The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-23
QUORUM COUNTING RULE
Modified Form Of the Provision
Reported to the House.
ABLE ARGUMENTS UPON IT
Mr.. Henderson Says 1t Provides for
Adjournment Peniing Call of the
House and HIS the Effect of Va
eating All Proceedings Hereunder.
but Doesn'tApply to Friday Sessions

Onmotion OF Mr.. Henderson, it was agreed
that when the House adjourn today it be t,
meet on Monday next, the Friday night ses
sion for the consideration OF private pension
| bHI, 10 Dc held.
Mr.. Henderson reported from the Commit
tee on Rules several minor changes and the
| modified form Of The quorum counting pro
vision. The latter reads as follows:
Whenever quorum fails to vote on any
| question aud u quorum is not present. ard
objection is made for that cause, unless the
House shall adjourn, there SHAH be Il call
OF the House. and the sergcant-at-Arms
Shall forthwith PROCEED to bring in alb
sent members, and the yeas nnd nays on
the pending question shall u I the same time
be considered as ordered.
The clerk shall call tile roll, AID each
memeber as he ANSWERS to his name ma
vote on the pending question, and, after
the roll call is completed each member q r
/! rested shall be brought by the sergean,-at-
arms before the HouSe. 'wbereupoD he shall
be noted as present, discharged from arrest,
and given an opportunity To vote and Lis
vote shall Ire recorded.
III ttit.se voting on The auest ION IL those
who are preseuisa and decline To vote shall
together make majority Of the HOu St, the
Speaker shall! declare that u quorum is con
situated, aud the pending question shall be
decided MS the ma jority OF fEose voting
shall appear. Aud ;hcreupoD further pro-
ceedings rntrr IT. cal shall be Considered
as dispensed with.
AT any time after the roll call has been
completed, the Speaker may entertain Il
notion 10 adjourn II seconded by ma iority
OF those present to be ascertained by ctuai
count by the Speaker, ana IL the House
adjourns all proceedings under this section
Shall be vacated. Bat this section or the
rule shall not apply TO the sessions OF Friday
night until further ordered by the HOUSE"
FORCE OF THE CHANGES.
Mr.. Henderson explained the force of the
changes made by the committee in the clause
above mentioned. 1t provided, he said
foradjournnie MT pending a oallofthe House,
auio.:rnuicnt 10 ave Tie effect of vacating
all proceedings hereunder, and IL did not
apply to the Friday night sessions, when
the aitciaa nee usually is not equal to that
of quorum.
Mr. Henderson stated that the merits of
the question having been argued by him
when the subject was under discussion some
days ago, he would not enter upon that field
at this time, but would hear from those WHO
oppose the view that a ma jority OF Il present
quorum can proceed to do business.
He would only say that the proposition
had been originally advanced in the Forty
seventh Congress by the Hon. J. Randolph
Tucker, some time chairman OF the Com
mittee on judiciary, and recognized by all
as an able lawyer. and later advocated in
the Eifty-secoDd Con grcSs by Hon. Thomas
B. Reed, also a member OF the Committee
on the judiciary. II was desirable that
the rule should he adopted now, when 1t
could be considered without invoking any
partisan feeling either in its support or
opposition.
COUNTING THEM IN.
Mr.. DeaHnond argued that the presence
OF a quorum having been ascertained, he be-
lieved it to be perfectly competent for the
House under the Constitution by a rule
to say in So many words, that members
who do not vote.upoa the pending question
shall be counted with the prevailing side
II was fair, just, sensible and constitu-
tional, said Mr.. Dearmoad, thus to vote
them. Mr.. Dearmond spoke for nearly an
hour and at the close of his rema rks was
greeted with applause.
Mr.. bailey answered Mr.. Dearnlond. He
that 1t was not competent for the
House to pass a rule whereby any measure
could be declared to be legally passed
unless ii received the affirmative votes OF
at least n majority or the quorum OF the
House. He fortified his position by Copious
quotations from leading text writers, and
decisions of judicial tribunals upon this
subject.