Birmingham state herald., 1897-05-30
In Defending the Constitution, Is 5. Called to Order.
IS THE HOUSE IN SESSION i?
Was the Veterans Query and for Time Ex- citement Prevailed on the floor-1ar
 Legislation Blocked for a While.

tariff bill in the senate was chscke1 to- day, the plate glass paragraphs proving : a source of controversy lasting through .rout the day. As a result little more than . a page of the bill was disposed of. The. finance committee succeeded without diff. -fieulty in resisting proposed amendments from democratic members of the commit- tee, although each amendment was de- bated at great length. An exciting inc dent occurred during the afternoon when Senator Morgan, of Alabama, was called to order by Mir. Gallinger who was tem- pouarily in the chair, for severely crit c S. ing the inaetian of the house of repres IT., tatives.
 Mir. Morgan declared that the speaker ' of the house was enforcing an automatic - trap-door rule by which representatives were assembled and dispersed, and he characterized this action as an outrage against popular nights.
 h, MT. Frye, of Mairs, first gave warning that protest would be made against criticisms of the other house, and when MT. Morgan vehementy- repeated his criticisms, MT. Hale, of Maine, made point of order against him.
 The temporary presiding officer direct ed Mir. Morgan to resume his seat, and then ruled he was out of order The Alabama senator, somewhat chagrined, was about to appeal from the decision of the chair when MT. Hale withdrew h. s point of order and further friction was avoided.
 MT. Morgan resumed his critic SITS about the tariff biM and made the poirt ? that congress was not TOW in session in | accordance with the constitution, the ; house of repress ntatives having vacated its functions
 After a sharp contest with the tariff leaders Mr. Quay succeeded in carrying a. motion to adjourn over the Decoration Day celebration, Monday.
 The dlsbate on MT. Jones' amendment to the plate glass schedule lasted over two hours, and on a. yea and nay vote was defeated, 21 to 29 Mrssrs. He.tfel1, Kyle and Pettigrew voted with the dsln- ocrats, and Mir Jones. of Nevada, with Ehe republicans.
 When MT. Quay moved an adjournment over Monday, Decoration Day, he spoke of thls generosity and fairness of the deir- ocratic senators in 9dvsncirg the bill and MT Chaudler addsd fIis approval to the fair way in which the democratfc side was allowing the bill to proceed.
 MT. Al6v.ch answered that ha felt bounJd to urge the tariff bill at every pos sibfe hour and he did not approve the 1css of Monday for debate.
 Mr. Frye, of Maine. said that the high est exhibition eff patriotism in the present senate would be to rer1'sin in sessirm on Monday, and he believed every union sol- dier would approve this course.
 Mir. Pettus, of Alabama. profesto d eeainst 1t as dissertation of Decoration Day.
 MT. Quay said it would be a strange sight on Decoration Day for senators to be discussing the one-eighth duty on plate glass or something else while vet erans were marching and bands playing thf dead march outside.
 MT. Morgan. of Alabama, diverged to a severe criticism of the inaction of the house of representatives which speedily brought protests and threatened a se- rious contest. He enumerated the im- p94tant measures passed by the senate and unacted upon in the house and the failure to appoint house committees. It had come to the point, he said. when the representatives of the people in the other house were convened and dispersed by an automatic resolution which worked like a door, opening and closing to the repre- sentatives of the people.
 Here MT. Frye, of Maine, said the. Ala bama senator was exceeding the propfie- ties of debate in crticising the other branch of congress.
 MT. Morgan answered that the evil re- Quired severe treatment.
 MT. Morgan went on with his severe ar raignment of the conditions in the house. It had so vacated it's functions and aban- dnned it's duty that there was a grave question, MT. Morgan said, whether con- grsss was now in session. It was a shocking outrage on the government and people of the United States and 1t brought congress into deserved and sov- ereign contempt. Here were hundreds of representatives chewing the cud of reflection" and standing around until one man said they were to act. The con gross of the United States was dishon- oring itself by submitting to such fla grant wrong. This was all in the in- terest of the tariff bill, he said, and one man commanded "pass this bill" stand and deliver" Popular representation in the house of representatives was dead, MT. Morgan exclaimed, and when popu- lar representation was dead the rights of the people were dead.
 At this point an exciting incident arose. MT. Hale .interposed point of order against MT. Morgan's language, saving that the senator was violating Fundamental rule as to refraining from criticism of coordinate legislative body.
 The chair was temporarily occupied by Mir Gallinger, of New Hampshire, who promptly requested MT. Morgan 10 take his seaii, pending determination Of the question of order.
 MT. Morgan resumed his seat His as- ,seciates showed intense interest in the turn of affairs, as the Alabama senaJor is a veteran among them
 Ir. Ctallinger, from the chair, said there was no special rule on the subject, bdr Jefferson's manual, adopted by the sen ate, declared The rule to be that it was
 
 house Lhe actions of votes of a co-ord- nate branch. He ruled that the senator must proceed in order. ' .-
 MT. Morgan had arisen to his feet, showing suppressed agitation, and with slight quiver in his voice, appealed from ',he decision of the chair.
 Mir. Hale promptly relieved. the strain by withdra wing the point of order he had rlade, against MT. Morgan, and as a re suit there was no decision from which MT. Morgan could appeal.
 iAIr. sQuay quickly followed this up by objecting to further debate on his mo- rfon that the scnute adjourn over Decora-0 ton Day The vote was taken ard the motion prevailed--34 do 17-pa rty- lines not bdin8, maintained.
 MT. Morgan again got the floor. He proposed. he said.r to initiate an inquiry as to whether a congress of the United .Staites: was now in session. and whether u,p1erfhe circumstances the sena te had, right to proceed with the consideradt3n of the tariff bill. If ahe house was not in session under the constitution there