Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-04-03
FIFTY-FoURTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, April 8

FIFTY-F0URTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, April 8
SENATE.
The Senate was not in session today
having adjourned yesterday until Mol
day.
HOUSE.
The prospect of further debate on
the Cuban question filed the galleries
of the House before the hour of meet
ing to-day, but the interest among
members was not SO general. judging
from the attendance, not more than half
the seats being filled when Chaplain
Couden invoked the divine blessing.
Mr.. Murphy called up the bill au'
thorizipg the construction of bridge
over the Mississippi river at st. Louis,
Mo. Mr.. Bartholdt moved to amend
by inserting provision requiring the
bridge to be located not less than !
nor more than q miles from the Eads
bridge, but it was rejected. The bill
was then passed.
Mr.. Picker demanded the regular
order, which was, this being Friday,
the consideration of bills reported from
the committee of the whole at Friday
night sessions.
The first bill was read, and Mr..
Picker moved the previous question.
Mr.. Erdman made the point of no quo
rum on the vote-127 to 6. A quorum
was counted and the previous question
was ordered. On the passage of the
bill MIR. Erdman demanded vote by
yeas and nays, but only % members
Joined him in the request--an insult
6cieDt number. So the bill was passed.
On the next bill Mr.. Erdman again
made the point of no quorum, but the
Speaker said "The chair overruies
the objection, stating to the House that
evidently quorum is present"
The announcement was received with
applause, and the passage of the re
naming bills on the calendar proceed
ed without serious delay or interruption.
Upon another vote Mr.. Erdman again
made the point of no quorum, and the
Speaker, after counting, said: There
::ss 17o : ~ Jc ;:.t quorum. +" .
This was reversal of his famous de.
cision in the 51st Congress, about which
there has been much controversy, and
which was followed in later Congresses.
The entire number Representatives in
q full House would be 357, of which
179 would be majority; but there aie
two vacancies-Nr. Grain, of the 18th
Texas district, having died, and Mr.
Boatner, of the fifth Louisiana district,
having been unseated, leaving the &C
tual membership 355, of which ITS is q
majority.
The ruling caught the attention of
Mr.. Richardson and he questioned the
Speaker regarding it. saying that it was
in conflict with ruling made by him
in the 51st Congress, and asking if 1t
was the intention to reverse that.
Speaker Reed responded that it was
his intention to make the ruling as an
nounced. At the close of the 51st Con-
gress, he had put in the Record bis
views upon the question of the compo-
sition of a quorum.
When the question presented itselfto
the chair for decision, there was con-
fusion and it came up suddenly. Out
of abundant caution, the chair then lie
cided that l66 members constituted
quorum, a majority of the full number
of members, instead of 164, majority
of the actual membership. In the ex-
preston of views which the Speaker
put in the Record at the end of that
Congress. he adopted the practice
OF several bodies, notably that OF the
S=nate, under the lead of the late Rev.
erdy Johnson, whose reputation as
lawyer had Away stood high, and
stated his belief, which was his
present belief, that 164 members and
not 166, constituted a quorum of the
House; in other words majority of the
actual membership. The decision re-
ferred to by the gentleman from Ten
nessee, said the Speaker, was one
against himself and his side of the
House.
Mr.. Richardson assured the Speaker
that he had no criticism to make of the
present ruling; it was only because of
its reversing the former ruling that he
had called attention to it.
Before the bills were disposed of, Mr..
Talbert rising to parliamentary in
quiry, asked if under the existing con-
dition-
The Speaker-The gentleman will
confne himself to the parliamentary in
quiry.
Mr.. Talbert-I will try to do so, but
was just laying down my premise.
The Speaker-The chair will answer
parliamentary inquiry, not premise.
Mr.. Talbert-Will it not be in order
to ask to lay aside bill on the ground
that it is an outrage ?
The Speaker-It will not.
Mr.. Talbert was continuing to de-
nounce some of the bills, but the
Speaker sharply raped him to order
and sternly notified him to take his
seat when declared to be out of order.
Upon the passage of the pending bill
Mr.. Talbert asked if it was in order
to move to amend the title.
The Speaker said it was.
The motion was made but was de-
feated.
After passing thirty.eight pension
bills Mr.. Hit called up the Cuban res
olutions and made long speech advo-
eating their adoption.