Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-02
SOME HOT TALK
Indulged in by Members on the Floor
of the House.
THE HAWAIIAN RESOLUTION fHE CAUSE
Mr., BoutelIe and His Privileged Res
olution Interposed.
CONSIDERABLE CONFUSION

Before the reading of the Journal this
morning Mr.. Morse CMass), rising to a
parliamentary inquiry. asked IL it would be
IN order for him TO offer his amendment to
the title OF the tariff bill. The Speaker
stated IL would not. The amendment which
Mr.. Morse desired to offer would have made
IT read as follows:
"A bill to increase taxation, reduce the
revenue OF the govern ment ana to place at
disadvantage honest men who make
truthful returns. and for other purposes
The Committee On Rules Report
As soon as the journal was read the
Speaker recognized MIR. Catchings. from the
committee on rules. to present from that
committee report setting aside today,
Saturday and Monday for the consideration
Of the McCreary Hawaiian resolution.
That the favorable report of the COM
mittee on foreign affairs on the Hawaiian
question shall be taken up forthwith and
be considered today and the next two legis-
lative days-Saturday and Monday. The
vote Is TO be taken at 4 O'Clock Monday
afternoon, at which time no Intervening
motions shall be in order. The rule fur
ther provides that Immediately after vot-
ing on the majority report the House shall
take up the minority report on Hawaii
for consideration until it is disposed Of.
Mr. BoutelIe Again.
MI Souteile tMe) was on mis- feet, clam
oring for recognition to call up his Ha-
waiian resolution. but the Speaker declined
20 recognize HIM until the report was read
Then, being recognized, Mr.. Boutelle said
that he raised the point of order that the
report Of the committee on rules could not
| displace a privileged resolution affecting
the rights, nay, the very existence of the
House itself The very wording of the re-
port. he urged, ought to demonstrate the
lnccrgruity Of this proceeding. Here we
have question of privilege" said he, 'iaf-
fecung the existence and rights of the
House, delayed for six weeks from consid-
Grafton, and now IL is proposed that a re-
port from committee shall take pre-
cedence over question vital to the con-
sututional functions OF the House. For
six weeks my resolution reciting that the
executive had invaded the privileges of the
House he's been pending, and IL seems to
me every rule Of orderly procedure and
common sense demand that the validity
of those charges shall be investigated. II
al the allegations made are true that the
President has infringed upon the functions
OF the House the proceedings of the House
are TO that extent invalidated. II cannot
| be possible that Congress can go on In this
way II 50. the future looms up in IN IN
| extricable tangle.''
MT. Boutelle went on TO cite precedentD
OF thirty years. which, he claimed. suppurt-
e hi: point Of order. ana in sccordancs
question OF privilege be submitted for the
determination of the House.
The Speakers Ruling.
The Speaker in making his ruling stated
that beyond question the ordinary pro-
ceedings of the House could be interrupted
by question OF privilege or a privileged
question. But under the rule under which
the House had been operating for the past
four weeks all extraneous proceedings
under an order which had superseded the
ordinary nf he
order
If there was any impropricty in this tt
was the action of the House. not the action
of the Speaker. Yesterday that order ex-
hausted itself. Today wher the House met
report was presented from the committee
on rules, which the rules provide shall al
ways he in order. This report was 20 con-
slider the very subject dealt with by the
resolution of the gentleman from Maine.
The House was now TO be given an op-
portunity TO decide by vote whether it
should proceed with the consideration OF
the resolution from the committee on for
eign affairs. of the resolution of the gem
tleman from Maine. The report could work
no hardship; the whole matter was In the
hands of the House.
As the Speaker was concluding his ruiz
ing Mr.. Boutelle sought TO interrupt him.
but the chair declined to hear him the
ground that he had given him fun time to
make his statement.
Il suppose the Speaker cannot prevent
me from making my statement after the
r.
Boutelle hotly.
''The chair has no doubt that the gen.
tleman will have full time" replied the
Speaker.
II have no doubt he will have" returned
Mr.. Boutelle he took his seat.
The previous question was then ordered
without division and fifteen minutes allowed
on each side for debate.
Mr. Boutelie Gets an Opportunity.
Mr.. Reed. who controlled the time Of the
minority, yielded three minutes to Mr. Bou-
telle. AS the chair seemed strongly in
disposed to allow him to call his attention
to matters affecting his rulings. said ne,
sarcastically. he would take this opportun-
ity TO do so. He was proceeding TO discuss
the effect of the adoption of ,hs special or
der. In reply TO some ironIcal remark frcm
Mr.. Catchings of Mississippi ne said he
presumed II the gentleman tMr Catchnes)
had known him al more remote period he
would have supposed him a fit subject for
lunatic asylum or a military prison. tDem-
ocratic jeers.)
He went on to criticise the democratic
triumvirate which he said dominated the
proceedings Of the House. and in the course
of his remarks asked what the House would
40 on occasions when the master (refer-
ring to the Speaker was absent at a ban
quet given in honor of the memory OF Gen.
Robert IL. Lee. What will the democratic
majority do then TO sneak away from its
responsibility"
Messrs. burrows mud Reed Protest.
Mr. Burrows. in a few words protested
against what he deemed the growing power
OF the committee on rules. and especially
its power to set a limit TO subjects which
the House was to consider. Mr. Reed called
attention TO the fact that there was a much
easier way out OF this matter than that
adopted by the democratic side. Mr.. Bou-
telle's resolution could have been disposed
of by raising the question of consideration
against IL.
But, instead. said he. by slow degrees this
House is definitely getting Itself In posi-
ton which will deprive It of the power TO
consider a question of privilege: In other
words of the power TO supervise its own ex-
istence. He characterized the successive
rulings of the chair utter absurdity.
Some Lively Words Uttered.
Mr. Catchings then rose to explain the
purpose of bringing in the special order BY
this time the House or a strain and
tension. Mr.. Catchings said that the COM
mittee thought the submission of the special
order the quickest and most effective way to
give the House an opportunity to determine
what il would do.
1T is the same sort OF proceeding that
characterizes the lynchings in the south"