New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-02
THE COUNTING OF A QUORUM
HOUSE DEMOCRATS NOW THINK 1T A GOOD
THING.
THEIR CONTEMPTIDLL ATTITUDE IN THE PRES
EMF nIsCUssION-MEEK OBEDIENCE TO

Democratic
% win ANYTHING save contempt for itself from
sensible pcople by what it says or does in regard
20 any nublic question which concerns the people
- Cn,.ornmcnt of the United States Who does
not remember the ardOr of the indignation with
,,.bicb tho Democratic minority in Congress only
..o voors ago denounced the revolutionary"
co,dnct and action of the Republican ma orty in
clo,binc tie Speaker Of the House with power
IN count as present members who were actually
present as a part of the quorum? The mildcst
synonymcs for the Speaker were "Csurpcr" and
Gar" and if the Millscs Bynums Springcrs
and Oatescs and McMillins and BrcclnridgeS and
Crisps and Blounts, were to be believed, they
were believed by some silly, crcdulous persons,
the foundations of Republican institutions were
shaken. Why even Democratic and Mugwump
editors. in those awful days, stood aghast and
appallcd in the presence of the daily crimes against
liberty and the rights of the minority" chief of
which was the right to rule the majority.
Who las forgotten those days which tried
Democratic solls? And now, behold a propo-
sltion is offered TO clothc Democratic Speaker
with the same authority which was granted t. a
Republican Speaker, and what do see? Do
Mills and Springer and the Brcckinrdges and
Oates and Bynum and MCMillin spring open
mouthcd TO the defence Of Republican institutions
and tho q" rights Of the minority? Not bit of II.
Rlount. to be sure. still affects to believe that
Republican institutions were not only shaken, put,
for the time being, ovcrthrown. and he says so.
But Mills, and all the rest are silent, except
Oates. and lie declares that the majority of the
House has the right to clothc the Speaker with
authority to count the quorum. but he thinks 1t
would he better TO have the counting done by
telIers appointed ny the Speaker. lie explains
his reasons for this preference, one OF which is
that on one occasion he counted alter he
ahad climbed through a window into the cloak
room" and before he had actually come INTO the
legislative chamber. And yet Oates generously
and voluntarily admits that when the speaker
attention was called TO the circumstance pN alo'eI
member the mistake was promptly corrected
And after Oates comes Bourke Cochran, oil New
York and in eloquent speech gives coSehI an"
convincing reasons why the majority Ill 'he las'
CorcroSs had n right TO do exactly what 1t dld
do II was speech which provoked applause
On tbo Republican side: and which none oil the
victims Of oppression in the last Congress attempted
70 nainsav. OF course Mr.. Cochran SAID tha'
bc must vote for the report OF the democratic
Committee on Rules, but he also deciarcu' WIN
oil tho eo-nestness and emphasis in his power, that
bis vote must not be interpreted TO mean 'h"'
he did not uphold The right of the House to
control its business in any manner IL mlgh'
Choose.
Tho silence Of other Democratic leaders was
moro cvprcssiyc than the volumes of eloquence
and vifupnrat on which they emitted in the last
Conorcss But what contemplate attitude did II
place them in
As was to have been expected, the Democrats
meckly obeycd the bchest of the minority OF
eighty who, in Saturday nights caucus, declared
that the Committee on Rules shall he clothed with
the same power which in the last Congress was
conferred upon the Speaker and the majority OF
the House 10 bring measure 10 vote alter d
reasonable time has been spent IN DEBATE ana
d.Iherotion. Even Mills meckly bowed to the
decision. as did McMillin, who opposed IL III INC
little caucus OF saturday night.
Tho pcnding amendment was one offered by Mt
Oates. of Alabama, providing for committee on
order Of business to consist of fifteen members oi
which the Sneaker shall he eX-oficio chairman
Mr. Picker of South Dakota. wished II oner
-, arncndnent giving the committee on Invalid Pen
sions the right il had during the List Congress 70
rnort al any time upon general pension IegIsla-
ton but a demand for the previous question maze
nv Mr. Catchngs. Of Mississippi, cut him of. Br-
fore the announcement of the vote. Mr.. Picker
demanded verfcation
The Speaker replied that there was no rue re-
ourjnc this TO bc done, and declared the previous
ouestion ordercd-ycas, $50; nays, go
Mr. Picker then moved an adjournment Lost
2s-IO3
The vote recurring on Mr. Oatcss amendment,
mo ouorum voted and Mr. Piclicr raised that
point and said that the amendment he wished 10
offer was for the benefit of the pensioners OF the
country His words were drowned in Demo-
cratic chorus of regular order Finally the
services of the ecrgeant-at-arls were called lhlo
reouisition and before the mcnacin9 mace MI
Picker yielded and gracefully took his seat.
Mr.. Oatess amendment was rejected.
Mr. Ilooker's motion TO strike out the clause CIV
inp the Committee on Rules power TO call up lts
reports at any time, and preventing dlatofy mo
lions being made when they are under considera-
ton lOst-21 TO 120.
b ON motion of Mr. McCrcary, Of Kentucky, an
amendment was agreed TO- requiring general ap
preparation bills TO be reported within eighty days
of the appointment Of the committees IN long
session. and within forty days in short session
Mr. Enloe of Tennessee, offered an amendment
providine that committees in reporting private
bills shall file them with the Clerk, and that they
Shall by him lie placed upon the appropriate cal
endar Agreed 10. Yeas. 90; nays, ~.
Mr. Burrows, of Michigan, offered an amendment
re-establishng the rule of the last Congress empow
ering the Speaker TO count II quorum when such
quorum is present and not voting.
Mr.. Anderson, of West Virginia, moved to amend
the amendment by adding a clause providing that
I'm no case shall the hat cloak umbrella Of
a member in the coak-room be counted.
Mr. Reed, of Maine, desired 10 call attention to
what seemed to him 10 be a fact: that If this
House had majority OF members actually present,
it was then and there constituted body TO do
business, and it had not scf any right to obscure
that fact, 10 refuse 10 admit il. to refuse TO
take any reasonable method Of asccrtaining it,
The amendment OF the gentleman from Michigan
(Mr. Burrows, proposed II ascertain that fact. AS
that idea had had the sanction of every court be
fore which it had come. he thought it ought TO
have the eanctnn of Tic Home OF REPRESENTATIVES,