The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-04
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE APPLIES
A LITTLE OF GEAR REEDS
RULINGS.
DECLARED QUORUM PRESENT,
EVEN THOUGH A NUMBER REFUSED
TO ANSWER THEIR NAMES
WHEN CALLED,
SAN JOSE SCALE BILL LIVES.
But There Is Little Life Left in It
McElhaney's Mileage
Bill.

| The house got into a parliamentary
wrangle resembling the famous Car
Reid episode in congress in the consid-
| Grafton yesterday of Mr.. McElhaney's
| bill, H. F. 608, relating to the issuance
Of mileage books. The bill reduces the
| cost Of 1,000-mile books from $25 to $40.
| By consent it's author introduced an
amendment which provides that the
unused mileage must be redeemed at
| the cost price whenever presented
within year. The author meant to
have the amendment so that the I'M
used mileage should be redeemable at
the end Of the year, but the provisions
were not understood till the roll call
| began. Representative Shell in ex-
| planning his vote which was against
the bill, as amended, explained the
effect of the amendment, saying that
under the bill. as amended, the pur-
chaser of book sould use ten miles
of it and then return it to be redeemed
which he considered unfair to the rail-
way company, and outside of the inten-
ton of the mileage book practice.
AS soon as this explanation was made
large number of members changed
their votes from the affirmative to the
negative, and others refrained from
Vctlng. An attempt was made to Sc
cure unanimous consent to amend the
bill to cover the point made. and Judge
Hicks, speaking for the author, made
| clear its purpose as understood by Mr..
Ia
amended and a full half-hour saved
Dut MT Jacobson objected. Then when
the roll was completed the speaker
discovered that less than a quorum
Of the house had voted on the bill. He
decided that the result could not he
announced as the bill was neither lost
nor passed. Mr.. Jacobson insisted that
the speaker must declare the result of
the vote, but the speaker maintained a
good natured silence upon the point at
issue.
Mr.. Staples moved call Of the house
but he did it in a tentative manner.
and when the speaker delayed, he with
drew the call, because a call would
have resulted in nothing more than
the delay of business for the remainder
of the day.
Representative Snyder's aldermanic
experience came to the rescue, and he
cited the house to the rule which pro-
| Vldes that when the presence of a
quorum is questioned. a count of the
members must be taken The chair up-
held this construction, and. while the
roll call, to determine the presence of
quorum was in progress Mr. Foss
moved the house adjourn. The speaker
declined to recognize the Grant county
member for the purpose, and the roll
call proceeded. 1t soon developed that
several members were refusing to an
swer to their names, among the number
being Messrs. Abbott, Coe, Cray and
other on the right. Their refusal to
answer was called to the attention OF
the speaker. and he directed the clerk
10 record them present. Mr.. FOss also
refused to answer to his name and
stated as a reason, when asked:
When the speaker refuses to recog-
nlze me, L refuse to answer to my
name"
In the meantime Mr.. Jacobson in
sisted that the speaker must declare
the result of the vote on the bill not
WlthStandlng the absence Of the quor-
UNI. The speaker persisted in his rul-
ing, saying that it required a quorum
OF The house to do any business, either
to pass or to defeat any bill. Mr.
Jacobson appealed from the decision Of
the chair. doing so good-naturedly. but
he withdrew the appeal before it was
put. although he claimed the sneakers
ruling was incorrect
Then the vote on the bill was resumed
| and only 8 members voted for It's
passage and 56 against. Mr.. Feig
moved a reconsideration of the vote by
which the bill was lost, which pre-
vailed almost unanimously and the bill
was laid on the table. There is little
doubt that the bill will be amended az
intended by its author as soon as a
full attendance of the house is had
Representatives Jacobson and
Schmidt, who, upon previous occa-
sion, had struck fire, gave a further
exhibition Of how leading legislators
| should not act upon the floor Of tie
| house.
The house. in committee of the whole
Mr.. Kendall in the chair, was consid-
ering motion to amend H +. 75q
"a substitute for Mr.. Foss H. F. $500.
providing that railroad companies must
maintain sheds for cattle at all sta
lions where thirty carloads year have
been shipped during the previous year
The bill was reported back by the rail
roads committee in a form which was
not satisfactory to Mr. Foss. and he
sought to amend the bill by substitute
ing what was substantially the orig
inal bill. The bill was opposed by Mr.
Scott, who claimed to have been a
farmer, and to have fed stock in Iowa
and, hence, to speak from practical ex-
| perience. Mr.. Jacobson had little fun
with the farmer" from Ramsey coun-
| ty, whose principal business is the run
ming Of bank. He made a vigorous
| speech in defense of the bill, and was
replied to by Mr.. Schmidt, who urged
! that the bill was not only uncalled for
| but that in at least one instance at
| Crookston, where a great many cattle
are shipped, sheds would be a cruelty
! as the cattle were accustomed to out
! door life, having been raised on the
| mountain ranges.
| This nettled Jacobson. He said there