The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-28
WAS A CLOSE SHAVE
Tie Vote All that Saved the Senate
Bill from Fatal Injury.
Agonizing for Democrats on the Floor
While Vote to Recede from Sugar
Difierential Was Taken.
STEWART WAS THE CULPRIT
The Nevada Senator Counting But
tons in the Cloak Room.
Tariff COnferees of Both Houses Will
Now Meet Monday for Another
Indefinite Struggle.
STEWART WAS THE CULPRIT


conference on the tariff bill asked by the
House of Representatives. The test of
strength to-day came on Mr.. Washburn's
motion that the Senate recede from the
portion of the sugar amendment. placing a
differential of one-eighth of l cent on
sugars above No IS Dutch standard. After
an hour and a half of debate on the pend
ing points of order, the president pro
tempore. Mr.. Harris who was in the chair
in the absence Of Vice President Steven
son, sustained the point of order, and
ruled the motion out. The decision was
Immediately appealed from and a motion
made TO lay the latter motion on the
table. Both motions resulted in a tie vote.
Mr.. Hill and Populists Allen, Kyle and
PETER acting with the Republicans in the
effort to get a direct vote of the Senate
on Mr. Washburn's motion. Intense eX-
citement prevailed, owing to the closeness
of the vote. In case of a tie the motion
is lost, according TO parliamentary law.
The failure to sustain the Chair on the
appeal brought the Senate 10 the direct
vote on the Washburn motion. On the re-
suit hinged perhaps the fate of the meas
ure. But, though the Republicans scored
the victory in securing the vote on the one
eighth differential 1t developed that they
had reserve strength. and the vote on
the Washburn motion also resulted in
tie. and consequently ssas lost. All the
Democrats save Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Irby,
who were paired in favor of striking oJt
the one-eighth, stood by the caucus agree
ment and voted against the motion. The
Republicans also presented a solid front
Mr.. Quay, who voted for the one-eighth
when the bill was in the Senate, joining
with his colleagues in the hope Of beating
the bill by this indirect method. The three
Populists acted throughout with the Re-
publicans. After these votes no attempt
was made TO delay matters and the resolu-
ton to agree to a further conference was
agreed to without division. The Chair
then reappointed the conferees, Messrs.
Voorhees,. Jones, Vest, Harris, Sherman,
Allison and Aldrich, and the Senate. after
transacting a little routine business, ad-
journed until Monday.
A SOUTHERN RETORT
In the morning hour some debate oc-
Cured over a clause in the conference re-
port on the army appropriation bill lrans-
ferring the Apache Indians held as pris-
oners of war in Alabama to military reser-
vations in the West. Mr.. Dubois Repub-
lican, of Idaho, protested against sending
blood and temper grew out of MIR Black
burns charge that the Republicans were
trying to delay action on the appropria-
tion bills. Messrs. Dubois and Manderson
We're especially incensed at this each
charging Mr.. Blackburn with bad faith in
receding from amendments they had Of
fered.
n,.Xs;a You had no right to recede." said
Il had the right" replied the Kentucky
Senator hotly. and 1 object to the Sena-
tors attempt TO define my rights on this
floor. 1t is a piece of impertinence which
!r@e resent" IT, ,,an go. -. ;, ..,.,
The conference report was agreed TO SO
TO lS. Then at Los Mr.. Jones, of Arkansas.
b The pendng was az the
decision of the Chair on the points of or
der raised by, Mr.. Gray and Mr.. Mills
against Mr.. Washburn's motion. Mr.. Man
derson was immediat tely recognized and pro-
ceeded TO argue against the point of order
on which so much hinged. He maintained
Senate to instruct its conferees. Mr.. Man
derson described at length the methods of
Parliament and in Congress-, drawing d
and aiSdiineti9n lf,u between simple conference
House of REPRESENTATIVES. he declared it
had never been disputed that the House
could instruct it's conferees. Certainly it
could not be contended that the Senate
had no power or control over its conferees
How could any committee of the Senate be
superior and above the Senate which
created ii. There was more involved in
this than a simple question. In it was in
volved the rights of the Sugar Trust which
was so eloquently declaimed against by
Mr.. Villas. 1t was said, inside and outside
OF this chamber, that the trust was so
did not give il what it wanted He appre-
hended that his watts true, for no matter
how close the Senate came TO striking at
the differential, vote was always forth
coming at the last moment to save il. a
ruling on this point of order would deter
mine whether the Senate should have the
right to pass on this odious differential. the
striking out of which meant the defeat of
the whole bill. Mr.. Manderson then re-
viewed the precedents bearing on the point
of order, citing numerous cases in the
House where the conferees had been in
structed. he also gave precedents in the
Platt. Republican. Of Connecticut. followed
in opposition TO the point of order.
AGAINST THE POINT.
Mr.. Harris then gave his ruling. After
having recited the course of the bill in
conference. he said that all conferences on
a disagreeing vote are intended TO be full
and free" for the sole purpose of compro-
missing and adjusting differences. An IN
struction from either house impars full
ness and freeness. He held. however, that
he need not decide the broad question.
The motion of the Senator from Minnesota
was TO instruct its conferees to amend an
amendment. The power of each house is
absolute and complete over the whole
question, whatever the conference may do.
The report must be acted on by either
house before it has force. The occupant Of
the chair believes that the Senate cannot
Grecetly amend an amendment that has
gone to conference and that il cannot do
so indirectly. The point of order of Mr..
Gray. he concluded. was, therefore, sus-
tanned. Mr.. Washburn appealed from the
decision of the chair. and Mr.. Faulkner
moved 10 lay the appeal on the table The
yeas and nays were demanded.
Mr.. Harris, the president pro tenn, caused
a roar of laughter in putting the questio
by saying impetuously: THE yeas have
it," before the call of the roll commenced.
He caught himself with an explanatory
"oh" but the Senate had already caught
the point and embarrassed the punctilious
Tennesseean with its laughter AS the roll
serious and Mr.. Pasco. Democrat, OF Fiori-
da, in charge OF pairs. hustled about the
floor. The announcement OF the result
yeas, 80; nays, 32-caused a sensation, as il
meant a failure OF the motion TO Law Mr..
Washburn's appeal on the table, and pros
pectively, vote on his motion to recede
from the one-eighth Of a cent differentiaI.
The vote on the motion TO lay on the
table was. in detail. as follows:
Yeas-Bate, Berry. Blackburn, Blan-
chard Brice. Call. Cockrell, Coke.
NW