Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-04-19
WORK OF CONGRESS-
RESUME OF PROCEEDINGS OF THU
SENATE AND HOUSE.
Condensed Record of the Important
transactions of Our National Law
makers-The Work Done I'm both
Branches.

Branches.
Washington, April 13.-The Democratic
managers in the house to-day decided 10
take heroic measures to force the Repub-
licans TO participate in the proceedings.
The committee on rules, consisting OF
Speaker Crisp, Messrs. Cultivate and
Catchings Dem.) and Messrs. Reed and
Burrows (Rep.(, held n meeting just be-
fore the house convened and formulated
a rule to crush hl.bUstering, making the
penalty of failure to vote punishable by Il
fine of $40. The Republicans having
cognizance of the rules by which their
hands were TO be tied before the meeting
of the house, Messrs. Reed and Burrows
determined to contest every inch of the
ground, and a fierce parliamentary fight
was Immediately precipitated. Speaker
Crisp, however, was in no humor for
trihing, and with a stern hand he
swept aside all preliminaries and
forced the fight on the main issue. AS
soon as the journal was read he recog-
nized Mr.. Catchings, from the committee
on Jules, TO present the report. Mr..
Catchings demanded the previous ques-
ton. Mr.. Reed tried to secure recogni-
ton, but failed. The house was in an
uproar.
The speaker lost patience, and with a
bang of the gayel stated the question to
be on the demand for the previous ques-
ton. Mr.. Reed was left standing i'll the
aisle while the speaker took the rising
vote. The Republicans declined to vote,
n when the speaker announced the re-
sul:-99 to 0-Mr. Burrows made the
point of no quorum. The yeas and nays
were demanded. The Republicans were
deter mined to force the Democrats TO pro-
drce IA quorum at every stage of the par
liamentary progress looking to the adop-
ton of the roll, and when the roll was
called declined TO vote. Eleven of the
Democrats refused to give the proposed
rule their approval, and voted against the
demand for the previous question. They
W ere as follows:
Causey, Delaware; Coombs, Cummings,
New York; Geary, California; Geissen-
hainer, New Jersey; Kilgore, Texas; Ma
guire, California; McAlter, Painter, Ken
lucky; Ryan. Warner, New York.
The Populists voted with the Demo-
Gratis in favor of the demand. The an
nouncement of the vote-141 to IL
showed that the Democrats were thirty
seven short of a quorum. After more fill
clustering a motion was finally carried
resembling all, leaves of absence, and the
house adjourned.
Washington, April 14-ln the sen tie
Messrs. PETER and Mitchell discussed
the tariff bill. A long wrangle occurred
ever a motion to adjourn, but it finally
prevailed.
In the house the Republicans contin-
ued to hlibuster, and as the Democrats
could not muster a quorum they con-
Guided to adjourn and hold q caucus,
which decided by a vote of so to A to
Instruct the committee On rules TO ,eport
a new rule to ascertain and record the
presence of a quorum whether voting or
lot. Practically all the Democratic lnem-
bers of the house attended the caucus
| Mr.. Bland presented a resolution direct
irg the sergeant-at-trms to carry out the
provision of section 40, chapter ., of the
Revised Statutes, by which deductions
from the salaries of members sh ould be
made for every days absence, except on
account of sickness. This was in ac-
cordance with the action of the judiciary
committee earlier in the day. 1t was
unanimously adopted. Speaker Crisp
took the floor and made a vigorous speech
pointing out the deplorable position in
| WulCu the muse lOuHu ttSelI on account
of continued and persistent absenteeism.
Quite a number of speeches were made
in opposition to any and all rules looking
to the counting of members who refused
to vote. Nh. Dearmond offered a reso-
luton expressing it as the sense of the
caucus that the committee on rules should
prepare a new rule for ascertaining the
presence of a quorum, and also some
method for compelling the attendance of
absent members. Mr.. Diamonds reso-
luton was carried by a two-thirds ma
jority-80 to "A. This completed the
work Of the caucus.
Washington, April 16.-The struggle
| over the adoption of the new quorum
| counting rule decided upon by the Dem
| ccratic caucus last Friday will be the
feature Of the week in the house. The
| details of the rule have not yet been
| formulated by the Democratic members
of the committee on rules, composed Of
| Speaker Crisp and Messrs. Catchings and
Cultivate, but it will probably be ready
to submit to the full committee when it
meets to-day. Inasmuch as about one
third of the Democrats are violently OPP
posed to any quorun.-counting rules as
Indicated by the vote in the caucus it will
be impossible for the Democrats alone,
should the Republicans decline to vote
and the Democratic opposition sustain
its opinions to the extent of declining to
vote, to make a quorum to adopt a rule.
In other words, unless the rule framed
by the Democratic triumyirate of the
committee on rules should frame a rule
satisfactory to the Republicans the latter
could, If they chose, prevent its adoption.
The Republicans will, how ever, shortly
acquiesce in the adoption of any rule that
contains the essential principal of record
ing as present but not voting those
Members who decline to respond to their
names.