The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-11
AyERTING AN EXTRA SESSION.
How Springer Pint a Dill Through I'm
the Speakers Absence.

Washington Letter In New York sun.
Mr.. Springer, of Illinois, to-day related
which he saved the sundry civil. appropria-
ton bill from defeat and prevented an extra
1T was just at the. close OF the Fitch
Congress, said Mr.; Springer MI cieye-
time, and there was great fear that some
of the bills might fail and force an extra
not want. The sundry civil iii was hang
ing fire. 1t had been in conference and
had got into parliamentary tsngle IN the
night of March 8. with perhaps nine or ten
hours of life for Congress A large number
get their public building appropriations in
serted in the bill. There was no quorum
by the throat. refusing to let It pass With
out them. The situation was growing criti-
cal; there was so little time left that It would
De impossible to get quorum together and
pass the bill in time TO get it engrossed and
laid before the President Besides, there
which made it irnpossible to get a direct
vote on 1T without the consent of the people
who We're demanding to be let in with their
purpose, for they wanted their public build
ings in, and thought they would get than;
an extra session and embarrass the demo-
cracy, then just coming into control of the
Carlisle called me 10 the chair. e saying aging that
he must get a bath and few minutes
rest. AS the hour wore on Sam Randall
who was chairman of the appropriations
committee, was in an agony of anxiety.
My God., he said, as he came to the
Speakers desk. what are we to do? Here
it is within few hours of the end, and
this bill tied UP in this way. Uuless it
gets through at once 10 viii force an extra
20 Well said 1. if l were in your place
| should move to suspend the rules, recede
Senate amendments, and pass the bill
But said he Mr. Carlisle has already
MIR. Randall / said as i looked again
at the clock and saw the hour and the me-
cessity for prompt action to save the BILL
Mr.. Carlisle is not in the chair now. Be-
sides, you know, / have argued this very
day that such a motion would be in order.
,o me looked at m me. an instant, and IN
ton in his clear, ringing tones which we all
remember Instantly fifty members were
lating. 1t was confusion worse confounded
l have never witnessed wilder scene than
that which prevailed for a Jew moments.
did not get it, did expect to. Nobody
could hear what was saying. could not
could put the motion. Mr.. Randall. fol-
lowing the movement of my lips voted for
Il, and. bringing the gavel down, declared
reached the desk, and Selling the bill and
accompanying papers, almost ran out OF
the the door You could have PLAYED cards on
my attention to the riotous members, who
did not yet comprehend what had hap
pened and, hammering for order, sent the
Sergeant-at-Arms with the mace to quiet
them. BY the time order was restored Mr..
Carlisle entered fresh from his bath and
luncheon.
What are we to do with this billr he
said, despondently, as he took the chair.
You needn't worry about the bill,
said; it has passed and has gone to the
engrossing clerks
He looked .astonished, and when 1 told
We'll, it's done, and perhaps it's just as
well, though couldn't have entertained that
motion. But I'm glad it over, for we shall
get through now
And that" said Mr.. Springer, lis how
the work of the Fiftieth Congress was
closed up and an extra session averted.
But it is not good way, and hope to
seen an act passed which viii change the
date of the meeting of Congress, so that
the second term may not be forced to come
to an. end at a given time. Most people
suppose that constitutional amendment
is necessary to change the date of the
meeting of Congress, but that is not true
The Constitution names the first Monday
in December, unless the Congress shall fix
some other date. / want to see another
date fxed-say the first Monday after the
4th of March. That would bring the newly
elected Congress into activity four months
after the election, and dispense with the
meeting of a Congress after its successor
had been elected, and, besides. 1T would
prevent the repetition of the sort of scenes
we have just witnessed, the final passage
of all the great appropriation bills in such
a rush that it is impossible to do justice to
thafra