St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-18
HOUSE CAN % BU5INESS.
QG03 Ug- COUNTING RULE ADOPTED.
2f2 TO III.
PRINCIPLE Is REED.s RULE.

Some Democrats Ohjected-That
Did Not tsrop the Iarliamcnt.
ars Triumph - Fiiibuster;nG
and Absenteeism Had to Ee
Cured - Common Sense and
Public Duty Required 1t.
WASHINGTON. April 1.-THE house
today by an overwhelming vote decided
to adopt quorum-counting rule. which,
for all practical purposes. Is the same
as that which eX-Speaker Reed, OF
Maine, inaugurated during the hfty-
first congress, and which won for him
a worldwide reputation.
Neither undue excitement nor tu-
multuous scenes marked the crushing of
the old Legislative barriers. Mr.. Reed
and the Republicans generally were i'll
a delightful hurnor over the victory they
had accomplished. Those who expect
ed Mr.. Reed would taurt aud gibe his
political adyersaries with their alleged
inconsistency were disappointed. Only
fifteen minutes on side were allowed
for debate, and Mr.. Reed, instead OF
consuming that with all arralgDment OF
the Democrats, good-naturedly dis
tributed most of it to Democrats who
desired to oppose the new rule, and
when his time was exhausted he jOcular
ly asked for more time to dole out
among his friends Oh the other
side - Messrs. Bryan. Cummings.
Wheeler. Kilgore and Russell being
the Democrats who were thus
given an opportunity to protest
against the adoption of the rule.
When the vote was taken Al Democrats
voted against it, but il secured every
Republican vote and carried by vote
of 2l2 TO Al. The Populists did not vote
on the proposition. The adoption OF
this rule to-day, taken in conjunction
with the decision TO enforce the old Law
of 1876, to dock the salaries of members
absent save on account OF sickness, Will
| it is thought, put all end forever to par
| liamentary obstruction. The enforce
ment of that law will keep members a
their post of duty, and the rule vii
prevent them from refusing to partici.
| pate in legislation when they are pres
| ent. After the adoption of the rule i
only required few minutes to straight
en- out the parliamentary tangle whlcl
the house has been in for some days
| and the house then quietly proceeded
with the consideration of The consular
and diplomatic bill. Mr.. Hit made ;
strong speech arraignine the foreign
policy of the administration, in ths
l ~ h, rAiU
| president for appointing Van Allen a:
| minister to Italy as reward for hi
$1,000 political contribution.
THE NEW RULE.
| There was very large attendance on
both sides of the house when the house
met today. in anticipation of the fgh
| over the adoption of the new quorum
counting rule, aud the galleries wer
| also unusually we'll filled. Without
| single preliminary the house plunged
| into the contest. In order to preven
| parliamentary complications, Mr.. Catch
| ings, from the committee on rules, Sc
| cured recognition before the journa
was read, and. after Withdrawing tn
rule reported from that committee las
Thursday, he Immediately presented
| the report agreed upon just before th
| house convened. The report was reat
from the clerks desk, and was as fol
lows:
Amend rule Is. by inserting between
clauses l and the following as CLAUSE
2, and change the number OF clause
| to clause 8:
Upon every roll call. and before tn,
| beginning thereof. the speaker shal
name two members. one from each sid
| of the pending question If practicable
| who shall take their places at the clerk
| desk, to tell the names of at leas
enough members who are in the hall o
the house during the roll call who d,
not respond when added to those re
spending to make quorum. When
quorum does not respond upon rOl
call, then the names of those so notet
as present shall be reported to til,
speaker, who shall cause the list to b,
filed at the clerks desk and recorded il
the journal, and in determining tn,
presence of quorum to do bushes
those who voted, those who answered.
as present. and those SO reported a
present shall be considered. Member
Doted when their names are called ma.
record their votes, Notwithstanding tn
provisions of clause of this rule.
Amend clause l of rule s BY addini
this to the following words: And on
roll call should he not vote. he shal
! answer "Present," so as to read Ever
member shall be present within the hal
of the house during its sittings, unles
excused or necessarily prevented, an
| shall vote on every question put, unles
he has direct personal or pecuniar