The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-04
REED REvERSES HIS RULING.
HIS FAMOUS QUORUM DECISION
NOW REPUDIATED.

He Holds That a Majority of the Act
uaI Membership of the House
Constitutes a QuOrum-In the Fifty
First Congress He Held That 1t Re-
auired a Majority of All the Mem
hers EIected-The Conference Re-
port on the Cuban Resolutions
Taken Up.
Washington, April 3.-The House en-
tered to-day upon the consideration of the
report of the conference committee recon-
mending the adoption of the Senate reso-
buttons relating to Cuba, which Mr.. Hit,
rep. Of Illinois, chairman of the commit
tee on foreign affairs, has been endeavor-
ing to bring TO the attention of the House
for some time. Mr.. Hit was DESTROYS of
securing action on the report to-day, but
the hour for recess interviewed before the
conclusion of the discussion, and it went
over until tomorrow. The time this after
noon was occupied by Mr.. Hitt, in favor
of agreeing to the report, and by Mr. Bou-
telle, rep, of Maine, VINO opposed the pas
sage of the resolutions.
Before the Cuban matter came up the
House passed thirty-eight private pension
bills. which had been favorably acted upon
at previous Friday night sessions. In
the course of this part of the proceedings,
Speaker Reed reversed his famous ruling
i'm the Fifty-first congress, which has
been the subject of much controversy, and
declared that a majority of the actual
membership of the House constituted a
quorum. In the Fifty-first congress he
held that it required a majority of all the
members elected to the House to make a
quorum, irrespective of vacancies.
Mr. Hooker, rep, of New York, re-
ported the river and harbor appropria-
tion bill for the year ending June 30, 1897,
which will be called up Monday. A bill
was passed authorizing the construction
of bridge across the Mississippi river at
ST. Louis
At $40 O'Clock the House took a re-
cess until O'Clock, the evening session
TO be for the consideration of private
pension bills.
The question of quorum came up on
the first pension bill taken up. When it
was read Mr.. Pickler moved the previous
Mr.. Erdman, dem, of Pennsylvania,
made the point of no quorum on the vote
-l27 to 8. A quorum was counted and
the previous question was ordered.
on the passage of the bill, Mr. Fro
man demanded a vote by yeas and nays,
but only twenty-five members Joined him
III Nllf ltlutSl-dH lllSuUlCiGnI 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 overrules the 'obiec-
ton, stating to the House that evidently
g quorum is present"
The announcement was received with
applause and the passage of the remain
Ing bills on the calendar proceeded with
Out serious delay or interruption.
Upon another vote, Mr.. Erdman again
made the point of no quorum and the
speaker after counting, said There are
I8 present-a quorum"
This was a reversal of his famous decis-
ION IN the F1fty-hrst congress- about which
there has been much controversy and
which was followed in later congresses
Inc entire number of representatives in
ruiz House would be 357, of which 179
would be a majority; but there are two
Nacancles-Mr. Grain of the Eleventh
4eKas district, having died, and Mr.. Boat
ner Of the Fifth Louisiana district having
been unseated, leaving the actual member
ship 1855, of which ITS is a majority.
Inc ruling caught the attention of Mr..
richardson, dem, of Tennessee, a keen
parliamentarian, and he questioned the
speaker regarded it, saying that ii was
IN conflict with the ruling made by him in
the F1fty-first congress, and asking if it
was the intention to reverse that.
speaker Reed responded that it was his
intention to make the ruling as announced.
Al the close of the Fifty-first congress he
mad put in the Record his views upon
tne question of the composition of quo
10 the chair for decision, there was much
confusion, and it came up suddenly. Out
OF abundant caution the chair then decid-
gu lhat l66 members constituted a quo
rum, majority of the full number of
members, instead of 1854, majority of the
actual membership. In the expression of
views which the speaker put in the Rec
ora at the end of that congress, he adopted
tne practice of several bodies, notably
mat OF the Senate, under the lead of the
late ReVerdy Johnson, whose reputation
as a LAWYER had ALWAYS stood bfob
stated his belief which was his present
nelleI, that 1874 members, and not 1866, con-
STUFFED quorum of the House, in other
MVIus, majority of the actual member
snip The decision referred to by the gen.
uenan from Tennessee, said the speaker,
KS one against himself and his side of
Nj Richardson assured the speaker that
me qad no criticism to make of the present
lung; It was only because of its reversing
tee iiormer ruling that he had called at
~ Before the bills were disposed of Mr.
Ldloert. DEM. of South Carolina, was
lard from. Rising to a parliamentary
ccooIIqdiiry he asked If under the existing
The speaker-The gentleman will confine
"NNIIself to the parliamentary inquiry.
INT; Talbert-I will try to do so, but was
us laying down my premise.
me speaker-The chair will answer a
pSTrrram1rentary inquiry, but not. premise.
AT Talbert-Wil it not be in order to
~ 10 lay aside bill on the ground that
Hls an outrage?
Inc Speaker-It will not.
LIT Talbert was continuing to denounce
Sbhe OF the bills, but the speaker
,atrply raped him to order, and sternly
-N'lHed him to take his seat when de-
cared out OF order
Fl, lpon the passage OF the pending bill.
r Aalbert asked II Il was IN order TO
"2Fe 10 amend the title2
was, and he moved that II be made
5ead; "A bill not 10 pension Mollie
ZAP be heard on that notion. Mr..
i,tkeri' he asked
@oi under the rules OF the House" was
response naughter)
amendment Was rejected,
nr tfdnian, dem, OF Pennsylvania
sugeeeded n heading on one ply