The record-union., 1896-01-24

agreed that when the House adjourn to-
day it be to meet on Monday next, the
Friday night session for the considera-
ton of private pension bills to be held
L Henderson (Rep) of Iowa reported
from the Committee on Rules several
minor changes and the modified form
of the quorum counting provision. The
latter reads as follows:
Whenever a quorum fails to vote on
any question and a quorum is not pres
ent, and an objection is made for that
cause, unless the House shall adjourn,
there shall be a call of the House, and
the Sergeant t-at-Arms shall forthwith
proceed to bring in absent members and
the yeas and nays on the pending ques-
tion shall at the same time be considered
as ordered.
''The Clerk shall call the roll, and
each member as he answers to his name
may vote on the pending question, and
after the roll call is completed each
member arrested shall be brought by
the Sergeant-at alarms before the House,
whereupon he shall be noted as present,
discharged from arrest and given an op-
portunfty to vote, and his vote shall be
recorded. If those voting on the ques-
tion and those who are present and de-
cline to vote shall together make ma
jority of the House, the Speaker
shall declare that a quorum is
constituted, and the pending
question shall be decided as the ma
jority Of those voting shall appear, and
thereupon further proceedings under.
the call shall be considered as dispensed
with
AT any time as the roll call has been
completed, the Speaker may entertain a
motion to adjourn, if seconded by a
majority Of those present to be ascer-
tanned by actual count by the Speaker,
and if the House adjourn, all proceed
ings under this section shall be vacated
But this section of the rule shall not ap-
ply to the sessions of Friday night, un-
til further orders by the House
A long discussion followed Hender-
sons explanation of the rules
Miles Dem.) of Maryland offered an
amendment providing that the result of
a pending proposition shall be decided
by the votes Of a majority of those mem
bers present.
The debate was continued by Messrs.
Grow Rep.) of Pennsylvania and Glib.
son (Rep-) of Tennessee, and concluded
by Dalzell (Rep) of Pennsylvania, all
supporting the amendment, which was
agreed to after Miles amendment had
been rejected.
Walker (Rep.) of Massachusetts pro-
posed an amendment giving to the
members oldest in the service the first
right to draw for seats at the beginning
of the session. 1t was lest.
Crisp (Dem.) of Georgia moved to sub
<sfsf .
the Fifty-third Congress.
Pending action on this motion, Dol1i-
yer (Rep.) of Iowa made a humorous,
semi-sarcastic speech, congratulating
the House and the country upon the
fact that even the Democratic party
was consenting to return to a reign OF
reason in the conduct of affairs.
The events of to-day, he said, demon,
stated that the Democratic party knew
good thing when they had seen it long
enough.
These remarks drew from Crisp an
earnest defense of the action of the
Democratic members in the Fifty first
Congress in protesting against what
they deemed then, and which he still
deemed, a revolutionary proceeding on
the part of the Speaker at that time.
He closed by reminding Dolliver that
the rule Of the Fifty-third Congress
giving the Committee on Rules the right
to report at any time, which had formed
the subject of a part of Delivers re-
marks, had been adopted word for word
by the Committee on Rules and agreed
tc by the House. I merely mention
this" he said, so that when the gentle
man again assumes to make a speech he
shall base it upon facts, and not expose
his ignorance"
Dolliver explained that he had not in
tended when he took the floor to say
anything that should disturb the seren-
ity of the Democrats, and if any word of
his had tended to do so, he regretted
his utterance. He could only account
for it, he said, by the nervous irritation
caused by the indulgence of an after
ter.)
Crisp's substitute was rejected, and
the rules reported adopted.
A resolution was agreed to authoriz-
ing the printing of 1900 copies of the
digest and rules of the House.
Speaker Reed said that Payne (Rep.)
of New York would act as Speaker pro
tenn. at the Friday night session, and
unanimous consent was given that at
that session appropriation bills might
be reported for printing only.
The House then, at 80 o'clock, took
a recess until Friday night, and at the
conclusion of that session to stand adj
journed until Monday.