The times., 1897-07-09

the House Yesterday when Speaker Reed
assembled the Throne and banged his sayel
on tbe desk with that resvunding whnek
with which ne is accustomed to call he
suppressed House TO order. immediately
after the reading of the journal, secre-
t.ry Cox, who would not delegate that
duty To Subordinate, appeared a. the
entrance and announced that The Senate
had passed House bill 379 with amend
ments' This announcement, which was
the rirst official intimation the House had
that phe struggle had finally ended IN tie
Senate, was greeted with cheers on the
Republican side of the chamber.
Insanity Mr.. Daizen, representing the
ConIuitUee ON Rules. and MI james hamii-
ton Lewis, of Washington, we've on their
feet, 10th seeking TO gain the recognition
OF the chair. Mi DalzefI was recognized,
but Mr.. Lewis stood IN his place ana
Demanded recognition, Insisting That ne
atosc 10 a question of privilege TO which
the Speaker could not refuse To listen
There were load cries for the regular
order on the Republican side, buS Mr.. Lewis,
undaunted by the disturbance, Tefused 10
sl down. He gestieuIated earnestly m the
pasSageway immediately in font or the
Speaker, and was SO persistent In bis
efforts that Speaker Reed was actually
forced TO listen 10 him. No sooner haa he
again stated that he arose TO point OF
order, when Mr. Stone, of Pennsylvania,
and several o hers again interrupted with
vehement cries for the regular order.
u have the right" said Mir. Lewis, Ito
make my point of order, which is mat
ter Of privilege of the House. / rise to
question Of the highest privilege OF the
House / contend that this House is un-
constitutional; that it is disorganized; has
been adjourned out of existence, and has
no legality (Derisive laughter on the Re
publican side.l regret that there are
some gentlemen disinciined to coincide
with me II they would withhold such I'm
seemly manifestations, the country world
have a greater regard for their ability
and for them daughter on the Democratic
sIdel
4 desire to suggest, with great def
erence, that question Of the privilege Of
the House. involving the Iigb1s OF che House,
its consti tuition aIity, its legality. take
precedence OF any other question FiTss
under rule 3, which reads as follows;
Questions OF privilege snan re, inst, those
affecting The rights of tie HoCse CoIlec-
lively, its safety, oienhY ana TIE iniegIfy
of its proceedings. second tie rights. Iel-
utatioB, and conduct OF members iHdivid
uasiy in their representative capacity only.
Il now invite your respective attention
to a decision made by the honoiable Speaker
in tie Fifty-fiFst Congress in September,
1890"
Mr.. DaIzeIt eudeaveTed several tiHes TO
stop MI. Lewis, but the Speaker evidently
thought it best TO permit him 10 proceed,
and Mr.. Lewis held the floor, continuing:
The honorable Speaker, now in the
chain, then held that a question affecting
the rights or the House took precedence of
any other question. That point was
MADE by Mr. Enloe or Tennessee, and it
was decided by the chair that it took
precedence OF a special order or other
business. That being the decision,
respectfully invite attention particularly
to it, and ask at this time that The Chair
give me the benefit Of the ruling he then
made. l invite the attention OF my hon
Orable peers on my right. daughter on
the Republican side.) l do not fiatter
you beyond your deserts Intentionally,
60. e...c.-- tI-augHJer.D
Mr. Lewis then proceeded 10 rt-ad from
The Record and showed that Ar Cannon
made the point that special oF1!eT was
before tire House. and { lseresore took
precedence The Record showed shat Mr
Enioe was granted a hearing and in
sisted that Ids rights and the uEa.s OF
the representatives of tie people rad been
invaded and the House deprived OF its
proper POSITION and that such course mad
the acquiescence OF the Speaker The
Speaker, Mr. Reed, at that time held Tie
resolution to be in order and that IT took
precedence OF a special order or any other
business This ruling, Mr.. Lewis stated,
he found had been further affirmed by its
incorporation in the manual Of the House
Returning then, to his argument, Mr
Lewis said:
THAT seems 10 me, Mr. Speaker, to
dispose of the point made by the es-
teeIAed gentleman from Pennsyi vania, Mr.
Dalzell, and / now insist that my ques-
ton of privilege, going to the rights of
the privileges Of this House. is in order,
wherein / contend that this Holse POW is
in state OF being unconstitutional dis
organized, and as l gave notice IN the
3Ist OF May last that L would at a
subsequent time call the point to the at
tention Of the II ouse, i now insist that
this House cannot Consider the tariff
bill; cannot consider the message from the
Honorable Senate, or take up any other
business, because it has no legal existence
as House of Representatives, having
merged itself out of existence by an ad-
3ournment sine de-
The chair said Speaker Reed in re-
ply, lis very far from ruling that there
may not be a question of privilege which
may interfere with the right of the Com
nlttee on Rules to report, although suhse-
quent TO the Fifty-first Congress, and con-
sequenly subject TO any decision made at
that time, rule was adopted providing
that it shall be always III order to cali up
for consideration a report from the Com
mittee on Rules. Although the Speaker
occupying the chair at the time when this
rule was adopted, and who made the first
ruling under IL, decided that no question OF
privilege could interfere with the opera
ton OF the rule, the present occupant OF the
chair was never entirely satisfied that it
was so; but the gentleman from Washington
having now stated his proposition, namely,
that we are not House, the chair over
rules the point as dilatory, and the clerk
VIII read the pending report from the Com
nlittee Oh Rules
Mr Lewis took an appeal from the
ruling, but the chair declined to entertain
# Then, Mr.. Speaker - sa id Nr. Lewis
y move that the motion or report OF the
gentleman frora Pennsylvania be postponed
for ten minutes, and as a motion for
postponerncnt takes precedence under the
rule--s