The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-03-29
Democrats of the House Unable
to Unseat Republicans. t
o'NEtll-JoY CASE DEBATED.
The Chinese Treaty Reported TO the
Senate for Ratification.
ErosPeess OF the Nfearagus Canal In
Congress Improved poiph Proposes
A6rogasion Of the CLAYTON Ruiwer
Trsssy-congress at . s,andsstu.

WASHINGTON tfrN. March oS--Wken
the speakers Savel feli today there were
less than eighty members on the floor.
The house proceeded with some routine
business pending report expected from
the rules omniistee FOR the disposition of
the contested election cases Of O'Neill-
JOY aud English Hiiborn. Cultivate.
from the committee on rules, reported q
rule limiting debate to two hours each on
the election cases. the final vote then 10
be taken. He demanded the previous
question on the adoption Of the rule. The
vote on ordering the previous question re-
suited isS 10 0. Reed made the point of
no quorum. The speaker voted in the
affirmative. The result wss greeted with
applause. This is the first time for a week
that the Democrats have mustered
quorum.
Reed criticised the disposition TO hustle
through the house without discussion.
He said the purpose of the Republicans
had been to call attention To great out
rage. the house and country being in the
habit Of paying little attention TO election
cases.
outhwaite replied by saying tha, more
time for discussion OF these cases in the
frs. place had been offered. lie also re-
viewed the action of the Fifty-frst con
gress IN election cases. and pointed out the
quick manner in which cases were then
disposed Of
Reed moved to commit the rule with in
structions to report rule allowing further
time. The speaker was inclined to think
this motion should not be entertained.
Reed argued the case on constitutional
grounds. The speaker held that The mo-
tion 10 recommit was equivalents TO prop
osition TO amend. Amendments were not
in order until the previous question had
been ordered. Therefore the motion of
the gentleman from Maine was not in
order.
On the question Of adopting the report
OF the committee Outhwaite demanded
the yeas and nays. The division devel-
oped the lack Of quorum. the Rspuhli-
cans again refrsining from voting. Tho
resolution of the committee on elections,
declaring John J. O'Neill entitled to the
seat for the Eleventh district Of Missouri,
was read. and Mr.. Patterson OF Tennessee
was recognized on the side of tho majority
report. and Daniel of New York on the
side of the minority. Pattsrson's state
ment- involved vtfy elaborate and
extended explanation Of the
Missouri ballot law. Daniel (Rep.,
of New York; followed with an
law Of Missouri. As 70 the objection that
the initials Of the judges we're not on the
ballot. Daniel contendef that this was an
error to be charged against the judges and
not against the voters. Paynter OF Ken
tucky followed. arguing that the absence
of initials of the judges from the ballots
invalidatsd them. Bathoidt. Rep. Mis-
souri, contended that the Republican vote
of Missouri amounted to IS per cent. Of
the Democratic vote. and the gerrymander
had enabled them TO secure q representa-
tion Of only Is per cent. OF the Demo
cratic vote. Now il was proposed TO
cut this down one-hslf. The election
machinery was all in the hands of the
Democrats. benson. DEM. of Alabama
argued for the contestant and the major
ity report. while Griffin, DEM. Of Michi-
gan argued against the majority report
and made request for unanimous con-
sent to extend his remarks, but was re-
fused. Joy. Rep. of Missouri. whose seat
was the question at issue. argued that the
recount Of the ballots had built up his ma
jority. The grounds for the contest, he
claimed, a. finally made were.not valid In
the notice Of the contest served upon him
as required by law. Reed pointed out
that the Missouri statute provided that
judges are required 10 put their initials
on ballots; further, that the Judges
shall not deposit a ballot unless 1t has the
initials. lie held that this was in order
10 give the voter q chance TO rectify tho
omission II the initial was st first omitted.
lie said ii was proposed TO disfranehise
over 800 voters on account OF the fault Of
the judges. Brown. Dem, of Indiana,
consumed the remainder of the time for
the majority report. He claimed that
congress was bound to observe the statute
of Missouri. whether IL gave power to the
Judges TO disfranchi.s voters or not.
The vote then recurred on the substituts
for the report Of the majority OF the com
mittee, presented by the minority. decIar-
ing Mr.. Joy entitled to his seat. The vote
sas: Yeas I02, nays 1f6 The substitute
was rejected. Mr.. Burrows. Rep. Of
Michigan. moved to reconsider, and
Springer moved to lay the motion on the
table. The Republicans then precipitated
another fiIibusser by making the point Of
no quorum on the division. and roiicaii
vas taken, the Republicans not voting
The vote was: Yeas i37, nays 8. The
a.