The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-05
A HEATED COLLOQUY
Crisp and Reed Have a Lively
Time Over the House Rules.
THE QUESTION OF NO QUORUM
The Pension appropriation Bill-The Inyesti
CATION Into the Management Of
the Pension Bureau.


WASHINGTON, March f. - Greek met
Greek in the House to-day, and for few
minutes a lively parliamentary colloquy was
carried on between Speaker Crisp and
Speaker Reed over the vexed question of
''no quorum" The entire day had been
consumed in desultory consideration of
minor measures, and Kilgore, of Texas,
moved recess until p. m. On division
the vote stood So to 81 Enloe demanded
tellers. and they being refused, raised tue
point that no quorum had voted. "The
gentleman from Tennessee" said the
speaker, ''makes the point of nc quorum on
the motion, and the chair will have to ap-
point tellers." Here MIR. Reed interposed |
with the remark: "The gentleman does
not make the point of no quorum. He
makes the point no quorum voted"
Under the rules of the House and un-
der the present administration of the
House," said the speaker, gentlemen are
not present unless they vote" Applause |
on the Democratic size.
THAT shows" SAID Mr.. Reed, "there has |
been new system adopted since the last
Congress"
THAT shows the present occupant of the |
chair will endeavor to enforce the rllles of
the House as they now exist" retorted the
speaker.
Nevertheless, replied the ex-speaker,
"the observation [ made is entirely cor
rect"
Perhaps it is" said the speaker, with
| dignity; "but it is simply out of order
at is entirely correct" persisted Mr..
| Reed, land the chair had no right to make
such a remark
''rhe chair thinks the gentleman en-
tirely out Of order,' reiterated the speaker.
The point of no quorum was made by
somebody else; the chair entertained the
point, whereupon the gentleman from
| Maine made the suggestion, and thereupon,
| interposed Mr.. Read, 81 said TO the chair
that the gentleman made the point no
quorum has voted and the chair states
it to be the point of mo quorum which is
a different proposition. | have right to
call the attention of the chair to that. The
chair had no right to make such retort,
even if he was supported by disorderly APP
plause upon his side, which he permitted"
1.-The chair will state,' said the speaker,
"there is no distinction under the present
rules OF the House between the point of no
quorum, and of no quorum voting. There
was distinction between those points as
under the rules of the last Congress-
During the colloquy between the speaker
and Reed, both gentlemen appeared to lose,
in some degree, their customary equanim-
ity, and their ret0rts were characterized
by some degree of warmth. The House
afterwards took a recess until pm, the
evening TO be for private pension bills, etc.
The second night session of the House
for private pension bills proved no more
successful tnan the first. Kilgore, Of Texas,
being on hand with his poiat of no quorum.
The Pension Appropriation.
WASHINGTON, March 4.-The House ap-
preparations committee to-day finished
consideration of the bill making an appro-
priation on account of pensions for the
, fiscal year 1898. AS completed it appro-
PIRATES Sl34, S25, 900 as compared with es ii
/ mates aggregating sl47, 0OO 600 and an ap.
precipitation for current year of $685., OOO,-
600.
The examination of Assistant Secretary
Bussey, of the interior department. was
: continued today by the special pension Of
I ice investigation committee.
Enloe, after eliciting the in rormation
there were a number of complaints from
e pensioners over delay in the adjustment OF
q their claims, asked if an order had been
l. issued practically taking the Office force
C from work under the old laws and putting
= it to work on the adjudication of cases I'M
8 der the dependent and disability act of 1890
s employed, but added large number OF
4 claims arising under the old law in which
i the evidence was insufficient to meet Its
= requirements had been adjudicated under
q the new law through an order issued By
e himself to the commissioner.
EnIoe then examined Bussey with refer
IS ence to completed files'' order which, i
b was charged, was issued at the request O
q Pension Attorney Lemon and gave Lemon
e considerable advantage in prosecuting
al claims. Bussey said he believed the orde
is facilitated the adjudication of claims
r True, many claims found by the board o
le review to be incompleted were put on tn
r completed files but no cases known in ad
l. vance to be incomplete were put there
l. Wit ess did not know from whom the orde
originated. He heard before it was issue
an experiment had been made on some o
Lemons cases. Practical experience. Bus
s. sey declared, had demonstrated under tn
,s completed files" order greater effcienc
- was observed than under the forme
10 method.
y, Bussey did not believe that the orde
rs gave Washington attorneys an advantag
is over country attorneys. He had heard til
X. charges that Lemon received an advantag
30 from the order, but didn't believe then
We There was no snap judgment about the OF
IN der. He had it under consideration
IN month before it was issued.
b. Chairman Wheeler asked if the witness
On had heard Of the business transacted zen
ch dorsing the note) between Raum an
tn Lemon the day the order was ISSUED
tn Bussey had no personal knowledge of i
er He did not know whether or not Lemo
ns put in 1900 claims at once ate; the orde
a was issued involving fees to the amount
vo 100000.
al Referring to the board of pension al
in peals, which passes judgment finally G
complicated or troublesome cases, EnlC
asked if any persons practicing before tn,
board were the sons or relatives of mer
va bers.
t9 Bussey said he did not know and, wit
4, some heat, protested against prompting
from 'meu of that character" pointing
ec. the men behind Enloe.
- Enloe retorted that he did not know
- was Bussey's business, and the chairma
=. sale the committee would get informatiC
- from any source reliable.
Bussey said that when his board Wi
~ criticised ne wished the charges to be sp
- cifc and not by insinuation.
- The principal items are: For the pa
- ment of pensions, S133, 04S, 1866, Of whit
- $4,000 is less than the appropriation f
- the current year, and Sll. 907, 634 less tn,
- the estimates for the next fiscal year. Fe
!. O of examining surgeons, 81, 900 redu
s.4 ton of $3.50, 600 from the current appropl
.. alton and from the estimates. CLERK hi
- at agencies, 100000, the same as the CT
o. rent year and less than the estimate for I
next fiscal year.