The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-08-13
Tho House No! Compelled to Accept
at Once the Bill OF tho
Senate.
10 Can 30 Acted on Before or Aftor
Senator Hil's Reso-
lution.
The C9uous Called for To- Day WIN Prob
ably Iio Asked 20 Adjourn over
Without Action.

WASHINGTON, Aug. l2.-Tbis has been
anything Du, day OF rest for the tarlG !
leaders 1hey have bson going from carly
morning until lato tonight Il has been
day OF conferences at tho White house, at !
the prlvtte residences Of The oonfsrees and
at the hotels. Secretary CArlisls was with
President Cleveland this afternoon The
senate and house confefes5 made no effort
10 get together and they remain as vide
apart % when their meeting broke up FRI
day night. The house conferoea were In
consultation Informally most Of tbs day but
a. no time wcro they oil together at once.
Chairman Wilson spent the day with Rep
resontntive Bteckintiige, OF Arkansns. Mt
the Notmandio hotel, and was thors called
npon by other oonfsroos. Wilson did not
see tho p oaident to-day. Tbs meetings OF
the house men wero brought about the ough
m understanding among them as 10 the
line OF notion nj the caucus Tomorrow and
In the subsequent proceedings Of senate
and houae. Thoy reviewed the sltuhtion
from every possible standpoint and pre-
pared themselves for all emergencies. As
one Of them suid tonight IL was going over
the Aeld of battle ard learning the topoR-
raphy OF the ground OF tie night before
the great hight. Speaker Crisp had been
asked 10 examine With care the precedents
bearing on the case and it Ia understood be
had In turn consulted SscrstAry Carlisle.
who as ex.speaksr Of ihe house, is re-
Garded as ons of the best authorities on
parliamen tary .aw.
From the examination which has besn
made the conferees we're fully satisfied the
house had a right 10 pass the senate bill
now or any time. This determination went
IN uch further than has h6retoio been IN
dersiooJ. IL was that the house. having
actual physical possession of the isriff bill,
could pass ID With the senate amendments
before tho Hill resolution passed to-mor-
| row, or after the Hill resolution
10 defeated. They Iecogized that
thefe wers some presidents against
this position, but they regarded
overwhelming force aE authority with them
aud they therefore accepted No settled that
the house had supreme autho ity over the
bill wthout reference 10 what the senate
might do tomorrow or thereafter. This
conclusion vaa Of the utmost importance
Rg bearing on the notion of the caucus to-
NOR ow. IL assured them In the FIRST place
that there was no need of q scipitate action
townrd accepting the senate bill before
HIips resolution hhd passed. II was felt
that the house In having possession of the
bill and parliamentary right to pass il at
any time. had everything to gain and
nothing TO loss by deliberate action.
| Under these circumstances 10 was deemed
advisable to inform tho house fully as 10
the situation and 10 explain that preoipita-
tlon In accepting the senate bill would gain
nothing. while deliberate action In waiting
10 SEQ whnt the senate would do might ac-
complish much good work. Il was pointed
out in this connection that tho house need
be In no fsar of the Hill resolution being
rushed through. Senators VIlas, GRAY,
Lindsay and others could. II the occnsiod
required, inslst on very complete debate
of the Hill resolution when might last
{ ON day 10 day.
Entst tanning these views, the house con-
| ferees did not believe 10 was necessary OF
prudent for the house caucus Tomorrow
morning then and thero to pass tesolu.
tion TO at once accept the aenAt ebill. They
iealiz, the situation 10 so critical thai tho
question OF accepting tho senate bill might
come before the caucus and develop such
overwho' ming force that it would be
useless TO oppose H. Ttey were pre-
psred for this emsrgsnoY and we're
TOndY TO Aecspt II, IL IL came.
10 was felt. however that dispassionAts
statement of the case showing the house
would lose mono of its right to pASs the son
ate bill by dofsFrlnR action for day or so
would bring about conservative iesult Ia
the cauoua. Exactly what this action will
be will not be definitely outlined. although
tho house confotes thonRht IL would rer-
hars be foi the caucus to adjourn and wait
TO aee what the senate did.
Meanwhile tho senate Is quicscest and
diopossd TO remain inactive until the house
shall have an opportunity to express itself
upon the aituation. there IL undoubtedly
a desire on tho part o. tho large majority
OF the democratic senator's prGetioaIy y all
Of them, unless II may be the Louisiana
senstors, TO have tho house take pos ,ossion
OF the bill. This Ia due 20 tho general bt-
liof In the senate that the housS will
accept the senate amsndm snts aud that the
bill will thus beooms law, aud thar fear
" tho bill ahould again 60 90 the senate it
would be long postponed. On the other
hand 1t Is believed II the honso should
agree 10 the senate amendments tho souAte
would noquiesoo In this action and waive
tho technical question which might DO
raised over the disposition OF the bill.