reed replied to the specific statement
made by Anderson to the effect that Forman
OF Illinois was counted to make quorum
during the last Congress, when in fact he
was absent from tie city. This statement
Reed admitted was correct. The gentleman
from illinois (Payson) then occupied the
chair and made an error in the count.
There was no method Of counting the
presence Of the members that was not
liable to errors and mistakes, and there had
been repeated instances under the rules of
the present House when not only were
members recorded who had not voted but
members who voted were recorded errone-
ouSly. These errors would exist under any
system.
After some further decate Cochran OF
New York took the floor, and his remarks,
without going to the extent Of unfolding
the unlimited right Of the Speaker to count
quorum. advocated such a rule as would
permit the House to transact its business
when quorum was present and refusing to
vote. lie would favor closing the doors
during every rOll-cal. He would give the
House. either through the Speaker or upon
the motion of any member, the power to
compel any Republican here to bear that
part Of the legislation which his presence
gave. and which was to accord to his pres
ence and not to his voice. Applause The
House had the right to take an absent men,
Der by force and bring him to the bar. IL
had the right to punish him. Was not that
counting him for ona nurnnseP And IL he