The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-04-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, April Ii, 1891
Speaker Crisp was not and is not an advocate
| of counting quorum, although it was advo-
Gated by good democrats long before Gar
Reed was ever heard of outside of the town in
which he lives, but it became his duty as
| chairman of the committee on Rules to obey
the caucus resolution directing that committee
to prepare and report to the House such rule,
and, like the good democrat he is, he obeyed,
and the new rule will be reported to the House
and probably adopted this week and when
once adopted he will see that it is properly
carried out and that members are rot ii -,
whether present or not as Reed used to do.
In this connection it is proper to state that
| the democrats of the House were not driven
into taking this action, which so many demo-
Gratis OF prominence personally opposed, by the
| republicans as they are claiming. 1t was the
refusal of the republicans to vote that kept
the House tied, except during the short inter
walls when there was a democratic quorum
present, for almost month, thus making con-
splcuous the necessity for counting a quorum
dict ated by the republicans; but after all it
was not the republicans who forced the demo-
cratic caucus to do what should not have been
necessary, but which was absolutely necessary.
1t was the inability of tie democratic leaders
to keep a democrotic quorum on the floor of
the House that did the business. They con-
cluded that they had tried and fail ed so often
TO keep democratic quorum that it would be
good idea to make The repull cans help by
counting them when they refused to yotn, and
al the same time, thank Heaven, they are
going to make the absentee come to time or
forfeit his pay while absent without leave, eX-
cept when sick and unlbc TO atterd to his
duties.
Senator White, of Cal fornla, does not be
lieve that more than five Senators will vote
against the rat fication of the new Chinese
treaty. 1t is expected that a vote will be
reached some time this week, although there
has been no formal agreement to that effect.
There was no. much surprise here when the
jury brought in a verdict for SD, 900 in favor
of Miss Pollard in her breach of promise case
against Representative Breckenridge, OF ken-
lucky. 1t was generally expected, Col Bceck-
iDrdge says the verdict will have no eff .ct up
on his candidacy for Congress and that he i'll
teuds returning to X entucky and making 4
personal canvass of his entire district. There
is general feeling Of relief here that the trial
is at lst over.
The general debate on the tariff bill will by
agreement close next Monday. Then the
Senate will begin the consideration OF the bill
by items, process which promises to be long
and edious Senator Smith, Of New Jersey,
delivered 4 tariff speech today somewhat in
lie with that delivered by Senator IIll i
week ago, but not SO radical. The fear of the
defeat of the bill is onlJ i'll the opp ,sition pa
pers; it does not exist among the democratic
Senators who are managing the bill. They
expect that those democratic Senators who
stated at the caucus held previou, to the re
porting of the bill that they reserved the right
to propose amendments Oh the II nor Of the
ments ADOPT ID, with the aid of republican
votes, but they have no doubts about the final
passage Of the bill; nor do they believe that a
single democratic vote will be cast against ii
when the final vote is taken. The newspaper