The morning call., 1894-02-16
NOT YET SETTLED.
Peckham's Enemies More
Hopeful.
BOTH SIDES SURPRISED.
No Action Taken in the Senate
Yesterday.
CLAIMS OF THE HILL FACTION.
They Have a Sufficient Number of
Votes Already to Defeat
Confirmation.
cLAIMS OF THE HILL FACTION.

WASHINGTON, Feb Is. The Vice
President came to the rescue of the Okla
homa townsite bill to-day and by his
vote broke the tie and passed the bill COM
pelling the Rock Island Railroad to stop
the trains at the new towns of Enid and
Round Pond. The measure has been
under discussion in the Senate for nearly a
week, and has been one of the most hotly
contested bills of the session. The fin al
vote stood 27 to 27 and the Vice President
promptly exercised bis prerogatve by
casting the deciding vote in favor of the
bill. The Senate amended the measure
however, and il must go back to the House
for the concurrence OF that body. Berry
and Palmer were the principal champions
OF the bill and Blackburn and Plat: the
leading opponents. The Senate went into
executive session after the bill passed and
considered Peckham's nomination with
closed doors.
When the Senate met George presented
the credentials of Senator-elect McLaurin
OF Mississippi and TIE oath Of Office was
administered to the new Senator.
a dill was presented by Hoar ITO Pre-
vent Lottery Practices" through the ma
tional and foreign mail service
Harris presented a bill to prevent con-
fiict between the Federal aud State courts
in all cases affecting private rights.
In the course Of the proceedings on the
town site bill PETER presented an amend
ment to provide that in any election for
the location of county seats all citizens of
the United States irres pective of sex shall
be entitled to vote. The amendment was
opposed by Black burn, but PETER made
StrOnU spaecb in, r.
Il intend" said he, "to avail myself of
every opportunity to give woman-God
bless her-every advantage, every right
and privilege have got" [Applause]
The amendment was defeated--15 10 40
Those voting for woman's suffrage were
Allison, Carey, Davis, Dopb, Frye, Gal
niger. HansbrOugh, Kyle, Manderson.
Mitchell. Orr, PETER, Perkins, Stewart.
Teller. Wilson.
The Senate then went behind closed
doors, and, as can be imag ned, there wa
some surprise when, after being in execu-
i've session for three hours, it adjourned
at $50 o'clock without taking action upon
the Peckham nomination. II had been
supposed that one sitting would suffice for
the consideration of the subject, and it
was not considered probable that either
side would ask for an adjournment. The
adjournment however. appears to have
been the result Of a general agreement.
and so little importance was attached to
1t that not one of the half-dozen Senator'S
questioned upon the subject could remem-
Der who moved the adjournment.
Representatives Of both sides assert that
the adjournment was without any signif
cance whatever. They say it became ap
parent that 1t would be impossible to con-
clude the consideration of the question be-
fore late in the night, as there were sew
eral speeches still to be made, and so the
whole thing was allowed to go over.
The anti-Peckham men are somewhat
more confident of the result tonight than
his friends. They display estimates of the
vote, giving fOrty-three votes against con-
hrmatioD. sufficient to insure rejection.
and eleven doubtful, OF which they claim
they will secure five or six.
The friends of Peckham, while not dis
playing estimates and not making such ex-
pllcit claims. are still hopeful, and say thew
are making gains.