The morning times., 1896-05-08
REEDS TRYING POSITION
Representative Picker Made Life
Miserable for the Speaker.
Being Deprived of His ALI
Night Session.

The session of the House yesterday was
the most trying one for Speaker Reed OF
any held during the present Congress.
From start to finish he was kept busy
counting members on divisions and points
of no quorum. 1t was SO complete a re-
minder of the scenes that occurred in the
Fifty-frst Congress that those who had
seen service in that body enjoyed the
proceedings with unusual relish.
The bone of contention was brought over
from the previous evening, when MIR. Picker
claimed that his plan for an aIl-night
session for the consideration OF the pri-
vate calendar was rendered abortive by
snap Judgment on the part of Chairman
Payne. Mr.. Picker seemed to think that
because his expected legislative day IT
twenty-four, hours was curtailed to seven
he should be given compensatory time.
Tie leaders had no intention OF acceding
to this demand, and Mr.. Picker thercupon
began filibuster, which he maintained
throughout the day without encoura cement
or assistance.
The course pursued by Mr. Pickler was
necessarily productive of much irritation,
but neither Mr. Reed nor any of his
lieutenants lost their seemingly unfailing
good nature. and the day passed with less
friction than could have been expected.
For the first time this session the j; urnal
was read IN full, roll calls and all, and Il vote
was necessary to secure its approval.
In season and out of season, Mr. Picker
demanded the regular order, which would
have been the call of committees and could
not i'll the least have helped his case: but
once lie was caught mapping and the House
enjoyed quite n period Of mer inIenl at
his expense. He had Just shouted "regu-
lar order and turned to converse with q
member standing near when Mr. Powers
nclyn cant
ton of the bill giving circuit courts juriS-
diction over writs OF error 10 and appeals
from supreme courts of Territories
When the reading OF the bill was concluded
aior Picker was still engaged in CCnVer-
sation. The Speaker inquired twice If there
was objection 10 tie present consideration
of the hill and fiuaily declared that the chair
hea rd none.
Mr.. Powers was making a statement.ls to
the provisions of the measure when Mr
Picker began to suspect that something
had gone wrong and made parliamentary
INQUIRY rs To the hin before the House
Mt Reed assumed his most dulcet tone
OF voice and stated that he had twice asked
| IL there was objection, but unanimous
consent had been given.
Mr.. Picker replied that the fault was his
| own, and that he should have been more
careful watching the proceedings.
The gentleman from South Dakota was
| providentially absent dra wled the Speak
| err with n pronounced accent of the word
| proviGentiaIly. and the major himself was
| forced 10 join in the prolonge d laugh which
| followed
Mr. Powers bin was finally passed by
! yea and nay vote 10 ecure Il quorum. A n
other measure was put through after a
| similar hard struggle. and then the leaders
decided 10 give it up, and at $40 the
House adjourned.
In the course of q colloquy with Mr..
| Payne. Major Picker explained shortly
| before adiournme Mt that he had consist
| entity demanded d the regular order in the
| hope that the House would thus find time
| 10 consider private bills.
| Mr. Payne called Mr. Pickler's atten--
| ton to the fact that his action tended only
to defeat bis expressed purpose. inasmuch
| as those bills could be taken up only by
unanimous consent. This Mr.. Picker in
| terpreted to- veil threat that unanimous
| consent would net be given. and remarked
that he accepted service" The incident
| there stopped.