Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-12
WRANCL|NG OVER RULES The Only Thing Done in Wash-
 ington Yesterday. CONGRESSMEN LIKE FUN Even f Ii Is at the Expense of Dead Bach r eor Member.
; SAKER REED COUNTED A QUORUM
The Czar Created Much Laughter by Ap- plying the Rule to a Fellow-Repub- hcan-Most of the Committee
 Amendments Agreed To.

Washington, Jan. 1.-The house pro- ceeded at once to the consideration of l changing the code of rules proposed by | the committee. At the suggestion of Mr. l Henderson the paragraph regulating the counting of quorum when one falls to vote on any question was temporarily passed. Mr Wheeler moved to strike out the paragraph providing that lon de- mand of any member or at the sugges- ton of the speaker the names of mem- bers sufficient to make quorum In the hall of the house who do not vote shall | be noted by the clerk and recorded in | the journal and reported to the speaker. with the names of members voting; and be counted and announced in determin- ing the presence of quorum to do bust ness" His first objection to it, MT. Wheeler said, was that it was unconsti- tutional, and If not unconstitutional, it's operation would permit the passage of a bill or even declaration of war in the house by votes of less than majority of the quorum.
 The amendment was lost
 Committee agreements were agreed to providing that the previous question shall be ordered by tho votes of a major ity of those voting if quorum be pres snt; amendments to the title of a bill or
 
 age and be decided without debate; re- quests for correction of the reference of bills and other papers shall be decided without debate.
 Motions to refer any claim to the court of claims shall bel considered in commit tee of the whole
 | MT Curtis of New York proposed an amendment to substitute for memorial services over the death of a member in me course of congress. resolutions re- Ia af ha oaI ;ot. | If adopted by the house. shall be printed 1 in the Record
 | This proposed innovation led to a lively dlseussion.i It was antagonized by MT.
 McMillin of Tennessee, MT. Morse of Massachusetts Mr. Pickler of South
 Dakota and MT. Willis of Delaware, and ner of Louisiana, MT. Richardson of Ten nessee. MT. Walker of Massachusetts | and MT. Quigg of New York.
 MT. Walker raised laugh, recalling the speech of MT. Morse over the late Representative O'Neal of Pennsylvania, bachelor of 75 years standing, whom he described as a married man, which
 was increased when he humorously chided MT. Boatner for advocating the amendment. ''Only little while ago" he said, I've were burning mid night oil preparing obituaries of the gen tiemen from Louisiana in anticipation of | the dread outcome of a recent occurrence | In his state.''
 | ihi' IiNIdcISOu SuBBeSleu an dInenu- | nent to MT. Curtis amendment giving | members who desire to perpetuate their personal tributes to deceased associates leave to print. This amendment seemed | to Mr. Quigg of New York to be the most | objectionable thing that could be done | The most petty practice of the house." | he said, was that of putting into the | Record things that never did and never | could take place on the floor"
 MT. Willis said members spent so much fpna clU Ut tnp hi | another that 1t would be a profitable | thing to go on the floor once In while and spend an hour or so saying what | was pleasant
 An amendment by MT. Grosvenor ex- cluding from the operations of the rule members who have died previous to this date, was rejected. And then the whole proposition was voted down-31 to 130. The remainder of the committees amendments were agreed to as follows: Making 1t possible to change the rules without previous notice; regulating the privilege of the floor granted to the rep resentatives of the press associations, and striking out the regulation govern | ing the printing of documents that have been covered in the new printing law. Mr. Wanger of Pennsylvania proposed to enact the rule of the Fifty-third con- gress, by which privilege the lobby in the rear of the hall of the house was I MT. Henderson opposed it on the ground that the lobby should be preserved for the comfort and convenience of members only. MT. Wanger's amendment was lost-17 to "A. He then made the point of no quorum, whereupon, amid laughter of the members, the speaker proceeded to count those present to determine wheth- CT or not quorum was present. "One hundred and ninety gentlemen are in their seats," he stated, "a quorum. The noes have 1t and the amendment is lost" MT Morse got the floor to state that the suggestion regarding his eulogy upon the late Representative O'Neal, that he was mistaken as to the family relations of the deceased, was not warranted by anything in the eulogy itself.
 A number of unavailing efforts were made by members to secure amendments to the rules. Among them was one by MT. Turner of Georgia to retain the pro- vision making a majority of the whole membership quorum of the committee of the whole This had been the unvary- ing rule in the history save in the Fifty first congress. when a quorum In the committee of the whole was fixed at 100 and that number Is incorporated in the present code.
 At 3:45 p. m., on motion of MT. Hender- son. the house adjourned until Monday A Monograph Suit Ended. Newark N. l. Ian 11-AIl legal trfh.