The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-20
The Bankruptcy Bill Finally Passed
in the House.
II Contains Both the Voluntary and Inyolur-
taV Features.
An Interesting Parliamentary
Struggle Between williams of
mississippi and the Speaker on
Point of Order Sustained by
the Latter.

| the Latter.
! WASHINGTON. Feb I9.-After four
/ days of consideration the House to-day
passed the bankruptcy bill. reported by
/ the House COMMITTEES. ON Judiciary, as Il
/ substitute for the Nelson bill. passed
by the Senate at the extra session last
summer The bin is known as the
Henderson BILL and contains both VOL
untary and involuntary features. 1t is
considered less drastic than the meas
ure passed by the last House by q
1 vote of 157 to So. The involuntary
+ feature, however, had but sixteen ma
jority. To-day a motion to strike out
the involuntary features was defeated
by a majority of thirty-three, the vote
standing ayes 15S noes 123. Eighteen
Republicans voted against the bin and
twelve Democrats for it. The Popu-
lists. With one exception. voted against
| it.
To-day the bill was read for amend
ment under the five-minute rule. Under
the order made. the final vote was to
be taken at 4 O'Clock this afternoon.
Bailey sought to secure an arrange-
ment by which the House could have
an opportunity to vote on the Senate
or Nelson" bill before voting on the
House substitute. but he failed.
An arrangement was effected. how
ever, by which the first vote taken
at I O'Clock should be on Underwood's
I series of amendments to strike out the
! Involuntary features of the substitute.
During the consideration of q motion
to strike out the section defining the
terms used in the bill. one of which
defined an "insolvent' as one whose
property. at fair valuation. was not
sufficient to pay his debts Bland Cd
of Missouri stated that the effect OF
| this provision of the bill would be to
declare one-half of the business men
of the country bankrupts.
Lacey (R) Of Iowa. said he could not
give his support to the involuntary
features of any bankruptcy law Dem
ocratic appaluse)
The debate on this amendment pro-
/ ceedel in a desultory manner.
| Bailey CD of Texas got the floor
upon another unimpoItant amendment.
ard subm ned briefly some observations
defining MS position. He was as anx-
ious. he said, as any member of the
House to see an equitable bankruptcy
! law placed upon the statute books But
his anxiety would not lead him 10 vote
for a measure which would injure the
solvent more than it would benefit the
| insolveDt.
Cannon (R.) of Illinois created some
enthusiasm on the Democratic side by
announcing that he would refuse TO
support the bill
Mahany Cd of New York offered an
amendment limiting the operation from
two years from the date of it's passage.
Mahany said he would be glad to vote
for the bill if this amendment were
adopted, but he was opposed TO putting
| in operation indefinitely law of this
character.
The vote on the motion was taken
| by tellers. and the announcement that
it had carried-132 to 129-was greeted
With loud applause.
Henderson Immediately moved to re-
consider the vote, and Bailey moved TO
lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay ON the table Hen
derson's motion to reconsider was lost
14G to 1876. When this vote was an
nounced the hour set for a vote Il
o'clock) had passed.
The motion to reconsider was pat
and carried without division. and the
vote was about to be taken again up
on the Mahany amendment when Dali
zell made the point of order that the
order under which the House was OPP
Grating precluded any further action
except upon the UnderN cod amend-
ments, which, under the arrangement,
were TO be voted upon at 1 o'clock
This point of order the Speaker sus-
tanned.
An Interesting parliamentary struggle
followed, in which Bailey. Williams
Cd Of Mississippi and the Speaker
took part which finally resulted n the
Speaker deciding that the House had
reeonsidered its action in regard to the
Mahany amendment, and that a vote
upon It was now excluded by the or
der.
The Underwood amendments. which
struck out the involuntary features of
the bill. were then presented and voted
on under the order
The amendments were defeated-139
to los.
The vote then came up on substituting
the Henderson bill for the Senate Tor
Nelson) bill, and the motion prevailed
133 to III
Terry Cd Of Arkansas, the senior
member of the Judiciary Committee.
then moved to recommit the Gill; with
instructions to strike out ali the invot-
untary features. except those for actual
frauds.
The motion to recommit was lost.
Terry insisted upon an aye and nay
vote for the final passage of the bill.
The bill was passed-1J9 to 135.
Henderson tR) of Iowa. Ray (R.) of
New York and Terry Cd of Arkansas
were appointed conferrees on the bill.
and then, at G:lc p M, the House adj
journed.
The Chinese Loan.
LONDON. Feb 10. - The Saturday
Review confirms the report that the