The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-05
NO QUORUM VOTED.
Tilt Between the Speaker and Mr..
Reed Of Maine.
A LIVELY PASSAGE BETWEEN
PARLIAM ENTARY CHAMPIONS.
Speaker Rules There Is No Distinction Be-
tween No Quorum and No Quorum

Speaker Rules There Is No Distinction Be-
tween No Quorum and No Quorum
Voting.
WASHINGTON, March An the House
after conclusion of discussion on the Sib-
ley relief bill, Mr.. J. d. Taylor of Ohio,
made the point of no quorum and the
committee rose
Mr.. Kilgore of Texas made a motion
that the House take recess till s o'clock
and on division the vote stood s5 to s4.
MI. Enloe demanded tellers, and they
being refused he raised the point that
no quorum voted.
The Speaker said the gentleman from
Tennessee makes the point of no quorum
on the motion to take a recess. Ihe
chair will have to appoint tellers.
Mr.. Reed of Maine-The gentleman
does not make the point of no quorum; !;
he makes the point that no quorum
voted.
Speaker-Under the rules of the House
and under the present administration OF
the House gentlemen are not present un-
less they vote. Applause on the Demo-
cratic side.
Mr.. Reed-That shows, Mr.. Speaker,
that there has been new system adopt
ed since the last Congress.
Speaker-That shows that the present
occupant of the chair will endeavor to
enforce the rules of the House as they
now exist. Democratic applause
Mr.. .Reed-Nevertheless Mr.. Speaker,
the observation [ made is entirely cor
rect, namely, that the point the gentle.
man from Tennessee made was that OF
no quorum voting. The speaker states
that the pointhe made was mo quorum" !"
Ny observation, notwithstanding the re-
tort of the chair, was entirely correct.
Speaker-Perhaps it's, but 1T IS entire
ly out of order. Democratic applausel.
Mr.. Reed-Its entirely correct. there
fore the chair had no right to make such
remarks.
Speaker-The gentleman may be cor
rect. but at the same time he is out of or
der. demands for regular order.
Mr.. Reed-I was entirely in order when
I called the attention of the chair to the
fact.
Speaker-The Chair thinks not.
Mr.. Reed-Entirely in order.
Speaker-The Chair thinks the gentle
man is entirely out of order. There was,
no occasion for any such reply. The
point was made not by the gentleman
from Maine, but by somebody else. The
point was the point of no quorum. The
Chair entertained the point whereupon
the gentleman from Maine made his sug-
gestion.
Mr.. Reed-And thereupon said to the
Chair that the gentleman made the point
that no quorum had voted. The Chair
stated it point of no quorum, which is
different proposition. I had the righ t to
call attention of the Chair to that. The
Chair had no right to make such retort,
even if he is supported by disorderly ap-
plause upon his side which he permitted.
Speaker-The chair will state there is
no distinction under the present rules of
the House between the point of no quor-
um and no quorum voting. There was
distinction between those two points of
no quorum and no quorum present as
made under the rules of the last Con-
gress.
Mr.. Enloe-I want to say that the
speaker is abundantly sustained by au-
thorities in making retorts to gentlemen
on the floor. Laughter
Speeker-The chair does not intend to
recognize that.
During the colloquy between the
speaker and Mr.. Reed, both gentlemen
appeared to lose in some degree their ac
customed equanimity. The retorts,
though in such polite language, were
characterized by earnestness and some
degree of warmth. The House then
took recess until o'clock.