The Washington times., 1894-04-01
CLOAK ROOM AND GALLERY.

CLOAK ROOM AND GALLERY.
The past week has probably brought about
q moro general study of the rules Of the
House than any week this session or any
other since the days Of the Fifty-hrst Con-
gress, now famous in American parliament
ary history. The obstrucrionists on the floor
have been for the most part the members Of
the House Committee on Rules, but this
corps Of parliamentary fighters is constantly
receiving recruits from among the ranks. At
least half dozen other members on both
sides Of the House spend half their time in
thumbing the marbled-edged copies Of the
rules trying to find some opportunity to mark
them out as brilliant men. One Of the most
amusing features of the closing days Of the
week was to observe how, when Mr.. Crisp
was offered the Georgia Senatorship, each
member who had a Speakership bee in his
cap, endeavored to show his qualifications for
the office. 1t wouldn't do perhaps to mention
names, but the list was a fairly long one.
Mr.. Boutelle, OF Maine, has been one Of the
active 1libusterers, using his knowledge OF
parliamentary proceedings to embarrass the
Speaker as much as possible. But Mr..
Boutelle objects to what he calls Mr.. Crisp's
'noisiness" in the Chair. He declares that If
there was less pounding on the desk there
would be more quiet on the floor. and in
stances Mr.. Blaine's conduct while in the
Chair. 81 remember seeing the gavel which
Mr.. Blaine used just after it was given to
him on his leaving the Speakership," said
Mr.. Boutelle yesterday, land noticed that
piece of the mallet had been chipped of. I
commented on the fact to Mr.. Blaine, and he
said: Il didn't do that. One time gave up
the Chair for half an hour and when / came
back the chip had been knocked off, knew
then it was the work of an inexperienced
man."
The following story is going the rounds
about Senator Joe Blackburn: 1t was orig
inally told by Vice President Stevenson at a
recent dinner. In Kentucky town where
Joe was going TO speak there was hanging
set for the same afternoon. Joe's arrival
was heralded abroad, and a large crowd was
on hand to hear the words OF wisdom and OF
eloquence which always flow from q Ken
tuckian's lips. Finally the speaker arrived.
The hanging was a side-show, and for the
moment was forgotten in the anxiety to hear
the famous orator. But it was not forgotten
long. The condemned man suddenly inter-
posed: Mr.. Han gman." he said, ''if l re-
member right, was sentenced to be hung,
not to hear Joe Blackburn speak. / request
that you go on with the hanging"
This is q little like the story Justice Brewer,
Brown, his colleague and classmate at Yale in
the class OF 1S56-Depew's class, by the way.
According to Mr.. Brewer, Mr.. Brown was one
time trying a case in the Michigan circuit and
had made himself quite conspicuous for the
number and harassing character of his objec-
tions to the admission Of evidence, which
were just as frequently overruled by the judge.
At the end OF the trial the decision in the case
was in Mr.. Browns favor. He did not hear
the words of the court and had to turn to the
opposing counsel for the result. The answer,
according to Judge Brewer, came not loud
enough for everyone in the court to hear.
..Oh. the Judge only said he would rather give
you the case than to hear you talk any
longer"
at this end of the anabass Of the road
maker, has been trying to make a convert Of
''Buck" Kilgore. He told me yesterday"
said the Texan. THAT if would only use this
opportunity to make myself famous, would
'.what did YOU tell him." asked. Il told
him that l had not four years to waste in that
way was the answer. / suggested that the
colonel offer the place to some one else.
It is little sacrilegious, perhaps. to poke
fun as eulogy over deceased member of
Congress, but for an untrammeled and IN
restrained poeticai flight the efforts of Con-
gressmen Morse in the O'Neill eulogy yes
terday were quite unequaled. He quoted
from the Last Rose of Summer: then by
dexterous turn he manage to use q piece of
Thanatopsis. In an instant came a verse from
Gray's Elegy; the Psalm of Life and verses
from three hymns followed. The eulogy
might properly be termed Hours with the
Best Authors"
Tom Reed likes the Washington monument,
and he never tires Of it. man who knows
him well told me the other day that at least
half a dozen times has he heard the big
Maine statesman express his admiration for
the great white obelisk down by the river.
The other day he was showing a lady through
the Capitol. After he finished he strolled out
on the terrace and looked away in a reverie
toward the great silent sentinel that seems 10
stand guard over the city. Reed draws in
spiration every time he gazes at it, and he is
almost as imperturbable as ii is.
There is hitch over the settlement OF the
Boatner Pacific railway resolution owing to
the failure to bring about an understanding
between the House Judiciary and Pacific
Committees. A proposal had been
made by the latter committee that the ques-
ton be again referred to the Speaker and
that both committees abide by his decision.
Mr.. Boatner. who is member of both com
made an effort TO secure assent to
the proposal. but several members of the
Judiciary Committee were unwilling TO run
the risk of having the question go TO the
Pacific Railways Committee by any chance,
owing to the fact that legal questions would
certainly be raised. Then came rumors of
in the Pacific Railways Com
mittee, and it is understood now that the
whole question is as unsettled as before the
reference of the resolution.
Mr.. Mortou's Dccliration.
I"Hoiland" in Philadelphia Fressl