Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-18
FOR CONTINUOUS SESSIONS
Mr. Harris Sprung That Proposition on
the Senate Last Evening.
A Lively Debate on Both sides-Mr.
Teller Defines His Positfon-No
Action Yet Taken.

The democratic managers Of the tariff
Dill sprung surprise upon their opponents
in the Senate yesterday afternoon by refus-
Ing to adjourn at O'Clock, the hour at
which the Senate usually ceases business
for the day under the present arrange
ment. The session was prolonged until
lO;So when. wearied by long waits and
fruitless roll calls. Senator Harris consent
ed to an adjournment When The Star
went to press in the afternoon Senator
Higgins was in the midst of his speech
about sectionalism in the tariff bill, and
then for upwards of an hour he and Sen
ator Allen were engaged in warm debate
as to the constitutionality of protection.
When Mr.. Higgins yielded the floor SEN
ators Aldrich and Lodge made brief speech
es, and the first vote of the day occurred
at about 4:lo on the committees amend
ment to the ocher paragraph. This was
agreed to-Sl to 20. The committees amend
ment on the varnish paragraph was also
accepted-29 to IL. Smooth progress was
the vermillion, whiting. zinc oxide and lead
acetate paragraphs. There was a short de-
bate on the white lead item, and Senator
Aldrich consumed some time by reading
a long letter.
MIR. Harris Moved q Recess,
Several votes were taken, with the uni
form result of sustaining the committee.
and just before o'clock Mr. Harris moved
recess until IL today. which would have
had the effect Of keeping the tariff contIn-
uously before the Senate. and so prevent
ing the consideration Of morning business
today. Mr.. Henderson, however, had Sc
cured the floor just previous to this to move
an adjournment. and after a brief discus
sion this motion was given the precedence,
but was lost-1t to 81. The question then
came on Mr.. Harris motion for a recess
and Mr.. Henderson made brief statement.
He disclaimed any intention of filibustering,
but deprecated the desire Of the democratic
managers to rush the tariff bill through to
the exclusion of all other business. r
1T seems to me-" he said, THE time has
hardly come for that sort of oppressive ac-
ton. We have been here laboriously today
and the heat is very oppressive. / for one
DO not propose, If i can prevent II by ac-
tion of mine, to cut OF members of the
Senate from the usual morning business
We have already consented to reduce IL
from two hours to one, and now the propo-
sition is to abolish IL altogether and to
Keep US here simply for the consideration
or this bill. and nothing else, no matter
now Important the matter may be that calls
Tor our consideration"
Waiting for . Quorum.
He moved to amend the motion to take a
recess until IL instead of IL, and there was
long discussion about the admissibility CT
such amendment, which was concluded by
r.
Henderson. Putting the question he
thought the noes had it, Mr.. Manderson
demanded the ayes and nays, but Mr. Vest
demanded a count of the seconds Fifteen
senators rose and the roll was called re-
sulting In yeas and IS NAYS On the mo-
ton to take the recess until IL the yeas
were none, and the nays So Senators Du-
bois and Teller voting with the democrats
oh the call for quorum only 81 Senators
answered. While the Senate was waiting
FOR a quorum, Mr.. Henderson moved an
adjournment at $50, and the yeas We're ~
ana nays 80, one short Of a quorum sOn
this vote Messrs. Dubois and Teller dvot ed
with the republicans At 80, no Quorum
having appeared Mr.. Aldrich moved an ad-
1ournment, which was lost IL to 20 At
40 Mr.. Pugh arrived, followed in a few
minutes by Mr. Martin, but still the Senate
was short of a quorum.
Al STA. the Senate having done nothing
on the bill since o'clock. Senator Chandler
showed signs OF irritation at the delay, and
asked for permission to submit some gen
eral remarks on the principles that ought
to govern the framing Of the tariff bill
The chair ruled that this would be out of
order. and then Mr.. Aldrich suavely in
Quired:
Would 1t be in order to move to send
the assistant doorkeeper Capt. Bassettt
after the sergeant-at-arms. to find out
whether anything is being done to secure a
quorum
Soon afterwards the report Of the SER
geant-at-arms wac laid before the Senate
showing: Ten Senators are absent from
the, city; twenty-five Senators have not yet
been found; one. the senior Senator from
Vermont CHR. MORRILL,. says his health will
not permit him to attend: nineteen of those
reported absent are now present or have
said that they would come at once"
At $50 Mr.. Chandler said: Il take the
liberty, although / may subject myself to
the charge of absurdity. to cali attention.
to the fact that the senior Senator from
Tennessee (Mr. Harris) is not recorded AS
present" 49,
He has been very numerously present
for good while" tartly responded Mr..
Harris.
Quorum, but No business.
Fifteen minutes later Mr.. Harris had his
name called and responded, and a moment
or two later Senator Aldrich. by a ques-
ton, disclosed the presence of a quorum.
whereupon he moved to dispense with
further proceedings under the call, which
was lost, yeas 3. noes 81, no quorum. The
roll call showed i3 present but on the next
division the yeas were none and the noes
81 Another roll call showed 45 present..
Senator Henderson at this time made a
brief speech. He said that the effect OF the
proposition of Mr.. Harris to take recess
was a practical denial of the right Of pc
tition. 1t meant that no matter how i'm
portant a petition, a bill or resolution that
the Senators might desire to introduce. the
opportunity could not be given him to do
so. No haste can be forced in the con-
sideration of this bill by any such method.
i want no delay on this bill. i want no
time taken for the mere sake of taking up
time" He said that he had no question
but that IL in the morning. with the repub-
lican side fully represented, Mr.. Harris had
suggested to the Senate his desire fof
unanimous consent with two or three days
notice in advance, for 10 O'Clock sessions,
with an hour for morning business. u
would have been acceded to. ~
Mr.. Harris disclaimed any idea of being
unfair in adopting the method he did, and
said 1t was not contemplated an hour be-
fore the motion was made. He had no
dream of taking advantage Of anybody. He
charged Mr.. Henderson with Inconsistency,
for the latter had moved and voted for re-
cess after recess during the silver repeal
debate. After a further colloquy betw cen
these Senators. Mr.. Teller took the floor
and made an earnest speech. in which he
said that everybody knows that IL the tariff
bill Is passed between now and the 4th OF
March next there must be more progress
made with it.
Mr.. Teller Declines His Position.
II am opposed to this bill: / am not going
to vote for it; but 1 expect 1t to be passed.
II s~