The morning times., 1895-12-01


had finished a list of thirty or forty names,
being continually interrupted by the Demo-
Gratis with epithets of denunciation. Mr..
Crisp every few moments reiterating in
great excitement the shout of his appeal
from the dccfsiou OF the chair.
Cooper, OF Indiana, persistently insisted
on a reply TO a .'rarliamentary question
him kindly at first, and then firmly in
formed him he must not be disorderiy. and
finally that he must not undertake. TO CON-
pei the Chair to do anything. Again it
looked as though riot WAS imminent. so
great and threatening was the excitement,
but 10y calmness. good humor and finesse,
which no other man ever in the speaker
chair or in Congress, could have exercised
so well, Speaker Reed was finally nabled
10 announce the members voting in the al.
firmative as 161; in the negative, 3, ana
that he had taken the names OF certain
gentlemen present and not voting to find
whether quorum of the House was present
to do business according to the Constitution
of the United States. ''from which an appeal
can be taken 10y any gentleman dissatisfied
there with
CRISP EXCITED AND APPEALS.
I'm advance i enter an appeal" eS-
claimed the excited Crisp, who had been
appealing about every five minutes during
an hour or two.
At this point the Speaker made a brief
explanation or his course, saving that for
years a question of this character had been
raised in various deliberatiye assemblies;
that in 1850 John Randolph Tucker. the
noted constitutional lawyer OF Virginia. an
able member OF the House. proposed such an
amendment to The rules would enable
the Speaker to enforce a quorum; that the
evils which resulted from the other course
were not so apparent then aS now. and So on.
then quoting the action of GOV. Hill tnow
Senator, OF New Y York and Il decision in Ten
Dessce 10 the same effect. that presiding
officer might. to make aquornm count MEM
hers present but not voting. He also made
the strong point that bills were continually
passed when the record showed no quorum
voting the inference being that quorum
was present. but no one raising the point
He held that Il count by the Speaker. or
chairman. or by tellers, or by yeas and NAYS
were OF equal validity. He cited nj length
from the decision of Gov. HILL
At one point in the reading the Repub-
lioans applauded GOV. Hilrs words loudly.
The Hoti Sc will De in order" said Speaker
Reed: This was not said by Democrats"
TT which there WAS loud laughter and ap-
plauSe on the Democratic side. FOR even at
that lme GOV. Hill was somewhat In question
among the Democracy.
Mr.. Crisp followed with a lorg argument
against the action of the Speaker. for which
he had carefully prepared himself with all
the authorities he could find. He was en-
ceedingly bitter. and for this speech, " he
ms ex officio chairman of the Committee on
Rules of the Fifty-third Congress. suggest
and vote for n cha nge OF the rules that they
shall bear a strcag similarity 10 the Reed
rules" he will hear himself quoted against
himself more than he quoted Reed against
Reed.
Crisp dwclt especially on a dccisirn OF
James q. Blaine when he was Spea ker,
directly in opposition to the action Of
Speaker Reed. The decision was given
during the discussion Of the famous force
bill: ard Crisp was interrupted with the
To Blaine, rather uEgracious eNclamat1ons
that Blaine was opposed 10 the fierce bill.
But he made the important admission that
the question Of counting a quorum had
been raised at that time, that the speak ker
had ruled against II. and that the House
had not Overriden the ruling.
Crisp also explained the attempt of
changed to enable the Speaker to count
a quorum. and showed how Stouily il was
opposed by the House. He showed that
Garfield was opposed TO such action. and
spoke against IL: lie criticised the action
Of Governor Hill severely: he made for him
self the strongest argument that could
hold against the practice; bus his rest hit
was the quoting OF Speaker Reed against
himself. from an argument Of that gentle
man in the same debate when Garfield
pronounced his opposition.
REED DEFINES A QUORUM.
Reed Gsed the language that the con-
stitutional idea of quorum Is not the
presence OF a majority of the members or
the House. but majority of The members
present and participating In The business
of the House. II is not the visible presence
or members. but their Judgment and their
votes the Constitution calls for.
During the reading of this quotation
there were tremendous laughter and ap-
plausc ON the Democratic side. ana wien
Urisp followed his climax by shouting AT
the top OF his voice and with terrific
gesture II appeal from Philip drunk 10
Philip sober" the Republicans Joined in
the nlerr rriment. As soon a he could be heard
the Speaker said with his ordinary, in
imitable Ora WI
'.The House Will have the kindness to be
in order" at which there was also great
laughter and applause
1t is not the purpose of this article to re-
cite the arguments pro or con on the ques-
ton at issue, but to recall the intense feeling
and the riotous opposition Of the Democrats.
and especially of NJ. Crisp, TO an act Of
Speaker Reed which Crisp now bids fair
to almost present To Congress ana the
country in duplicate. A number of members
spoke on either side, Mr.. Carlisle making
a strong argument for the Democrats. and
Uncle Joe" Cannon setting all doubts as
TO his attitude al rest by presenting an eIo-
quent defense OF the Speakers action and
the probable. action of the Committee on
Rules. Tired out with the excitement OF
the day the House decided to adjourn while
the question of the appeal was still pend
ing.
on the following day. January 80, the
row began again on a motion OF Mckinley
to approve the journal, upon which he
called the previous question. A score OF
Democrats Were on their feet at once, ap-
parently to demand correction, but really
to divert attention anew to the act or the
Speaker on the previous day. All other mo-
tions being out of order, Mr.. Springer made
a motion to adjourn, ana by rising vote
the yeas and nays were ordered Bland OF
Missouri had been franticaliy trying, to
make himself heard for some time. and
after the roll-call had begun, shouted out
motion for a reconsideration OF the vote
by which the yeas and nays had been
ordered.
1.-The roll-cal cannot be interrupted"
said the Speaker.
BLAND WAS FURIOUS.
Bland was furious. He gesticulatcd and
calculated frantically, and finally fairly
screamed out the ludicrousy contradictory
words:
You are a tyrant to rule over this
House or the members of this House in
any such way. and l deDounce you as tie
worst tyraut that ever presided over de-
Lucrative body" which denunciat ion was
rewarded with generous applause from the
Democrats.
The motion TO adjourn was lost, and the
question recurred on the motion to approve
the Journal. The roll call showed l6O
yeas, nay and 1877 notvoting. The Speaker
Immediately directed the Clerk to record
fifteen names of members present but not
voting. amid great confusion and inter
ruption of members rising TO "a question
of order" Paying no attention to his crit
les the Speaker calmly announced the nc EN-
ber svoting, with those counted, constituted
a quorum, aud that the previous question
was ordered. Again the pandemoDium broke
loose.
From that decision we appeal" shouted
Crisp.
II make the point of order, Mr.. Speaker.
that an appeal is already pending shouted
Mckinley.
Il desire" shouted Springer, ''to make
the point of order that no quorum has svoted,
n Ind if the Speaker holds that a quorum has
voted. then / desire to ia ke an appeal from
the decision OF the Speaker"
The Speaker Informed Mr.. Springer that
the chair had already decided the question,
I'm nha!r fa ri in