New-York tribune., 1894-04-13
PRICE THREE CENTS.
HOW TO GETA CRISP QUORUM
THE SPEAKERS LATEST SCHEME 10
FINE NON-VOTING MEMBERS slO
THE RIDICULOUS PROPOSITION SUBMITTED BE
THE COMMITTEE ON Ru,LEs-MANY DEMO-
Gratis AGAINST IT-BoURKE COCHRAN
FOR COUNTING QUoRUI
WHEN II Is THERE.
tBy TELEGRAPH TO TIE rIBcyE.l

WHEN II Is THERE.
lBY TELEGRAPH TIE raIBCNEl
Washington, April 12-Speaker Crisp and his
followers in the House of Representatives to-day
attempted to carry out the plan outlined in these
dispatches to punish any member who may be
absent, except on account OF sickness by the im-
position of a fine The plan IS more comprehen-
sive and its provisions a.e more harsn. as wen
as unlawful and unconstitutional, than 1t was az
first proposed TO make them Here It Is in all its
beauty and completeness:
Rescind Clause l Of Rule and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
Livery member shall be present within the
House during It's sttlngs unless excused or neces-
sarlly prevented; and shall vote on each question
put unless he has a direct personal or pecuniary
interest in the event Of such question.
Whenever in pursuance of Sec ion 5. Article OF
the Constitution of the United States, the House OF
Representatives. at the request Of one-hfth OF the
members present, shall order the yeas and nays
Of it's members any question 10 be entered on its
journal. and upon call of the roll OF its members
for that purpose. quorum thereon snail iaii 10
vote each member within the hall Of the House
who shall fail to vote when his name Is called, un-
less ne has direct personal pecuniary interest
in the of such question, and each member
who shall be absent from the hall OF the HOUSE
when his name IL called, unless he has been ex-
cused or is necessarily prevented. from being pres
shall cause an entry of such fine to be- made against
such members on the journal of the House and the
same shall be collected and paid into the Treasury
OF the United States. The entry Of such fine SHAH
be made substantially in the following FORM viz:
'The House OF Representatives of the United
States AT the request OF one-hfth OF it's members
present having ordered the yeas and nays OF Its
members on a question pending therein to be en-
tered on It's journal. and upon call of the roll OF
its members for that purpose. quorum thereof
| ha
and State of the member or members nhedl haEins
vote when his name was called, without having a
direct personal or pecuniary interest IN me eveht
sent from the hall Of the House when MS name
was called without having been excused, or neces-
sarily prevented from being present It Is therefore
ordered and adudged by the House OF Representa-, a
Of $40 be. and the same is here hereby entered
against here set out the name of the memDea Dsa
the Treasury OF the United States; - . g..
The names of all members who shall be fined
on the same roll call may be included in single
entry or the journal; and If fines shall be entered
more than one roll call during tne snr hnrsto shall
entry. Fine Number Three" and so on. 1t shall be
the duty of the clerk of the House to certify to
the Sergeant at Arms OF the House the names o.
all members against whom fines are entered. ana no
| unless they shall be voluntarily paid to him ne
shall deduct the amount OF said hneS IRON ron me sne
compensation Of said members and all sums hs Ihhs az
may be paid to, or so deducted by hin shaii s ne
| 4 cali of the roll of the members OF the House
| shall not be deemed TO have been completed un,.
fhp
| recaraIng fines which may be imposed on members
| in pursuance OF the provisions OF THIS ruie: A.,
| Speaker entertain a request for unanimous consent
| to remit the fines required 10 be entered as aiore-
said
| The Constitution does not give the House of
Representatives authority to punish member
who Is present for refusing to vote audpy OF
| otherwise when his name is called II, or less
than a quorum OF its members. may compel the
| 'attenda nee Of absent members in such manner
and under such penalties" As II may provide put
| no authority is granted to impose any penalty I9r
| a refusal 10 vote. Some of the ablest and SOUND
| est lawyers in the House therefore mold that the
proposed provision 10 fine members VINO pelhs
! present shall refuse 10 vote Is merely an empty
! threat because no such provision cOuld De en-
| forced.
no AUTHORITY To FINE MEMBERS
The Constitution says that no citizen shall os
| deprived Of his property without due process OK
law" There is no statute which authorizes the
House of Representatives 70 fine memoer ror
refusing To vote. and the Supreme Court OF the
United states has decided that the salary or
| member of congress cannot be attached by his
creditors The proposed rule makes the Spedhsr
Of the House a sort of petty justice 20 ny MS
peers and without hearing even 10 nlulCt 'neni,
and It also appoints me , az and turn them
into the Treasury Of the United states; a new ,
source Of National revenue mas mus peth Us rs
covered by the Democratic triumNlrate. Ioi .re
ruIa also proyides that the House snail not re-
nit any fine that has been imposed by tne
Sneaker and also that he shall not eh'ertaln ehi
a request for unanimous consent Tor ihe teIn's
! sion If any fine and II does not authorize MIN 10
remit anv fine. He could not do 4 In any event
after the daily Journal OF proceedings mda IT,, o,e,
| annroved How is the Speaker 10 know tnat
! ,1an,ber who IS absent ana is therefore mucteo
s1O ON account Of every call of the yeas ana hdys
during his absence was nor soy ,s me ine
| - no ren,itted II the member upon his return
shall be able to show he was hecessa'"! p'"
vented from being present
BROUGHT IN WITH A QUORUM PKESENl'
R,t II would require too much space 10 poihe
out all or even a half Of the absurd uhJu~
and outrageous consequences which wouiu IN
o,,.ah,y follow the adoption and enforcement OK
tho nronosed rule The simple fact that this ruie
u.as hr,ught in and an attempt made To force II
| through when members to the number OF MORO
| than eco far above the NUMBER requireu 70 IN, -
s,itnto a ouorum were in their seats shows now
! imnroner unnecessary and ridiculous such q
rule is A constitutional quorum was presen'. al. az
| though the Speaker had refused 10 ai'oM ',,as s
fact 10 no officially ascertained; but IL was not
| I"vs .-,sn ouorum' and therefore. the Speaker
| raeused 70 recognize It, So determined was ne
10 ignore 1t and thrust upon the ttouse .ne ,uo I
| framed by himself and his two Denocrauc col
! iaaoues of the Committee on Ruies-potn Oh
,honn Il IL understood are in favor or counting
| a n,,or,lm when necessary-that ne Vlttuany ie
III IL decision OF yesterday, which was In
| srhstance and effect that the House was IN inc
~, 81 %oting on Springer's motion, and therefore
| that no other business coulo "'e' WIN "''>' "
! motIon had been disposed or , ..,,
ue also repeatedly refused to recognize men, men,
! IL ~. O. ,he minority 10 submit points or order
oS' % .raais from his rulings, and. in nne' ne
o rods rroughshod over the rights OF the minority
repariless OF parliamentary law, rules ana prece.
80 Ills course provoked private express'ons
us",S s siso,nroval among a considerable number o.
Womocrat,c members and the proposed rule was
not only privately denounced by them as snanie me.
~. III and outra geoils as well as unnecessary. ous
" iu' ~ ~ rumher OF eleven they voted against Inc
| motion for the previous question:
DENOUNCED BY DEMOCRATS
A prominent Democratic member OF the house
l., d,versat,on with a Tribune correspondent To-
night on this subject said: