The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1897-01-15
THE FUNDING BILL DEAD
DEFEATED IN THE HOUSE BY A
VOTE OF 1O2 TO 1853
Intense interest Shown in the Strug-
gle. and II Spirited Discussion
the Vote.


house today under an adverse maiorlt
OF 10. The friends of the measure, VIII
had predicted its passage up to the las
moment, were surprised by the decjsiv
character of their defeat. They had bee
led to hope from the votes on the sub
stitutes hat the bill had more than al
even chance of passage. The CaIiforni,
and middle west mbe voted almos
solidly against the substitutes. Whel
the vote came on the main proposition
the whole opposition swept into an,
rushe it.
This was the fourth funding bill killet
IN the house In 10 years. An analysis o
the vote today shows that Sc republican,
and 16 democrats voted for the bill, ant
% republicans, IS democrats, 6 %populist:
and 5 independents against the bill.
Mr.. Powers said tonight that he die
not know what would be done, but ex.
pressed the opinion that another effort
should be made to pass an acceptable
Dill. The opponents Of the bill, on Tho
other hand, are rejoicing and say the
vote today settles the scheme to fund
the debt at this session.
Galleries Were Crowded.
Gfeat interest centered in the outcome
of the vote on the bill. The galleries were
crowded early, and members on the floor
before the opening hour discussed the
merits of the bill.
1t required some time to s%traighten out
the parliamentary situation. Speaker
Reed stated there were no pending
amendments to the bill. There were, how
ever, two substitutes-that Of Harrison
n a 1 n En n Il IN p-oty}I g.
of three cabinet officers to negotiate q
settlement of the debt with the two roads,
and the Bell substitute, providing If the
ROADS would clear off the first mortgage
so as to advance the governments lien
10 lhe position OF first mortgage, the gov
would agree to the extension of
the period Tor payment of the debt at
3 per cent interest. To the former substi-
tute there was pending an amendment
proposed by Northway of Ohio, providing
mat the commission should be appointed
by the secretary of the treasury, secre-
tafy OF the interior and attorney general
instead of consisting of these three cab
met officers. The Northway amendment,
he said, was to be voted on first. Then
the substitutes in their order.
After some wrangling, the speakers
statement of the situation was accepted
by the house.
The Northway amendment to the Har-
rlson substitute was defeated on a viva
voce vote, after which the Bell substi-
tute was submitted. Bell demanded a
record of the vote. The demand was sus-
tanned by 70 members, mostly democrats,
and the roll was called. AS the voting
proceeded, it was evident the substitute
would fail, and the friends of the bin
We're correspondingly jubilant. Senator
White of California, Senator Daniels and
other senators watched the struggle with
deep interest.
When the speaker announced the de-
feat of the Bell substitute, no to 156. this
opposition appeared somewhat staggered
but 1t was pointed out that California
members and others known to be opposed
to the measure voted against the substi-
tute.
The Harrison substitute was then SUBJ
mitted. On a viva voce vote, the volume
of sound was against the substitute. and
the speaker was about to declare it de-
feated, when Harrison demanded the
ayes and noes. There were cries of mo,
No. but Harrison succeeded in sec1r-
ing AZ members to back his demand,
This was not a fifth of the preceding
vote, but the other side was unable to
muster more thai 129, so the speaker
ordered the roll called. The substitute
was overwhelmingly defeated, SIS to 214.
The Fatal Vete.
The opposition then decided to test their
strength by securing a, roll call on the
usual formal motion to engross and read
the bill. Accordingly Mcguire, democrat.
OF California, demanded the yeas and
and half the house seemed to re-
spond to his demand. AS The roll coll he
gan, every one realized the critical mo-
ment had come. The BUZZ of excited CON
Versation subsidized, and 3 hush fell on the
house. Powers and his clerk kept tallies.
Cummings, democrat, of New York. Ma
Suire, democrat, of California, and sey-
eral other members also checked the vote.
When 1t was quietly Whispered about at
the end of the first roll call, on the motion
to engross, that the vote was 81 to liz, the
adversaries of the measure were over
Joyed. Mcguire Started a round Of ap-
plause and abandoned his tally. The com
of the defeat of the bills ad-
Vocates became more apparent Us the see
ond roll call proceeded. When the clerks
had figured up the to.ai, the speaker sub
mitted the result-yeas 1n2, nays 1853.
There Was a great outburSt of applause
when the defeat Of the measure was off
cially announced. a formal motion by
Hubbard, republican, of Missouri, to re-
consider and lay on the table was carried.
and some minor business was transacted.
Then, suddenly, Powers seemed to make
up his mind to try to get further consid-
Grafton of the bill in q new form. He
arose and moved that the bill be recon-
to the committee.
ut is apparent said he. speaking very
calmly, "that the house has manifested
it's opposition to the principle of this bill,
he continued, 81 "a it every MEM
Der present wants some action taken, and
! make this motion in order to see if The
committee can not formulate some meas
ure which will meet with the approval of
the house."
Dockery, democrat, of Missouri, immedi-
ately made a point of orde- that the mo-
ton was not in order.
Mr.. Terry of Arkansas said his under
of parliamentary law was that
the refusal of the house to engross the bill
killed it, and the motion to reconsider and
lay that motion on the table had put it in
its coffin and nailed the coffin up
After some further debate, on the sug-
Of tha r,,n =, H., 1~,;,;o,, ~, tho