Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-03-30
OUR CONGRESS GOES MAD.
WILD SCENES on THE FLOOR OF
THE HOUSE.
speaker Crisp ana Ex-spcaiscr Reed
Lead In the Right, WIN VIII
Ing Assistants on Each Side
Anxious 10 Mix Things.

Washington, March 2o.--when the
house met at noon today feverish
anxiety was manifested as to the fate
OF the Bland selgniorage bill.
After the reading of the journal. Mr..
Doclery, from the joint committee to
Investigate the expenditure in the ex-
ecutive department. formally intro
duced bin prepared by the committee
to improve the methods Of accounting
in the treasury department
on motion OF Mr. Hall of Minnesota
bill authorizing the construction Of
foot and wagon bridge across the
mississippi river at Red Wing. Mimi,
was passed.
The regular order the Joy-o'Nein
contested election case was taken up,
and the nlibustef against the seating
OF O'Neiil was resumed. AT 1850, while
the roll Of the house was being called.
Mr.. Pruden, the presidents executive
clerk, appeared at the bar Of the house
and transmitted the presidents special
message vetoing the Bland seigniorage
bill.
The vote on the pending motion was
then taken and resulted lj4 to II. four
teen short OF quorum. OF the eleven
who voted against the motion Din fact,
against giving Mr. O'Neil the seaO,
ten were Democrats. as follows: Dear
mond, Everett, Griffin Hail OF Mis-
souri,, Morgan. Cultivate. Ryan. slb-
ley. Harter and Warner. McKeighan,
Popullst OF Nebraska cast the other
negative vote.
Then came more fllbusterlng and
AIr Patterson offered resolution to
revoke the leave Of absence and in
struot the sergeant-at-arms to take
the absentees into custody. The order
according 10 the resolution, was to
continue in force from day to day until
vacated
Mr. Reed attempted to make the
point that Il quorum was necessary to
adopt resolution continuing an order
in force beyond adjournment, but the
speaker ovcrulod him holding that it
was plainly within the power of less
than n quorum to adopt the means to
compel the attendance Of absentees.
Mr., Reed tool, the floor and in a
brief speech scored the Democratic side,
dwelling upon the absurdity Of a pro-
ceeding which aimed at procuring a
quorum by duress, and after one was
secured left the house powerless TO
record its presence. Something in what
Mr., Reed said evidently stung Speaker
Crisp, who was on the floor at the
time. and when the ex-speaker sat
down Speaker Crisp arose.
The speaker said it was not his pur-
pose TO enter into discussion of the
merits OF the question. He only wanted
to call attention to the persistence
with which the leader of the minority
(Mr Reed had called attention to the
absolute iniquity Of the practice of
members in refusing to vote when their
names We're called.
1--WE have been denounced time and
again." said he "for refusing to vote"
81 counted you" interieoted Mr.
Reed, amid laughter. Mr. Reed"
Speaker Crisp went on, "had placed his
party in n position. when lie made his
quorum counting ruling. where 1t either
had to sustain that ruling or denounce
him" It was an open secret, he said,
that Mr.. Reed had been unable to get
the Republican caucus to authorize
such a ruling.
II never tried" said Mr. Reed.
But" continued Mir. Crisp, when
Mr. Reed had once made the ruling
his party was forced to sustain him"
The speaker proceeded to picture the
absolute power of the ex-spealSer over