The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-18
CRISP IN ATILT WITH CANNON.
THE NEW ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
SCHEME UNDER DEBATE.

of Three Committees on the
Ground That the scheme Would
Work Injustice to the Democratic
Contestees-AII the Changes in the
Rules Agreed TO Except That Re
Iating 10 the Elections Commit
tees.
Washington, Dec. 1.-THE proceedings
Of the House to-day were enlivoned by
partisan debate. growing out Of Mr.. Can
mons amendment to the rules providing
for the appointment of three committees
on elections. In support of the amend
ment Mr.. Cannon spoke of the great pre-
ponderance Of contests from the south,
and quoted allegations that notwith-
standing the repeal of the federal cleo
ton laws fraud still existed in the cleo
tions in that part of the country.
Mr.. Crisp. dem. of Georgia led the
opposition to the amendment, saying the
effects of its adoption would be to work
injustice to democratic cOntestees; that
there was nothing in the history of the
republican party to warrant the assump-
ton that election contests would be de-
cided by this House upon other than par
tisan grounds.
Propositions to amend the amendment
were made but they were all rejected,
and after four hours debate the PROPOSE
tiOn was agreed to.
Mr.. Cannon introduced the resolution
discussed yesterday in the speakers
room, amending the rules so as to pro-
vide for the appointment of three COM
mittees on elections, OF nine members
each. to be known as !, and 3, respect
ively and increasing the membership Of
other committees. Certain changes in
the rules made necessary by the increases
qN...Fs D in sHrasaaa
the Fifty-first congress were also pro
posed. All of the changes We're agreed TO
by unanimous consent, except those re
lating to the committees OF elections.
Mr. Cannon explained the necessity for
the resolution. All of the cOntestees, he
said. were democrats. twenty-five OF the
contestants were republicans; eight were
populsts, and one an Independent demo-
crat: and one a tusiOnist This latter clas-
sfcation aroused an audible smile all over
the floor.
position to the proposition to increase the
number of committees on elections. W nat
was there, he asked, in the history OF the
republican party TO JUSTIFY the assertion
that election contests would be decided
upon their merits2 He referred TO the ac-
ton of the House in the Fifty-nrst con
gress in election cases. ana had the clerk
read from the Record the proceedings in
the Miller-E Elliott case from South caro-
lima where the contestants was seated
without debate, or the reading OF the re-
port of the committee on elections, and
when he had been sworn in These Ju-
dicially-minded gentlemen" said Mr.. Crisp,
demanded that the next case be called.
"And" he continued, IF the cases had
been on the calendars so that they might
be considered, ] have no DOUBT that the
judiciaF majority would have voted TO
unseat every man on this side of the
House"
An interruption by Mr.. Walker led 20
a colloquy between him and Mr.. Crisp, in
which the history of counting quorum
On the Fifty-hrst congress was brought
under discussion.
Mr.. Crisp was made the target for a
volley of questions by several republican
members, respecting the action of the
democrats in the Fifty-first congress. Mr..
Boutelle asked if he thought the demo-
Gratis did right in retiring from the House
bodily in order to obstuct the consld-
Grafton of business.
Mr. Crisp-I believe they were justified
in proceeding in any lawful way to pre-
vent the contamination OF the outrages
proposed by the republicans. The people
of the country evidently took the same
view, for they reversed the majority in
the next House, giving the democrats $50
majority. (Applause).
Further along the results of the cleo
lion of 1894 were the subject of repartee
between the two gentlemen. Mr. Crisp
said he had read somewhere that the gem
tleman from Maine (Alr. Boutelle) consid-
cred the result as a vindication OF his
course in regard to Hawaii.
Mr.. Boutelle-The gentleman from
Georgia certainly cannot claim that II
was a Vindication of his course on the
Hawaiian matter.
Mr.. Bouteiie then caused general laugh
ter by assuming a serious air and saying;
"By the way. before the gentleman from
Georgia proceeds, would he kindly yield
TO me for a few minutes for some re-
Elections in regard to Hawaii?'
The eX-speaker did not comply with
the request, but said there was a message
from the President regarding the Nene-
Euelan frontier question on the speakers
desk, and this republican House, because
of a partisan debate projected by the
gentleman from Illinois Cannon could
not take time to have it read.
Mr.. Hulick asked WAS not the delay
really due to the absence of the Presi-
dent duck shooting?"
Crisp said the message should be read,
adding: 1T is frank, manly defense
of the Monroe doctrine. (ApplauseQ
Mr.. Dalzell replied to Mr.. Crisp and the
debate was continued by Mr.. Bartlett of
New York and Mr.. johnson of Indiana.
Mr.. Bailey of Texas asked Mr.. Cannon
If he would consent to modify his resolU-
ton so as to provide that the members
of the proposed elections committees
should take a special oath?
Mr.. Cannon responded that long OBJ
servation as a lawyer had satisfied him
that a man who would lie, when the
truth was called for, would swear 10 it.
The debate was further participated in
by Messrs. Wheeler of Alabama, MILF
ken of Maine, Lacy of Iowa and Powers
OF Vermont.
Preceding an arrangement for closing
the debate. several amendments were pro-
posed, one by Mr.. Terry OF Arkansas. pro
posed to allow six hours debate in the
House on each case. This was defeated
by a vote of 81 yeas to 1879 nays, several
contestees being excused from voting.
The original amendment to the rules,
offered by Mr.. Cannon, was adopted. with
out a division.
The message on the Venezuelan boun-
dairy matter was then laid before the
House and read by the clerk. When that
portion disclosing that the United States
must properly deal with the situation as
IT exists, was reached, there was a vigor-
Gus outburst of hand clapping on the
floor, led by republican members. This
was repeated in an intensified form over
the declaration that the United States
Woulc resist as an aggression upon its
rights any appropriation by Great Britain
OF territory found by the proposed com
mission to belong to Venezuela, and again
at the close.
Speaker Reed announced that the mes
sage and documents would be referred 10
the committee on foreign affairs
Mr.. Crisp. dem, of Georgia endeavored
to get recognition to offer a joint resolti-
ton appropriating 100000 to pay the ex-
renses of commission to be appoint ii
by the President TO investigate and re-
port what is the true divisional line be-
tween the republic of Venezuela and
British Guiana, but Mr.. Dinglev's rnofion
ndN