The times., 1898-02-26
DISORDER IN THE HOUSE
Many Stormy Scenes at La
Nights Session.
NO QUORUM Is PRESENT
Mr.. Sullivan Raises the Point and
This Makes Mr.. Ray So Angry
That He Refuses To Permit Its
withd drawai-Nothing Done About
Pensions.

Dignity interpreted, by a crowd of
| college boys celebrating a football vic
tory is stern and unbending as compared
with the actions of tho members of the
| House at the session last night. The
members had assembled for the ostensible
purpose of passing pension bills but If
such was their actual intention, it fell
very much short of the mark.
| Mr. Lacey of Iowa called the House
TO order. and Immediately afterward Mr..
] Clardy of Kentucky endeayored TO make
an arrangement by which the Committee
! Of the Whole weuld rises at 10 o'clock
cred and pass them.
| Mr. Ray of New York. in charge of the
| pension legislation. superciliously declined
| to enter into any agreement. He made a
! brief harangue about agreements and
gave the Democrats to understand that
| he was running the machine to suit him
| self Mr.. Rays manner bordered close
| to insolence, and among the Democrats
| who submitted TO it, but bided their time.
was Mr.. Sullivan of mississippi. The
House resolved itself into a Committee of
| livan gave notice that he would reserve
the point of order that there was no quo
| rum present
Four or five unimportant pensions were
passed before MIR. Sullivan found the op-
| portunity he sought. An amendment was
| offered TO reduce a pension asked for
from SIS to $40 a month and when the
! viva voice was taken. a division was
| asked for. This was the opportunity that
! Mr. Sullivan had patiently waited for to
| made the point of order that no quorum
| was present. and Il thunderbolt would
not have created greater CONSERVATION.
/ The Republicans looked at one another
and then at Mr.. Ray. who. helpless re-
! turned their gaze. All knew that there
/ was not Il quorum, and that there had
never been at any of these Friday night
| farces. Mr. Greene of Nebraska Mr.
Mahany. of New York. and several Dem
ocrats crowded around Mr. Sullivan and
finally persuaded him To withdraw the
point OF order. When he announced that
he withdrew it, MIR. Ray of New York
insisted that il should stand that IL
could not be withdrawn. and Chairman
Moody agreed with him. and ordered a
call of the House. which developed the
tact that but SeventN-five were present
While the roll was being called tne
=
Chairman Moody directed that the list
of absentees be called he also ordered
that the lobby doors be closed and lock-
| ed
During this call Of absentees the MEM
| bers present requested that more than
! half the absentees be excused and each
! time the request was made it created an
| uproar fitted for schoeboy frolic. No
! order was kept. although the chairman
! pounded his gaVel constantly The
members insisted upon doing as they
pleased and did it,
When the result was announced of no
! quorum a resolution directing the SER
| geant-at-arms to bring the absentees be-
| fore the bar of the House was read and
during the discussion Mr. Ray of New
| York. sneeringly referred to Mr. Maha-
! NY as Il Democrat The latter obtain
! ed the floor on a question of personal
| privilege and paid his respects TO Mr.
Ray. charging him with being owned by
| the Republican bosses and with having
voted for every trust bin that had come
| up in the House. His words We're very
| bitter, and Mr.. Moody tried i'm vain to
stop him. He called Mr.. Mahany to or
| Ger dozen times. but amidst the pound
ing of the gavel and the cries from Mr.
! Ray Of New York and A half dozen 9th
ers, Mr. Mahany succeeded in making his
| speech Mr.. Ray of New York did not
| like it at all
After some nonsensicaI parliamentary
practices made for the purpose of killing
time, Mr. Ray of New York said that he
wanted those present to know that "W
Is Sullivan, who has prevented pension
legislation tonight. is a member from
Mississippi Of the Democratic national
committee
To this Mr.. Sullivan replied that il was
true that he was the member from Mis-
sissippi, but declared that that did not
influence his actions. He had with
drawn his point of order and the pension
bill would have been passed had not Mr.
Ray OF New York refused to permit the
withdraway. After more wrangling of
this character the House adopted the
resolution placing absentees under arrest
and then adjourned