The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-02-02
appointment Of n committee in q long
session and within forty days in short

Intelligence to tho house that tho
supreme court had decided that Hon.
James +. Boyd was tho legally elected
governor Of Nebraska. The news, said
hc, Is thus conveyed TO YOU that this
house may join with the people OF Nc.
braska in rejoicing over tho restoration
OF popular government In that state.
After this littlo episode, tho consid-
Grafton oil tho rules was again resumed,
and Mr.. Enloe, OF Tennessee, offered ali
amendment providing that committees
In reporting private bills shall file them
with tho clerk, and that they shall by
him be placed upon tho appropriate
calendar. Agreed to; ayes $50, nays "A.
Mr.. Burrows, OF Michigan, offered III
amendment reestNblishing tho rule OF
tho last Congress empowering the
speaker to count 4 quorum whom such
a quorum Is present and not voting.
Mr.. Anderson, OF Yves. Virginia, moved
to amend tho amendment by adding u
clause providing that in no case shall
the hat or cloak or umbrella OF q NOM
ber in tho cloal; room be counted.
democratic applause
REED SITS on ALDERsoH.
Mr.. Reed, OF Mime, retortod that his
impression was that the officers OF this
house, elected by whatever party, were
quito capable Of honestly carrying out
the rules OF the house rs they under
stood them; and it seemed to him that
it would be q great mistake for q pre-.
siding officer to omit to take notice OF
what ho (Mr. Recd) believed to be
quorum under tho constitution. In
othor words, he desired to call attention
to what seemed to him to be fact; that
il this house had n majority OF members
actually present it was then and there
constituted body TO do business; and
it had not itself any right to obscure
that TACT, to refuse to admit it or to re-
fuse to take any reasonable method OF
asccrtaining it. OF course if any gentle
man believed sincerely that it was
necessary that 4 majority OF members
should participate in business it would
be his duty to stand by ancien. meth.
DDS, but if he believed (as he, Mr.. Reed,
did) that tho presence OF u majority OF
members constituted q quorum he
should take the proper means OF ascer-
taining it. The amendment of the
gentleman from Michigan (N1r. Bur
rows) proposed to ascertain that fact.
AS that idea, concluded Mr.. Reed, has
had the sanction OF every court to which
thas been referred, I think it should
have the sanction OF this house. [Grcat
app lause.l
Mr.. Burrows thought that if the gen
tleman from West Virginia (SIr. Alder
son) was entirely sincere in, his proposi-
ton ho should renew it when the house
reached clause 2 rule II, where it pro-
vided for call OF the house when it
shall appear from an actual count that
quorum is not present. The constitu-
ton OF the United States provided that
Il majority OF the members should CON
st!tute q quorum. -.P
A STALE CHESTNUT.
Mr.. Anderson, OF West Virginia, made
no issue with the gentleman from
Maine (AIr. Rccd) that the officers OF
the house were faithful and would do
their work honestly. But it would not
be disputed that during tho sessions OF
the Fitty-iirst Congress the speaker
counted quorum by counting gentle
men who were down stairs in the bath
tubs, in order that tho Republican ma.
jority might carry out what it intended
to do as against the expressed will OF
the people.
Take, for instance, tho case OF Mr..
Foreman, OF Illinois, who had been
counted to make quorum when he
was not in the District of Columbia,
He (Mr. Anderson) was not here TO say
that hats and umbrellas had been count
ed to make up quorum, but to say
that empty space had been counted
time and again. His amendment was
not intended As a reflection upon the
present speaker or upon the committee
on rules, but it was intended as re-
Election on the doings and actions, and
tyranny and arbitrary will of the last
speaker and the Republican majority,
which had stood at his back. The
people had passed upon these doings
and had said by an overwhelming vote
that they would have no moro counting
OF quorum such as had been INDUCED
in by the 5lst Congress.
ERRORS LIKELY TO OCCUR.
MIR. Reed replied to the specific state
mont made by the gentleman from West
Virginia to the effect that Mr.. Foreman,
OF Illinois, had been counted to make a.
quorum during tho last congress, when
in fact he was absent from tho city.
This statement, he admitted, was cor
rect. The gentleman from Illinois, Mr..
Payson, then occupied the chair, and he
had made M error in tho count. There
was no method OF counting vote or
the presence OF q member that was not
Liable to error and mistake; and there
had been repeated instances under the
rules OF the present house when men,
bers were recorded crroneously. These
errors would exist under any system.
After further debate Mr.. Anderson OF
West Virginia, withdrew his amend
mont and the question was taken on
Mr.. Burrows amendment. The yeas
and nays were ordered, pending which
the house adjourned.
III tho Senate.
WASHINGTON, Feb. l.-Tho Mexican