The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-13
THIS IS THE DECISIVE DAY.
Ii the Senate Adopts Hills Resolution
the House Will Yield.
The Biii Technically Before the House
fs Can Be Taken Up mt Once and
Senate Ameaamsnts Agreed ro-1he
Caucus May Decide to DO This.

tfo4h carry morning Until late tonight II
has been day of conferences at the Whf,s
House, at the private residences of the
eonierees and at the hotels. Sec
retary Carlisle was with President
Cleveland throughout the afternoon.
The senate aud house conferees made
no effort to get together, and they
remain as wide apart as when their meet
ing broke up on Friday Hight. Tue housa
eonterees were in consultation iufornallv
most Of the day. though at no time we're
they all together at once. Chairman VIII
son spent the day with Representative
Breckinridge of Arkansas at the Norman
die hotel and was there called upon by the
other cenferees- Mr.. Wilson did not see
the president today.
The meeting Of the house conferees was
as to the line of action at the caucus To-
morrow and In the subs eaaent proceed-
ings of the house and senate. They re-
viewed the situation from every possible
standpoint, and prepared themselves for
all emergencies. As one of them said to-
night, it was going eyeE the field Of bat
tie and learning the topography of the
ground on the night before the great fight
AT the outset the house conferees salts
ned themselves of the parliamentary
situation of the bin. They did this with
the greatest care. Speaker Crisp was asked
to examine with care the precedenrs bear
ing on the case, and he in turn consulted
Secretary Carlisle, who is ex-speaker of
the house and is regarded rs one of the
best authorities on parliamentary Law.
From the examination which has been
made the conferees were fully satisfied
that the house of representatives had
the. right to pass the senate bin now
or at any time. This determination
went much furtner than has hereto fore
been understood. 1t was that the house.
having the actual physical possession of
the tariff bill. could pass it with the SEN
ate amendments before the Hill resolu-
ton was passed tomorrow or after the Hill
resolution was defeated. So confident
were the house conferees Of their
right to pass the bill at any time
that it is regarded that their right
is entirely unaffected by anything the
senate could do with the Hill resolution
or with any other resolution. They rec
o:nized that there were some precedents
against this position, but they regarded
the overwhelming force of authority as
with them. and they therefore accented il
as settled that the house had supreme
authority over the bill. without reference
TO what the senate might do tomorrow or
thereafter.
This conclusion was of the utmost i'm
portance in bearing on the action of the
caucus tomorrow. II assured them. in the
first place, there was no need of immediate
action toward accepting the senate bill be-
fore Hills resolution could be taken up in
the senate. 1t had been feared Mt first
that the house caucus. which begins at
o'clock, would be compelled to take hasty
action in accepting the senate bill, in order
to prevent the house from losing its on
portunity to pass the senate bill by the
adoption of the Hill resolution. 1t was
agreed, however, tha. no such haste was
necessary. On the contrary, il was felt
that the house, in having possession of the
bill and parliamentary right to pass it
at any time. had everything to gain and
nothing to lose by deliberate action.
Under these circumstances il was deemed
advisable TO inform the house fully as to
the situation and to explain that precipi-
tation in accepting the senate bill would
gain nothing. while deliberate action in
waiting to see what the senate would do
might accomplish much good. 1t was
pointed out in this connection that
the house need be in no fear
of the Hill resolution being rushed
through. Mr.. Wilson and his associates
have some staunch friends in the senate.
notably Senators Villas, Gray, Lindsay and
Others, who could, if the occasion re-
quired, insist on very complete debate Of
the Hill resolution. which debate might
last from day to day. This the house con-
ferees regarded as assuring them a breath
ing spell and as making il plain that the
house need not rush to its conclusion. En-
tertaining these views the house conferees
did not believe it was necessary or prudent
for the house caucus tomorrow TO then and
there pass resolution 10 at once accert
the senate bill. They realize that the sit
uation Is so eriticel that the question of
accepting the senate bill might come be-
fore the caucus and develop such
overw helming and resistless force that
il would be useless TO oppose a.
They were prepared for this emer-
gency. and we're ready 70 accept II
II It came. They would not. however.
counsel IL themselves. and II it came e
would have 70 be the outgrowth Of this
spontAneous sentiment In the caaens. lt
was felt. hoseFer. that q dispasslon4ts
statement ~ the ease. shosinx that tte
house soala io.s nons oi its rghf o. pass
tas ssaafs biu - asfegrlnr aciion ~
fAv aF o.. muald hFlnE ahaaf a
elnserrauFs Frssa tn tos c@atas.
REssg -aaf tals a1tlea go ~ "a
naf % So lteiF eat. a~4 aAtaaaah fsss
hsa-s cestsrrss saeaFtt a seaI4 p-rtsr.