The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-02-24

He Told Them to Adopt Good Rules and
Live Happily Ever After-A Call for a
Caucus Intimates that His Advice Has
Not Been Unheeded-Arrested Members
Freed from Contempt-Meanwhile
Blount's Bill Is Where 1t Was Before.
Washington, February a-The galleries
of the House were crowded today in all
ticipation of the repetition of the disor-
derly scenes of yesterday. The House
was called to order by the clerk. in the
absence of Speaker Crisp, who is con-
fined to his room by illness. He read
letter from the Speaker, appointing Mr..
Richardson, Democrat of Tennessee,
Speaker pro tenn, and Mr.. Richardson
took the chair. After the reading of the
journal, Mr.. dams, Republican of Penn
sylvania, who was before the bar OF the
House when it adjourned yesterday en-
deavored to secure the attention OF the
Chair, but Mr.. Wells, Democrat of Wis
consin, obtained the floor to correct the
record. He was recorded as voting, but
desired to inform the House that ne took
no part in the dis orderly proceedings OF
the day.
Mr.. Bland called him to order, stating
that he had no right to make an argyl-
ment on motion to correct the journal.
Mr.. Cummings, Democrat OF New
York, stated that his colleague, Mr..
Sickles, was i'll and asked that he be
excused. This was agreed to.
Mr.. Bland stated that the question
pending adjournment was motion by
the gentlemen from Maine, Mr.. Reed, to
discharge the gentleman from Pennsyl-
vania, Mr.. Adams, andshe renewed that
motion now.
Mr.. Bland spoke on the motion Ito dis
charge Mr. "a dams with great intensity
and bitterness, asserting that yesteday's s
proceedings constituted anarchy and
revolution. He asked how mem bers who
openly declared that they would not
obey the orders and rules of the House,
could expect the people of the country,
suffering from want of food and shelter,
to observe the laws of the land with
greater respect. (Hisses) He proceeded
to lecture the Democratic mem oers Tor
failure to keep a quorum in their seats.
"The people will read the riot act to
them in November next" he said.
Mr.. Bland was called to order by Mr..
Dunn. Democrat of New Jersey, who
said the gentleman from Missouri had
rot been constituted the lecturer OF the
Democratic party, to which Mr.. Bland
responded that, if it were lecture, the
party would repeat it to Mr.. Dunn and
his associates in way they would re-
spect. MIR. Bynum, Democrat. and Mr..
Coombs. Democrat of New York, also
called him to order, on the ground he
was discussing the general financial
question.
Mr.. Bland-"The trouble with the gen
tlemen is that | am telling too many
plain truths that the country ought to
know Continuing, MIR. Bland said the
Democrats ought either to discharge
their duties in the House or yield their
powers. (Applause.) Mr.. Bland moved
the previous question and declined to
withdraw it to enable other gentlemen
to speak in their own right, but offered
to Weld to any one who wanted to speak.
Messrs Reed and Bynum, who were
called on by their associates, declined 60
accept Mr.. Bland's offer. Mr.. Reed, in
a few minutes, got the floor in his own
right and said his objection to the pro-
ceedings was that they would lead, and
had led to grave errors. Mem bers had
been arrested, it had been shown, with
out authority If the custom of the
House has been to omit the names OF
mem bers from the body of the warrant
it should be corrected. But, aside from
the defect in the warrant, the action of
the House in passing the resolution of
arrest was unauthorized because it was
ma ssed in violation of the rules of the
House, and all parliamentary law. he
ferrine then to Mr.. Bland's description of
the action of the House yesterday, Mr..
Reed said the Republicans had acted
wholly within their constitutional
rights. The question of voting or not
was one between them and their con-
stituents. The difficulty, he said, clay
with the majority party, who through a
sneaker of their own selection, had
denied the constitutional right to mem
bers to make a part of quorum within
the constitution, and as described by
the Supreme court, although they were
nresent The majority demand a
auorum by word of mouth and not by
mere presence. Something like this, he
said. had been uttered before, but the
repetition of scenes like that of yester-
day was his justificat tion for repeating it.
Mr.. Reed pleaded with the Democrats TO
reYrace their steps, take the true basis of
action, and live happily ever afterwards.
(Laughter.)
Mr.. Adams here got the floor, and
stated that while beforesthe bar of the
House under the order of the Speaker,
the mace had been presented TO him, and
he was compelled to talks his seat. He
INQUIRED why this indignity had been
put upon member who was endeavor-
ing in an orderly way to obey the man
date of the House. The Chair said that
was question which could not be an
swered then, but stated that II any in
dignity had been put upon the gentle
man he would have q remedy hereafter.
The Chair was proceeding to state the
question upon the discharge of Mr..
Adams when Mr.. Reed interposed to in
form the Chair of the exact language in
which it was made, "that the gentle
man be discharged on the ground that
the arrest was unauthorized"
Mr.. Springer wanted to amend by pro-
yiding for the discharge of all the mem
hers under arrest, but it was ruled out of
order on the ground that the previous
question had been demanded on Mr..
Reeds motion.
Mr.. Bland also told Mr.. Springer that
he had a resolution which would cover
the cases after Mr.. Adams's had heen dis
posed of. Some dissent having been ex-
pressed from proceeding on Mr.. Reed 8
motion that MIR. Adams be discharged
for the reason that his arrest was un-
authorized, Mr. Reed said: II think 1T
is better to proceed in order in this mat
ter, and if you gentlemen don't like the
form of the motion, vote down the pre-
vious question ana have it your own
way"