The record-union., 1893-08-30
IN CONGRESS.
Heated Debate Between speaker Crisp
and EX-Speaker Reed.


and EX-Speal<er Reed.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29.-Aitken offered
a resolution in the House to-day provid-
ing for a special committee to investigate
the Ford Theater disaster, and to deter
mine what action should be taken for the
relief of the families of victims. Referred
to the Committee on Rules.
Catchings called up the report of the
Committee on Rules and debate followed.
There was an animated discussion over
the rules had between Speaker Crisp and
ex-Speaker Reed, the latter criticising
the report. For the first time this session
the Speaker took the floor, having called
Richardson of Tennessee to the chair, and
replied to the criticisms of the gentleman
from Maine. At times the debate was
somewhat personal, and each speaker re-
ceived the plaudits of mis- party friends.
Reed argued in favor of the rights of
the majority, as hrmly maintained in the
Fiftyhrst Congress. He criticised the
provision of the rules. which he claimed
vested the Committee on Rules with au-
thority which should be vested in the
SpcAN51. why not adopt rules giving
the majority control, and taking away
from the filibusterer the opportunity to
stop consideration of measure?" said
Reed.
Crisp said many Of the rules of the
Eifty-tirst Congress were to be COM
mended, while many others had been
condemned by the country. Among the
actions in the Fifty-frst Congress which
were odious to the country was the arbi-
trary, high-handed action on the part of
the Speaker, without authority of the
rules or anything else. The Speaker as
sumed power to count a quorum, and he
(Reed) had claimed that the Supreme
Court justified his course. This was not so.
The Supreme Court said the House had
a right TO make its own rules, but it never
said the Speaker should make them. The
system adopted by the Fitty-second Con-
gress, and now readopted, was to main
tain not the individual judgment of the
Chair, but the judgment of the House.
DiliatOry motions would be avoided, for
the House had due power to reach that
result by the report from the Committee
OF Rules. He Crisp preferred the ap-
prov9l OF the people he represented to the
approval OF man who believed he had
the right to exercise all power, and
claimed that in so doing he permitted the
majority to rule. The gentleman from
Maine Reed arrogantly asserted that the
/ itty-tirst Congress should be regarded
as an example that should be followed by
all Congresses. He Crisp felt as the pe0-
pie OF the country felt, that the Fitty-tirst
Congress was usurpation that ought to
be repudiated.
Reed, in reply, regretted that the
Speaker left his position to take part in
the discussion on the floor and introduce
into debate craftsmanship. This was a
public question. He believed the policy
of the tiitytirst Congress had received
the approval OF the supreme Court. He
regretted that the Democrats merely
adopted half of the rules OF the Fifty
first Congress, but thought they were on
a rNaH IN domino rhart1 al
The debate was continued by Messrs
Springer. Boatner, Hooker, Pickler.
Cummings, Hepburn and Bryan. Then
the subject was dropped ami Springer
introduced bill to provide for the coin
age of seignorage silver in the Treasury.
Referred.
Adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
WAsHINGToN, Aug. 29.-Voorhees,
Chairman Of the Finance Committee, re-
ported back the House bill repeating part
of the Sherman Act, with an amendment
in the nature of a substitute. He asked
that the bill be placed on the calendar.
and gave notice that he should ask the
Senate to take 1t up and consider it inn
mediately after the morning business
from this time on until final action
should be taken. The substitute, he
said, was exactly the bill heretofore re-
ported from the Finance Committee.
On the ODlectlOn OF 1eIler IL went over
till tomorrow.
Harris, member Of the Finance Com
mittee, said the substitute Just reported
was the majority report, IN which the
minority OF the committee did not concur.
y resolution offered yesterday by
Stewart was then laid before the Senate.
1t directs the Secretary of the Treasury
TO inform the Senate whether there is
danger OF deficiency in the revenues Of
the Government during the current year,
and, II so, W that Is the probable amount
OF such dehclency, and whether legisla
uon Is necessary 10 supply such defic-
ieucy. The resolution gave rise to long
discussion. Senators Sherman. Voorhees,,
Mills, MCPHERSON and Harris opposed the
resolution As calling Tor problematical
statements calculated to create needless
alarm, or as rejecting on the Secretary of
the Treasury. a motion to refer the res
olution to the Finance Committee was
made by VOORHEES,. That motion was
opposed by Hill and Stewart.
After some debate the resolution was
finally referred to the committee by a
vote of 40 to 10. Senators voting nay
Messrs. Allen, Gail, Dubois, Hans
brough, Hill, Jones tNevada), Lindsay,
PETER, Power, Shoup, Stewart, Teller,
White California;, and Walcott.
Dolph introduced a bill, which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign Re
lations, appropriating S500,000 to enable
the Secretary of the Treasury to enforce
the Chinese Exclusion Act, and said he