The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-08

| vious question could be considered al
seconded. he was perfectly willing thai
the half hour might be extended t.
such reasonable time today as might
be desired for debate-say to or 3.3(
o'clock.
Bland, who leads the opposition, sale
that he had no disposition to delay the
final vote on the bill. He hoped, how
ever. that its friends would permit II
to come up in regular order and to be
debated in q regular way. The gentle
man in charge of the bill and 4 major
| itv with him and could under the rules
| of the House move the previous ques-
tion at any time. He did not see the
| necessity of his demanding the previ-
Gus question on this occasion. 1t seem.
ed to him that the gentleman from
West Virginia should let the debate 20
on and when he thought, or when the
House thought, that the debate had
gone far enough, be could move the
previous question.
Wilson said that the parliamentary
difficulty in the way was that 1t he did
not move the previous question he
would lose control of the bill and the
debate would 60 on with opportunities
for the Offering of all eorts Of amend
ments. Livingston of Georgia suggest.
ed that the previous questions be con.
sidered ordered, that five minute
speeches be allowed to members to ex-
plain their votes up to o'clock this af-
ternoon. He did not desire that Will
son should lose control of the bill.
Stockdale (Dem.) of Mississippi com.
planned that the members were In the
hands of the member from West Vir-
ginia and bad to get his permission even
to make an Inquiry.
Wilson said that be had no objection
to an inquiry.
Stockdale asked whether there were
no rights for members of the House
except for those who controlled the
billP Had members to ask any man
for the precious privilege Of exercising
their rights as American representa-
tives?
Livingston assured Wilson that the
friends of silver did not intend to OBJ
struct the passage Of the bill. They
were inst as anxious to get 1t out OF
the way and to go home as the others
were. They wanted the Democratic
party to be harmonized again II possi-
BILE. [Laughter.] But at the same time
the silver men wanted an opportunity
to give their votes, and that could be
done before 4 o'clock.
Wilson said he had practically made
that proposition. 49,,
Livingston: As the chairman Of the
Committee on Coinage, Weights and
Measures (Bland) does not accept that
proposition, will accept it. Laugh
ter.
BRYAN of Nebraska asked Wilson
whether the object of the previous
question was to prevent the House
from having the chance to vote on
amendments that might be offered.
Wilson: That Is one reason, yes.
BRYAN. I want the record to show
that those who are In charge of the bill
are not willing to have amendments
voted on.
Wilson: The House has already vot-
ed on all amendments that were offered
on that side.
Livingston: understood the gentle
man from West Virginia to agree that
amendments might be offered.
A chorus of members: On, no, moth
ing of the sort.
Wilson: made no agreement about
that, I do not understand whether the
gentleman from Missouri. speaking
for his side of the question, has accept
ed my proposition or not.
Bland: accept no proposition except
the bill shall come up in the regular
way.
The Speaker: Objection is made and
now the question is on secondiDg the
previous question. [Cries of "Vote,
vote"
AS the Speaker put the question on
Wilson's motion, Bryan began series
of obstructive motions, the 1irst being
one to adjourn. That was voted down
26 to 1870. Then came motion for
recess till 8 p. NJ, which was killed, Il
to 19l. Then in rapid succession (yeas
and nays being refused, and tellers be-
ing also refused) came motions to ad.
lourn till Friday and till Saturday, and
motions to take recess till various
hours named. These obstructive mo-
tions were treated good humoredly by
the House, and the Speaker counted
the votes on each occasion and an
nounced them with as much serious
ness and regularity as If thu motions
were important ones.
After some dozen of them had been
made, and disposed of, Wells of Wis
consin caused general laughter by in
curing whether the Committee on
Rules had not some ready made rule
that would operate in this case. Soon
afterwards a motion was made by
Henderson that the House take a recess
of five minutes in order that the Com
mittee on Rules might bring on a clo-
ture rule, but the Speaker said that he
declined to put the motion. Hender-
sons motion was repeated within five
minutes by Morse of Massachusetts,
and Reed remarked that the Committee
on Rules had the right to act.
"The Chair did not consider the mo-
ton of the gentleman of Massachusetts
as serious" said the Speaker.
I'll supposed he was," said Reed, and
there Was a laugh.
Finally in the confusion Of obstruc.
tive motions, the Speaker suddenly put
the question and declar d (amid much
handclapping ana exultation) that the
previous question was ordered.
Wilson hen took the floor and yield
ed ten minutes to Bland. Bland sent
to the Clerks desk and had read an
amendment which he had intended to
offer. reviving aud re-enactlng the law
of 1887 for the unlimited coinage of
silver, and wound ~ bis brief speech
ot protest by saying that the whole
thing was stock jobblng operation.