The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-13

| MT. .9fdUG, bne names OF Gno aDSeuGeeS
were read. Continuing his speech, Mr..
Martin said he regarded the repeal bill
| as SO bad, so wicked, so cruel, SO remorse-
less and SO unjust that he felt justified in
resorting to every constitutional right to
defeat It. He had added that three
| fourths of the Democratic party believed
as he did. Mr.. Martin took his seat at
| p. m. remarking that he felt pretty well
| exhausted.
| Mr.. Morgan gave notice Of an
amendment he would offer to the repeal
| bill. The amendment was read. 1t pro-
| vides for the coinage of standard silver
dollars at the existing ratio, makes
them and all silver dollars of equal
! weight and fineness, already coined, legal
| tender except where otherwise stipulated
| in the contract directs the purchase of
| silver bullion and it's coinage into stand
ard silver dollars to an equal amount
| monthly and yearly with the gold coined
in the same time, and provides that
bullion SO purchased, at the market
| value, shall be paid for in standard silver
dollars.
Mr.. Teller at AIS took the floor and
proceeded with the speech against the
bill he begun last week. At $40 Mr..
Teller said he. had an important engage
| ment which he was desirous of keeping
yield the floor with the understanding
that he could resume tomorrow. No OBJ
lection was offered.
Mr. Stewart, was then recognized, but
before he proceeded, Mr.. Dubois suggested
the absence of quorum. The roll was
called. showing the presence of 46 Sena-
tors. Mr.. Stewart then took the floor and
talked until 7.05, when Mr.. Powers of
Montana, suggested that quorum was
not present. A roll call showed the
presence of 45 Senators and Mr.. Stewart
continued. Later on, just as the repeal
leaders were about to put into execution
Mr.. Voorhees's threat made in thesearlier
part Of the day, to have the names of
absentees published and compel their
presence, quorum appeared. Mr.. Faulk-
ner OF West Virginia, did not press his
motion to carry out the threat. Mr..
Stewart was again interrupted aJ 725 by
Mr.. Shoup of Idaho, who asserted that q
quorum had again disappeared. The call
of the roll emptied the cloak rooms once
more, and 43 Senators, quorum,
answered to their names.
At about eight this evening the situa-
tion took on a new aspect. At that hour
it appeared that the silver men had as
sumed the aggressive, even to the extent
of compelling the presence of their enc
mics. Signs of WEAKNESS on the counte-
nances of Senators were increasing with
the passage of each hour and symptoms
of discomfort multiplied. Mr.. Sherman
went home after dark, declaring that he
would not do more than ten hours of
such work continually. Other Republic
Mr.. Voorhees,, though in perfunctory
fashion, that excited the apprehension of
the Democratic repeal managers. A hasty
consultation followed and with great
difficulty the leaders were induced to
sanction a proposition for recess from
ten tonight until ten tomorrow morning.
When it came to the execution OF this
plan there was an unexpected hitch. Mr..
Stewart had got the floor, and calmly
replied; when appealed to to yield for
motion to take a recess that he proposed
to talk until Sunday morning without
intermission.
Mr.. VOORHEES, showed his resentment.by
an indignant denunciation of the course
pursued by the silver men in demanding
quorum even when they knew one was
in the chamber. These calls had so in
creased in frequency as to bear out the
idea that the silver men were executing
their threat of putting the screws on.'
erable to the tired and exasperated law
makers. At about nine, Secretary
Carlisle came to the Capitol and was seen
closeted in a committee room with
several repeal Senators. At $40 Mr..
Shoup made the point of no quorum and
asked for call of the roll.
Mr.. Voorhees, rose to make q parlia-
mentary inquiry. He said: II would like
to know to what extent the right to call
for quorum may be abused in this
body; how often may it be restored to
and whether with the knowledge that a
quorum is present, the rule can be re-
sorted to every five minutes to impede
the progress Of business. My inquiry is
whetbersthere is any limit or restraint,
or whether this rule stands in the same
need of reformation as some other rules
of this body do. / would like to know
the construction the Chair gives to the
privilege of occupying time in calling
the roll, even though every seat be filled
with Senator"
The presiding officer, Mr. Frye, said tha
in the terms of the rule there was no
limitation and the Chair knew of no
power in the presiding officer to place a
limitation on this right Forty-four
Senators had answered to their names
and the presiding officer ANNOUNCED
quorum present.
Mr.. Quay remarked that the decision Of
the chairman made it possible, for any
one Senator to block legislation by re-
peatedly suggesting the absence of a
quorum.
"The Senate of the United States, =" said
fed legislative body in the world
Qaughter) and the trainers of its rules
did not suppose any Senators would
violate the proprieties or decencies in the
future. Therefore the rule was made
without limitation upon the Senator,
except his own sense of right.
The theory of the constitution" said
Mr.. Quay. "may be as stated by the
Chair, but our recent experience has
shown that the Senate is very differently
constituted"
Mr.. Gary of Wyoming repeated the sug-
gestion for quorum and the presiding
officer had the rule read. 1t provides
that if at any. time any Senator raises the
question as to the presence of a quorum,
the presiding officer shall forthwith
direct the roll to be called
MrAldrich said it was plain that the
rule, if carried out as the, Chair con-
strued it, would destroy all action by the
Senate at the will of any one Senator
He thought the correct Interpretation of
the rule required the interposition of
some business between the roll calls.
Mr.. Faulkner expressed similar view.
The presiding officer directed the roll
to be called, which showed the presence
of As Senators, and Mr.. Stewart went on
with his speech.
At S.45, when Mr.. Stewards voice was
showing signs Of wear Mr.. Wolcott made
reference to the absence of quorum. 1t
was nearly Ii, 80 before the quorum could