The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-28
PASSED BY THE HOUSE AFTER A
STRUGGLE OF FIVE
HOURS.
THE FILIBUSTERING TACTICS
RESORTED TO BY THE OPPOSITION
WE'RE BEATEN by A LARGE
MAJORITY.
ONLY FOR INTERSTATE COMMERCE..
Forgery of Tickets Made Punisha ID e
by Imprisonment for Term of
Two Years.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-The house,
after five hour struggle today, pass
ed the anti-railroad ticket scalping bill
by vote of 142 to 81. The adversaries
of the measure resorted to filibustering
tactics, but they were defeated by an
overwhelming majority. At the con-
clusion of the debate the reading of the
engrossed copy Of the bill was demend-
ed. 1t was purely a technical point,
made in the hope of postponing the
final vote until Monday, and thus de-
creaSing the chances of the bill pass
ing the senate. But this technicality
was circumvented by the house remain
ing in session and voting down repeat
ed motions to adjourn while the bill
was being engrossed by the clerks In
the debate, the bill was supported by
Messrs. Sherman CRep, N. "; Wheel
er Dem., Ala). and Hepburn Rep.,
Io), and opposed by Messrs. Terry
Oem., Ark); Patterson Oem., Temp
Northway Rep., o.; Mahany Rep.,
N. W; MaGuire Oem., CALI; Dockery
Dem, Mo-, and Elicit Dem, Va).
The bill applies only to interstate
commerce transportation. 1t requires
all carriers subject to the interstate
commerce act to provide agents au-
thorized to sell their tickets with GER
tlhcateS and makes it a misdemeanor,
punishable by a fine Of $1,000, or i'm
prisonment for one year. for any per-
son not duly authorized to sell tickets.
1t requires carriers to redeem unused
tickets and makes the forgery or coun-
OF tnly oh III NV
prisonment for two years. A number
of other bills were passed during the
day under suspension Of the rules.
Mr.. Sherman (Rep., N. ", chairman
of the committee on Indian affairs,
moved early in the session that the
house non-concur in the senate amend
ments to the Indian appropriation bill,
and agree to a conference. The mo-
ton was carried and the bill was sent
to conference. Under suspension of the
rules, bills were passed as follows: To
repeal the act granting a right Of way
through the military reservation to the
Birmingham & Mobile railroad, to
grant a right of way through Fort
Spokane military reservation, to the
ST. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba rail-
voir site, in Lake. county, -. Colorado,
and restore the lands to entry.,
Mr.. Sherman from the committee on
interstate commerce, then called up the
anti ticket brokerage bill This action
aroused a howl Of protest, and Mr..
Terry (Dem.; Ark) raised the question
+ of consideration against 1t. The house
yeted 153 to, 70 to consider the bill. '~
Mr.. Sherman, demanded the previous
question, and a filibuster was inaugr-
rated by Mr.. Bowers Rep., CALI, who
moved an adjournment. The. motioa
was lost, SIS to 176. The previous queS-
ton was ordered, ISL to 80. Under the
rule twenty minutes for debate was
allowed On each side.
Mr.. Mahany Rep, N. " denounced
the attempt to railroad through a bill
which affected the whole travelling
public injuriously. He declared that it
was such proceedings as these which
tended to verify the charge made dur
ing the last campaign that Republican
success would mean a ''saturnalia of
corporate influences"
Mr.. Hepburn Rep.. Io), in closing
for the bill, said it interfered with no
rights which the holder Of ticket had
under his contract. It was a bill tt
prevent Determinations. A scalper
. could engage in his business under this
the railroads. Under the present sys-
tenn the brokers made 1000 900 a year
Who paid that? The public about
whom the opposition was so solicitous
After further debate the vote was
about to be taken on the passage OF
the measure. Mr.. Elicit demanded the
reading of the engrossed copy. AS the
bill had not been engrossed the vote
could not be taken. The engrOssing
clerks at once went to work to engrosa
the bill
joint resolution was adopted to pre-
vent the introduction and spread OF
contagious and infectious diseases. II
empowered the inspection Of vessels
and persons from suspected ports, and
was passed as a precautfOn against the
introduction of the bubonic plague
While an unimportant land bill was
being considered the engrossing clerk
hurried in with an engrossed copy OF
the anti-ticket brokerage bill. After the
engroSsed bill had been read, Mr.. Bal
ley Oem., TENN moved to recommit
with instructions. The motion was lost
46 to 120. The bill was then placed on
it's final passage. On a division the
vote stood 142 to 81. Mr.. Elicit de-
manded the ayes and nays, but only
thirty-SiX members sustained the de-
mand, and the speaker declared the
bill passed. AT 5:45 the house adj
jOurned.