The Portland daily press., 1892-02-02
LOOKING BACKWARD.
Rules Of the Last House Talked
About in the Present.
MIR. REED TELLS THE MAJORITY
WHAT MAKES A QUORUM.

| Democratic Members Find Consolation in
Some Old Jokes and Fabrications-Mr.
| Cochran, However, Sees Pretty Clear
1y the Need of the Hour-The Pending
Question Is On One of the Reed Rules
"A Lively Session.
WASHINGTON, February LIN the
House, today, the consideration of the
rules was resumed. The pending
amendment was that offered by Mr..
Oates of Alabama, providing for com
mittee on order of business to consist of
Is members. Mr.. Picker OF South Da-
kota, wished to offer an amendment Civ
ing the committee on invalid pensions
the right it had during the 51st Congress,
to report atany time upon general pen
sion legislation; batdemand for the pre-
vious question, made by Mr.. Catchings
of Mississippi, cut him off.
Before the announcement of the vote,
| Mr. Picker demanded verifcation and
asked that the vote be recapitulated.
The Speaker replied there was no rule
requiring this to be done. If the gentle
man would state that error had been
made, the chair would order recapitu-
| lation, otherwise he would not. Mr..
| Picker would not make such state
ment, and the Speaker thereupon de-
clared the previous question ordered
yeas, $50; nays, 80. Mr.. Picker then
moved an adjournment which was lost
yeas, IS; nays, 103. The vote recurring
on Mr.. Oatess amendment,
No Quorum Voted,
and Mr.. Picker raised that point and
| proceeded to proclaim the amendment
he wished to offer was for the benefit of
the pensioners of the country. Though
Mr.. Picker is possessed of strong
voice, his words were drowned in a
chorus of regular order" In vain did
the Speaker call upon Mr.. Picker to re-
sumo his seat. The Speaker directed the
official reporter not to report the gentle
mans remarks, but it was superfluous
order, inasmuch as the reporter was una
BILE to hear word Finally the services
of the sergeant-at-arms were called into
requisition and before the menacing
mace Mr. Picker yielded and took his
seat.
The. Oates amendment was rejected.
On motion of Mr. McCreary of Ken
tueky, an amendment was agreed to re-
quiring that general appropriation bills
be reported within eighty days of the
appointment of the committees in the
long session and within forty days in the
short session.
Mr.. Bryan of Nebraska in speaking to
verbal amendment was proceeding to
give the history of the governmental
troubles in Nebraska when he was
Called to Order by Mr.. Dingley.
Mr.. Dingley, however, withdrew the
call; but Mr.. Bryan contented himself
with making the announcement that the
Supreme Court had declared MI. Boyd
entitled to his seat as governor.
Mr. Burrows of Michigan, offered an
amendment tre-establishing the rule of
the last Congress empowering the Speak
er to count quorum when such a, quo
rum is present and not voting.
Mr.. Anderson of West Virginia moved
to amend by adding clause providing
that in no case shall a hat, or cloak, or
umbrella of member in the cloak room
be counted.
Mr.. Reed of Maine said his impression
was that the officers of the House, elect
ed by whatever party, were capable of
honestly carrying out the rules of the
House as they understood them. 1t
seemed to him it would be great mis-
take for the presiding officer to omit to
take notice of what he Mr.. Reed be-
lieved to be quorum under the consti-
tuition. 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 a body to do business and
had not itself any right to obscure that
fact, or to refuse to take any reasonable
method of ascertaining it, Of course, if a
gentleman believed sincerely that it was
necessary that majority of members
should participate in the business, it
would be his duty to stand by the ancient
methods. But if he believed. as did Mr..
Reed, that the presence of majority of
members constituted quorum he should
take the proper means of ascertaining it.
Mr. Burrows's amendment was proposed
to ascertain that fact. As the idea had
the sanction of,every court before which
it had come, he thought it ought to have
the sanction of the House.
Mr. Burrows thought that if Mr.. An
derson was sincere in his proposition, he
should renew it when the House reached
clause 2, rule II, where it was provided
that call of the House shall not be in
order after the previous question unless
it shall appear from actual count by the
Speaker that quorum is not present.
The
Federal Constitution Provided
that > majority of members should con-
stit,,te a uI1or,1m He cared not how the