The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1894-04-26
TOM REED REJOICES,
THE RULE TO COUNT A QUORUM
ADOPTED IN THE HOUSE.

Forty Niue Democrats Record T...ir OPP
posit 'on--To Check Finbustertup-Dlr
forent from Roed's Unau,ho, lied Ruling
In tho 51st Cengrcas.
WASHINGTON, Aprill7.-The Uouae
was precipitated at once. upon the
opening of the session today, into an
animated, not to say bitter, controver.
sy over the proposition to count quo.
rum. Immediately after the chaplain
nad concluded the Lords Prayer, MI
Catchlngs got the floor and stated that
by direction of the COMMITTEES on rules,
he would withdraw the report Of the
committee made last week, proposing
u line members for unexcused absen-
ceS and failures to vote. That having
been done, he offered the resolution
agreed upon by the committee as a
substitute for the DeArmond resoIu.
tion, referred to the committee by the
Democratic caucus last Friday. Fol
lowing Is the resolution:
Amend Rule Is, by inserting between
Clauses and the following as Claus.
and change the number of before the
beginning thereof, the speaker shall
name two members, one from each side
or the pending question, If practicable,
who shall take their places at the clerks
desk to tell the names OF at least
enough members who are in the hall
or the House during the roll call who
DO not respond, when added to those
responding, to make quorum. If q
quorum does not respond on the roll
call, then the names Of those so noted
Or present shall be reported to the
speaker, who shall cause the list to be
called from the clerks desk and record.
ed on the journal; and In determining
the presence of a quorum to do busi.
ness, those who voted, those answered
present and those so reported present.
shall be considered. Members noted
may, when their names are called, re-
cord their votes Notwithstanding the
provisions of Clause Of the Rule.
Amend Clause 1 of Rule by adding
thereto the following words: And on q
roll call, should he not vote, he shall
answer present" so as to read "Eyery
member shall be present within the
nail or the house during its sittings,
ed, and shall vote on each question nut.
unless he has a direct personal or pecu.
mary interest In the event of such
question, and on a roll call should he
not vote, he shall answer present"
When 1t had been read Catchings
asked unanimous consent that the pre-.
vious question on the passage Of the
resolution be considered ordered, and
that debate be closed in an hour and
half, the time to be controlled by the
Speaker of the House. At once there
was opposition manifested On the Dem
ocratic SIDE, and so much confusion
existed that the proceedings could not
be distinguished at the Speakers desk.
burrows asked to be allowed to offer
as substitute for the rule reported
the rule 1nforced IN the Fifty.first Con.
gress, as representing the views Of the
This was agreed to and the 1ule was
read as follows: "On the demand of any
membsr or at the suggestion of the
Speaker, the names Of members sufl.
clent to make a quorum in the hall of
the House who do not vote, shall be
noCeo Dy the clerk and recorded in the
journal and reported to the Speaker
with tho names Of the members voting.
ana be counted and announced in de-
terminlng the presence Of O quorum to
40 business" (Clause 3, Rule Is, Fifty. |
first COngress.)
Catchings' request for unanim Gus
consent was then submitted, and Wells |
Dem OF Wisconsin objected.
Catchlngs then moved that the pre-.
Ylous question be ordered on the pas
sage OF the resolution. On division, the
vote was ayes, 1873; nays, 50.
me Republicans generally voted |
against ordering the previous Question,
The yeas and nays were demanded and
ordered, resulting yeas, 14O; nays. I2O:
80 the previous question was ordered.
burrows said that the rule reported
by the committee and the substitute
offered by him both contained the prin-
ciple OF counting a quorum, differing
only as to detail. Not desiring to em,
oarrass or delay the option of the prjn-
,iple by the House, desiring rather
That the Democratic majority should
nave an unobstructed opportunity
% endorse the Fifty.first Congress, he
would withdraw the substitute
The debate was opened by Catchings
n explanation of the rule, saying it
vas the result of the action of the eau
;us of last Friday.
Springer said the proposed rule con-
emplated no change of the Constitu-
Ion; 1t was only a proposition whereby
he House could do the business for
which the members had been sent here.
Republican applause) The House
lad sat here for a month past and done
scarcely two days work. He was tired
# THE said. and hoped the House was.
he should hail the adoption of the
'ule as the dawn Of better era in pro.
noting legislation. (The delivery of
opr1nger's remarks was accompanied
by almost continuous applause from
'he Republican benches.)
Kilgore was greeted with round Of
as he began to speak, which
caused Speaker Crisp to warn the gale.
ries that they were present by courtesy
ot the House, and that the rules re-
luired them to refrain from any dem.
onstration whatever. "In this case"
'aid the Speaker, "the chair noticed
hat the applause started in the gale
les"
Kilgore said he rose chiefly to ex.
press his unalterable opposition to the
adoption of the rule, Of which the gen.
'Ieman from Maine (iteed) was the pa
rent. The rule was unnecessary In his |
opinion. Rules were not adopted by |
parliamentary bodies to expedite but |
70 hinder the transaction Of business;
to bride the majority and to compel |