The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-03-07
THE WRANGLE STILL ON.
BLAND CAPTURES A QUORUM ONLY
LOSElT.

BLAND CAPTURES A QUORUM ONLY
LOSElT.
But Prospects of au Esrly Eading of the
Desd Leck are Brightey-Hsated Colo
guy Between Reed and Crisp croa7es
Excitement.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-After the
call of committees for their reports,
Kilgore offered resolution, which ne
said ought to be matter Of privilege.
| if it were not It was read for lnfor-
nation. It recited the law requiring
the sergeant-at-arms to withhold the
salary of Representative who was
absent, except on account of sickness
OF himself or member of his family.
That at this session of Congress many
members had been absent, and he call
| ed upon the ergeant-at-arms to report
whether or not the law in this respect
had been obeyed oy him, and if he had
been derelict therein to report why. He
9as also asked if in his opinion the
law could not be enforced, to inform
the House the reason thereof.
Reed made the point that the resolu-
tion did not present matter of priVl-
lege the way it was drawn. 1t was
simply resolution, asking an officer
of the House his opinion upon a ques-
tion of law.
Speaker Crisp called the attention of
Kilgore to the fact that the resolution
contained no allegiance that an officer
of the House had failed to do his duty
under the rules or under the law, which
was necessary to make it privileged
matter. It was simply resolution of
inquiry directed to an officer Of the
House. Kugore thereupon withdrew
the resolution.
Bland moved that the House 60 into
committee OF the whole upon his Seign-
forage bill and that general debate be
closed at o'clock on Thursdsy. On
this motion, the vote by division was
127 to 19. Tracey made the point OF no
quorum and the yeas and nays were
called. Before the result of the vote
was announced, Livingston (Dem.) OF
Georgia said he desired to submit
motion. Rule s, he said, required mem
bers present, unless excused, to vote
upon every proposition presented to
the House. The gentleman from New
York Tracey had refused to vote and
he demanded that he be brought be-
fore the bar Of the House and explain
his refusal to vote. Johnson (Dem. OF
Ohio said he had list Of twenty-five
members who had violated the rule,
which he offered to send to the desk.
The chair stated that the rule was
well known. The chair could not en-
force the rule otherwise than by ap-
pealing to menber to observe it. The
chair was but the organ of the House
and would never make rule unless
authorized and directed so to do by the
House. Applause
Boatner (Dem.) of Louisiana argued
In support of Mr.. LiVingston's motion.
1t was, be said, an effort to bring
member to answer to wIlful contempt
and violation of the rules. The House
ought to determine here and now
whether or not q member can DEFY It's
rules.
The chair stated that under the rules
| it was his duty to announce to result
of vote. The result was: Yeas 1863,
nays 5; 5 short Of a quorum: 1t was
said that five supporters Of Bland fail
ed to get their votes In, because they
were not in the hall of the House
when called. These, in addition to
those recorded, would have made
quorum. Clancy and Magner OF the
New York delegation, who had hereto
fore refrained from voting, voted IN
favor Of the proposition.
The proceedings had been watched
with the keenest interest by members,
and especially Republicans, as having
within them the possibility of history
making. When the chair announced
the vote, however, and the incident was
over, the humdrum of routine was re-
sumed, and the members who had been
eagerly crowding into the pit IN front
of the clerks desk, faded rapidly away.
Mr.. Bland moved call of the House.
On this motion there was first viva
voce vote, then vote by division,
third vote by tellers-Bland aid
Reed officiating-and finally a vote by
yeas and nays. The latter resulted:
Yeas 1So, nays 4. So the call was Or
dered. 1t showed 265 members present
and responding to their names. On
the motion to dispense with further
proceedings under the calendar, the
same procedure was folloWed-four
separate votes being taken, ending
With the yeas and nays. The call re-
suited: Yeas 1873; nays 3.
Bland renewed his motion and the
yeas and nays were called. AS the roll
call proceeded, it became apparent to
many that a quorum would be obtain
ed and mem bers keeping tally crowded
about the clerks desk. Tracey (Dem)
of New York occupied the seat, which
for two weeks past, he has kept tally
with the clerk on roll calls, closely fol-
lowing the responses to the call. When
| it was determined that quorum had
been obtained on the second call Of the
roll, Tracey voted aye, amid slight ap-
plauss from the Democratic side, his
purpose being, as afterward appeared,
to move reconsideration. The an
noupcemenG Of the vote by the Speak
er, III yeas to nays, evoked a round Of
hearty applause from Democrats and
! Populists.
| Cultivate (Dam.) of Ohio and Ira
cey (Oem.) OF New 7 ork were on thelr
feet demanding recognition, the form
er to present an order from the COM
mittee on rules limiting debate On the
pending bill and amendments to two
hours aud the latter to move recon
sideration of the vote jus. taken.
Cultivate was given the floor and the
Speaker stated, after putting the ques-
ton, that Tracey had interposed mo-
tion to reconsider.
Cultivate demanded the previous
question on his motion, but the yeas
and nays were ordered without d.
vision. After name or two had been
called, Reed preclpitated an angry dis
cussien, which in intensity equalled the
scenes in the Fifty-frst Congress, when
Speaker Reed was counting quorums.
The gentleman from Maine suggested
that a roll call was out Of order, mas
much as the last vote did not disclose
| the nrasaocp of a quorum