Evening journal., 1894-02-24

sergeani-ai-nrms was acting constable
OF the house, aud Dis war.ant should show
who wts TO be arrested lie should not be
armed with a rowing commission
Roed on Quorum Counting.
Ia such a natter as this hc did mot think
members should he influenced hy party or
party feeling The dignity ~ The honse
concerned them ALL Further, he urged
that the resolution hal not been passed ia
accordance with parliamentary procedure
From this point be drifted into a discus
sion of the right Of the speaker TO count
quorum.
Mr.. Bland, he said. had charged that
members were acting in au unsuitable
manner whom they refused 90 respond TO
their names. He insisted that whether
member voted yea on nay or did not vote 40
all was aquestion solely between the mem-
Der and his constituency.
u did nct deny that, ," interpolated Mr..
Bland. 81 was addressing those charged
with the responsibility OF power"
II shall address myself TO that class"
retortcd Mr.. Reed, "in minute laugh
ter.
The supreme court, he continued, had
decided q constitutional quorum TO be q
present quorum, and the whole difficulty
here grew out ot the fact that the house
denied the right OF members constituting
q quorum boy their presence.
Mr.. Turner 0f Georgia, who replied TO
/ Mr. Reed directed bis attention TO the
/ validity of the warrant under which mem-
bers had been arrested.
"rhe gentleman from Mime, % continued
! Mr.. Turner, "hns already stated that a
member has q right on being called 10 vote
or not vote as he chooses. When 20 mem
Der refuses to vote altogether .hmt is, re-
fuses 90 allow himself 90 be couuted-can
the speaker of the house of representatives,
without the authority of the mousse, count
that member as present for any purposey'
Reed aud Turner.
Gle can not only count the member" "
! replied Mr.. Reed, "hut 90 Is bis duty to do
Go and refer the matter to the house II the
member objects"
Did the gentleman refer that question
to the housey Did not the gentleman from
Maine ASSUME TO decide that matter with.
ont the direction or authority of the
houseT said Nir. Turner
"By 40 means"
"1he Record is otherwise"
con the contrary, as -oou as had count
ed the quorum as constituted ol peutlem0t
present, l submitted the question TO thI
house upon an appeal, replied Mr.. Reed.
Suppose there had been no appeal
would the gentleman have insisted tha
the house OF Representatives had given hin
authority TO do that thingw
81 rather think / should. I think
should have been grntihed by the sienc
Of the gentleman from Georgia, and DIS
tory would too" lApplause on the Re
publican side.
"Wiu the gentleman from Maine pardo
another inQuiry" asked Mr Turner
Does the gentleman from Maine insis
that the speaker Of the house has the au
thoriy TO count the quorum without
rule of the houseY
81 do"
"rhen the gentleman differs from th
supreme court ITSELF
mot at all n The gentlemen will rea
more carefully that decision of the Sd
preme court, they will find that the 81
preme court, like "a supreme court, cor
j fined itself 60 the question at hand and d
9 cided that present quorum was the COZ
g stitutional quorum. ! want 10 get thl
into reasouabie number of minds on q
other side llnughterl and then we shall
victorious The present quorum I rete
| ate, Is the quorum. uaflng decided tha
they then very properly decided that Oh
house would have a right to make a ru
as 10 how that quorum should be asce
tanned, but in the absence of rule tl
{ speaker of this house, just like the presi,
ing officer of every parliamentary bod,
would act as it's agent, as he il the depo
= itory OF that power which is not specific
:, by the house,