St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-05
Difficulty in Obtaining a Quo
rum in the Wee Small
Hours.
All the Appropriation Bills
Get Through Both Houses
Safely.
EX-Speaker Reed Eulogizes
Speaker Grip for His Con-
duct.


night of the session of the senate in the
Fifty-SecORd congress passed tamely,
with the senate endeayOrlng to do as
little as possible while awaiting confer
ence reports on the remaining apprOpri-
alton bills. Most of the senators present
were tired and sleepy,a and took frequent
occasion to repair to the cloak rooms,
whence they issued heavy-eyed when
summoned TO vote. The galleries
thinned rapidly after midnight.
about 200 spectators. some of
whom evidently had no couch
wherein to rest their heads, watched
the dull proceedings throughout the
night. The celebrated McGarrahan bill
came up about midnight in new shape
from that in which it was vetoed by the
president. There were only about a
dozen opponents of the bill, but they
delayed its passage for several hours by
Offering numerous amendments. SEN
at0r Teller stuck faithful to the bill,
and at last succeeded in securing its
passage by large majority in sub5tan-
TALLY the form he desired.
Could Not Get n Quorum.
Reports from the appropriation COM
mitlee came in slowly. Senator Hill
took advantage of the fact to make
last stand for the New York and New
Jersey bridge bill, which he moved to
take up. He had majority of the SEN
ators with him. but could not get a
quorum to vote, so that Senator Hiscock
proved successful in his opposition to
the bill. The efforts to take up the
measure developed the fact that there
was a quorum, but not ''vOting" quo
rum present. Mr.. Harris, of Tennessee,
secured an interesting parliamentary
ruling by moving that the sergeant-at-
arms be directed to compel the attend
ance Of abSentees. although the roll had
shown a majority of members present.
President protein. Henderson ruled that
it vas an inherent right in every body
to compel attendance of members when
ever their presence was desired, and
Mr.. Harris motion prevailed. The ser
geant-at-armS exercised his police pow
erS leniently, however. and II he de-
teeted any absentees the fact WIS not
disclosed by their arrangement at the
bar OF the senate, although il was said
that his deputies had routed three sena-
tors out of bed and caused them to come
to the capitol in a sleety. snowy night.
Fsr. Harris Indignant.
Senators Vest and Teller were fort
innate enough to get through local bills
in an interval between roll calls, but
when MeSsrs. Stewart and Squire at
tempted the same things, with only
very short bills" MeSsrs. Harris and
COckrell objected in the interest of the
OyerWorked enrolling clerks. The mo-
nOtOny of calls of the senate, resulting
in the disappearance of quorum when
il came to voting on Senator Hiil'S pet
bill, became too eXasperating for fur
ther endurance on the part of Senator
Harris, of Tennessee, a stickler for par
liamentaTy etiquette, and he gave a
characteristic twO-minute speech, in
effect as follows:
II want to say on my responsibility as
a senator and a man, that the proceed
ings of the last two hours are a disgrace
"a disgrace that in the expiring hours of
congress a sufficient number of senators
cannot be held here to dispose of the
public measures necessary to be con-
sidered."
The house sheet-metal gauge bill was
passed, and the conference reports on
the sundry civil and the Indian appro-
priatiOn bills early in the morning
Made n Diversion
for a time. but they were adopted with
out much discussion. About $3.50
o'clock Senator Hill became desperate,
and made lively attack upon the fill
clustering" tactics of the opposition,
which aroused Senator Frye into re-
sentiment and finally involved Senators
Hscock and Blackburn. Senator Hill
admitted that his bill was dead SO far as
this congress was concerned, but re-
newed his efforts nevertheless later on,
but at $3.50 gave up the fight gracefully
and himself moved the recess which
was taken from $50 to $50 o'clock.
At $50 O'clock, when the senate was
to reaSSemble. there were only few
senators IN attendance, and so the re-
cess was extended for another quarter
of an hour, and then for half hour
more. The senate chamber presented a
very different aspect from that which it
presented twelve hours before. Then
the galleries were packed and all the
approaches to them were blocked up.
Now the galleries were empty and the
capitol itself was almost deserted, as no
one could enter without ticket of ad-
mission, and it was too early for ticket
holders to present themselves. Outside
lllC SilOH was lClllluS4 MCb anu ilCoN =
and had been falling for two hours, and
the prospects for the inaugural display
and procession were decidedly gloomy.
For the next two hours there was an
almost entire
Absence of Legislative Action.
Mr.. Henderson occupied the chair as
president pro TEN. of the senate, and at
intervals announced his signature OF
bills or joint resolutions. He also an
nounced the appointment of Senators
Cockrell Dem. Mo-, Jones dem. Ark }.
and Cullom, rep. ILL.,, as the senate
members of the joint commission to ex-
anime the executive departments.
The usual resolution of thanks to the
vice president for the dignified, impartial
and courteous manner in which he had
presided over the deliberations of the
senate was offered by Mr.. Harris Dem.,
Tenn. }, and agreed to. And after that
there was an entire stOppage OF the
wheels Of legislation, and nothing was
heard but the noisy hum of conversa-
ton on the floor and in the crowded gall
lerieS. A like resolution thanks to
Mr.. Henderson for the uniformly able,
courteous and impartial manner in
which he had exercised his duties as
president pro TEN. was subsequently
offered by Mr.G0rman democrat, Mary
land). and agreed to. This was after
the vice president had retired Mr.. Man
derson and taken the chair as presid-
ing officer. After another long wait,
and when the clock over the entrance
door showed the hour to be %. the
hoary but active doorkeeper. Capt. Bas-
sett, in compliance with the instructions
of the vice president, strobe up the
aisle, and, having procured long wand,
deliberately pushed back the minute
hand of the clock until itindlcated IL :05.
The captain has done this on many q
4th of March before, and it has always,
as now, provoked an Outburst of merit
ment. About o'clock. real time, Vice
President Morton delivered his farewell
address, and declared the senate of the
Fifty-Second congress adjourned sine
die. Vice President Morton's farewell
speech was as follows: