Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-24
Bland. Grosvenor Republican), Of Ohio
and Reed.
MIR JOHNSON'S CASE.

his name from the list OF arrested mem
bers Mr. johnson was called TO oruer
several times. but concluded his remarks
after two or three lively passages AT arms.
He stated that last night he called tne
attention OF the Sergeant-at-Arms 10 the
error In his return. and hoped that uy
this time b. would have voluntarily
amended Il. He moved that the Ser
geant-at-Arms b. instructed to fnvesti-
gate his Oohnson's) case. and II II DE
found that the return Is Incorrect 10
amend It.
This motion was declared to- be out or
order and the Chair ruled that MT
Reeds point was well-taken that every
gentleman under arrest was entitled 10
a separate hearing. because the circum-
stances in the several cases might De dii-
ferent.
Mr. Bland then moved that the gen.
tleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Adams)
be excused. and. speaking to the mo-
ticn, said he could see that In evokinS
leaves and ordering the arrest of MEM
bers without notice, there was some hard
ships: but gentlemen should remember
that for two weeks the House had been
obstructed by the lack of a quorum, and
that the public press had been full of
notices that the presence or members
was necessary 10 the conduct of business.
and to their constituencies required them
10 be present i'm their seats and answer
10 their names on roll-calls. (Applause)
Referring to the question OF the validi-
~ OF the warrant issued I'm this case.
Mr.. Bland said he had never known IL
10 be questioned before. and he warned
members who undertook 10 quash It that
they would find themselves quashed by
their constituents.
MIR. BLAND WROUGHT Up.
Continuing. Mr.. Bland said: "Now Mr.
! Speaker, / wish TO remark that on yes
terday a scene occurred in this House such
as have never seen before in my service
j saw gentlemen rise In their seats and
boast that they had SET AT defiance the
writ and order OF this House Mr.
Speaker II that IL not anarchy and reyo-
luton. what is anarchy and revolution?
I applause on Democratic side) We In
this House are the fountain and source Of
the power that makes laws for the people
OF this country. II we resolve ourselves
into body Of Anarchists. and If some one
IN the gallery should throw n dynamite
bomb and explode it among us he would
BE- no less or no more Of an Anarchist
Than members (hsses); and II gem
tlemen believe (cries OF 'Shame,D that In
the condition of this country az this time
if,they believe, when the business interests
of this country are not prospering. when
millions Of people are out of employment,
when mon are begging FOR bread. when
they are In the throcs Of hunger and star
walton. whn they are looking 10 this
House and this Congress FOR relief, when
they expect we will do something I'm the
nature OF relief. We may turn
/ ourselves into body or flibus-
| torers and obstructionists and Anarchists
despite our own rules. and set at defiance
the laws of our country-caE We expect
that these millions will not also become
Anarchists and set at defiance sHae laws OF
this country? They have an example
from us
"T say. Mr.. Speaker. the times are not
propltous for the proceedings we nave lh
this House. We were sent mere 10 90 our
duty. We are here. and we are Suppos-h
! 10 be doing our duty when great large
| mass Of the people are begging TOT bIe"''
I The people of this country do not go 10
/ their beds i'm comfort. i'm peace, ana ITO
safety. and w. are teaching TO the An
archist nobs in this country thdt mnp-
| ism Is the prevailing rule IN this House
| AIr. Compton DemocraO, Of Maryland,
| followed Mr. Blaid. insisting that the at
! tentiOn OF the House should be conlneu
! 70 the question before it-viZ., me as
| charge OF the gentleman from Pennsly-
.ania. Discussing the suilclelcy of the
| warrant, Mr.. Compton said that to lass
| he motion of MIR. Reed would be to re-
lot uron the faircst ard most compe-
/ tent Speaker who ever occupied the chair
| and upon the faithful ard efficient officer
| who had executed the order of the House
| Ne declared that no warrant eyer issued
| by Speaker contained the LaileS ol t"e
members to be arrested.
IA
. held I'm his hand a warrant issued in the
| Twenty-sccoud Congress, when they dld
/ thirgs in order" which contained the
name Of a member. Republican laughterD
Mr.. Compton asked If the member
named in the warrant had not been ar
rested fOr assault.
Mr.. Burrows answered that he I'D not
know: he had happened 10 have II his
| hand the warrant when the gentleman had
| asserted that no warrant had ever been
! issued with the name of the member 10 be
| arrested in 1t. and he felt called uDOn 10
present II as evidence TO the contrary.
Mr.. Turner Democrat. Of Georgia, ar
gIed the legal aspects Of the case con-
tending that the warrant was valid ara
competent under the practice OF the House.
and to a question from Mr.. Duln Demo
| craD, of New York he asserted tndt the
agent of the House had the right 20 ar
rest a member for delinquency wherever
he was found. whether he was at his
desk on the nOor or elsewhere.
QUORuM-COUNTING.
lie paid some attention 10 the matter
Of counting a quorum by the Speaker and
stated that the Supreme Court had never
decided that the Speaker could count a
quorum, but had said the House had the
power 10 make a rule authorizing the
SPEAKER TO do SO. by no vote OF MS
.Ns4E f..tH
power in the hands OF Speaker to count
quorum as he might see lit. II was too
dangerous d power 10 put into d'y one
hand.
\ colloquy beteween Mcssrs. Reed and
Turner ensued. In which the formers
counting of a quorum in the litly-Hrst
Congress and the decision Of the supreme
Court as 10 what constituted quorum
were reviewed, Mr.. Reed r~iteratins that
the court had decided that a pr sent quo
rum was the constitutional quorum.
Mr.. Dunn DemOcrlO, d New Jersey
wks given five minutes by Mr.. Reed ana
returned thanks for the courtesy, saying
he had tried TO beg, borrow. ~ steal uVe
minutes from his own eide. bu' bdG peen
unable 10 get il. lie was Onr Of those un-
der arrest and he claimed that 1t was by
unauthorized and unconstitutional Ifo-
cess. III others were ~ thc same LOsitoh
as himself they could not afford 20 acct pt
"A DISCHARGE until their rights had been de-
cided He was not absent iTom the rouse
Monday. and could not properly he m
cluded within the lust Of hose suhS@ct 10
arrest. Mr.. Dunn asked that resolution
ne offered be accepted by Mr.. Bland as
an amendment to his motion - erase from
the warrant the names of those who we're
apprehended by the Sergeant-at-Arms
while on the floor OF :he House. where
according TO the rules. he had no power
over them.
Mr.. Bartlett OemOcrap. OF ~" 1orh'
said the question before the House was
one OF far more importance than one
merely affecting the few individuals before
the bar. Ii was the question OF establish
ing n precedent authorizing the arrest OF
members by warrant which no one WIN
the slightest fundamental knowledge OF
the law would say was valid or coihpe-
tent.
A BLAND SURPRISE.
Mr.. Bland at this point sprung a sur
prise upon the House. which led TO an
easy and rapid disposal OF the question
He said that under the rules he believed
he had the right TO withdraw the pend
ing motion, and to move in It's stead
that all proceedings under the call or TIE
House OF the 18th. under which the ar
rests We're made. BE- dispensed with.