The Portland daily press., 1897-02-22
A FAMILY ROW.
Representatives Discuss the Servant
Question.

General News from the City on the Po-
tomac.
Washington, February 2O.-A little
family affair occupied the attention OF
the House VIII en- 1t met today. Yesterday
afternoon a motion had been made to
strike out of the general deficiency bill
an item of S12, 202 to enable the sergeant-
alarms to refund the amounts with
held from the salaries of members on ao-
count of absence.
Mr.. Sayers, Democrat OF Texas, q MEM
Der of the appropriations committee had
decided the money could not be deduct
ed. He did not believe In refunding IT,
however, and would vote againat the
item. MIR. Sayers referred to an attack
made yesterday on the item by Mr.. Hop
kins, Republican of Illinois, and read
statement showing how many times
MI. Hopkins had not responded to the
roll calls.
Mr.. Hopkins replied that this was an
attempt to get the Republican House TO
| wash the dirty linen of the Democratic
53d Congress. He said that Mr.. Sayers
could have put the item in deficiency
bill while chairman of the appropriation
| committee, but had waited to unload 1t
on Republican Congress, claiming it Is
an instance OF Republican extravaganza.
The table read by Mr.. Sayers. he said,
did not show that he (Mr. Hopkins) had
been engaged in his committee room
scores of times during roll calls and did
not answer.
Mr.. Livingston, Democrat of Pennsyl-
vania, protested against making the ques-
tion political one.
| Mr.. BARTLETT, Democrat IF New York,
caused some establishment by making a
point of order that the members indi-
vidually interested financially In any
question were not permitted to vote on
that question under the rule providing
that no member can vote on question
if he has direct personal or pecuniary
interest in it.
The Chair expressed the opinion that
each gentleman must decide the question
Of his interest for himself.
Mr.. Bailey, Democrat of Texas, held
that there was nothing in the rule to
prohibit member pscuniarily interest
ed from voting against the appropriation,
while MI. Grosvenor, Republican of Ohio.
contendei that the members could not
appropriate their own salaries under
| M. Ro,-tIott,c cop afr II ctiOn
| The Chair adhered to his ruling and
on rising vote the item was retained
| in the bfll-113 to 55.
| An amendment to ray some extra sal
airy to doorkeerer of the House, gave
Mr.. Bailey, Democrat of Texas, the ap-
portunity to oriticise the Republicans
for voting the amount deducted from
salaries for absence.
| An amendment providing for the pay
ment of extra compensation for certain
Housa employees was knocked out on
a point of order. Then Mr.. Sherman. Re-
publican of New York, and others. pro-
ceeded to make the points of order
against items for services rendered by
employees of the House on the ground
that there was no authority for them.
| A point of order against an item of
$500 to pay @. ". Coombs one of the
Democratic employees Of the House, ap-
pointed through the courtesy of the ma
jority, brought about storm. Mr.. Hen
derson, Republican of Iowa, appealed for
the retention Of Col. Coomb BIS because 1t
had always been customary to allow the
minority to keep certain number of
employees
| MIR. Crowther, Republican of Missouri,
protested against Col. Coombs being re-
tanned beyond March 4. He read from
the Congressional directory to show that
no less than four members Of the Coombs
family were employed beneath the roof
of the Gap itol and drew s6320 from the
government every year. Ibis, said Mr..
Crowther, was Democratic civil service.
He was applauded by the floor and gale
ries. When the discussion was over the
chairman (Mr. Payne) held that the en-
ployes against whom points of order had
been made were clearly employed under
a resolution of the House, but there was
no authority to pay them after the 4th
of March. As the paragraphs objected
to provided for annual salaries he sus-
tanned the point of order.
A proposition to pay the employees OF
the House an extra months salary at
the end of the present session, fell under
a decision of the Chair sustaining a
point of order against it.
Mr.. Richardson. Democrat of Tennessee,
offered an amendment to pay $500, 600
Of war claims under the Bowman act.
A point Of order also proved fatal to
| this.
The committee tempora rily arose to
permit Mr.. Boutsll, Republican of Maine.
chairman of the naval committee, to re-
port the naval appropriation bill, after
which the House went again into COM
mittee Of the whole.
JUSTICE SHIRAS AGAIN.
The bill having been disposed of with
81 thc