The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-09

The majority report of the Committee or
| Elections No. 1 of the House of Repre-
sentatives. declaring that William r Al
drich, Republican. OF the Fourth Congress
sional district of Alabama was rightfully
! elected and entitled TO the seat occupied
by CASTOR A. Robbins. Democrat. was
adopted by the House yesterday afternoon
| by vote of 1i2 to 135.
! When the additional Urgent Deficiency
bill for 1900 had been reported. the debate
was continued On the Aldrich- Robbins
case. Mr.. Hamilton of Michigan speaking
| for the contestant
The debate for Mr.. Robbins was closed
| by Mr.. Bartlett OF Georgia. leading men,
| Ter OF the minority on the Committee on
Elections No. 1.
| The vote on the minority resolution re-
ported by the committee was taken at .: 80
O'Clock. in accordance with previous ar
| rangement. The resolution declaring Rob-
| bins elected to the seat was rejected by a
! vote CT 1874 to 1873.
! The majority resolution reported by the
! committee DECLARING William +. Aldricn
! entitled to the seat was then agreed to. On
charge of the case. Mr.. Aldrich appeared
at the bar of the House and was sworn in.
for the third time thus succeeding Mr..
Robbins
Private Pension Bills.
Mr.. Dalzell OF Pennsylvania Submitted
from the Committee on Rules an order
providing for the consideration of private
pension bills. bills to remove political dis
oh h. ohm 81
the second and fourth Fridays OF each
month, the object being to do away with
Friday night sessions, which have fire.
quently resulted in the transaction of no
business. The order further provides that
on each such bill twenty minutes debate
should be allowed.
Mr.. Richardson Of Tennessee enQuired
about the latter feature which was new to
him. he said.
Mr.. Dalzell said that the reason for it
ought to be apparent. that the same innu-
ences which made the Friday night session
futile. could prevent the accomplishment
Of any business al the day sessions. If un-
limited debate were allowed. The provi-
sion was the re-enactment of rule that
had prevailed in previous Congresses.
Mr.. Richardson. expressing his surpris,
at the terms Of the order. said there had
never been any such rule regarding debate
not agree TO the passage of the resolution.
He taunted the Republicans with the fact
that with clear majority. and an increas-
ing one lreferring to the seating of AL
drchD. they found it necessary to abolish
the night sessions and take two day se5-
sionS in each month to pass pension bills
for the old soldiers. He would move to
strike out the twenty minute limitation.
because there was no necessity for it;
,-f,
sion bills on the part Of the minority.
Mr.. Mahon OF Pennsylvania protested
against the rule. It virtually wiped out
the work OF the two committees on claims
and war claims. which had not yet sin
gle day for the consideration of measures
reported from them. They had before them
claims of old soldiers who were Infinitely
more worthy OF consideration than the de-
serters covered by the rule.
Mr.. TaIbert Criticized.
The reason for its presentation, Mr..
Mahon said. was the fact that the gentle
man from South Carolina tMr. Talbert)
had set himself up against his associates on
the Democratic side and the Republicans
by demanding a quorum Friday nights,
while he sits by day after day. seeing great
bills. appropriation and others, pass with
out the pretence of a quorum. The gen
tleman said Mr.. Mahon, represented 1000
out Of the 2i,GG0 voters in his district. Il
hope that some Republican or Populist will
run against him this fall. show UP the
rotten record of his district. and 1 will
take great pleasure in the Fifty-seventh
Congress to vote to throw him out of the
House"
While Mr.. Mahon was making this state
ment Mr. Talbert was loudly yociferating
across the hall, with the beating of the
Speakers gavel. The Speaker, who. when
aroused has a voice OF even greater power
than Mr. Talbert. brought the gavel down
with bang and silenced him with the
statement. The gentleman is out of Or
der. and the Sergeant at Arms will take
charge OF him unless he resumes his seat"
Securing the floor, Mr. Talbert said that
the disposition of the majority was shown
in the statement OF Mr.. Mahon. They pro-
pose to throw me out. in violation OF the
law and of the Constitution. as they have
Just done with the gentleman from Ala
bama." The reason, he said, was that he
had exercised his legal. constitutional
rights as a member of the House. And if
the Republicans thought they could frighten
him from doing what he believed to be
right, they did not know him. He de-
nounced the majority as hypocrites, be-
cause, while protesting love for the old sol
diers, they refused to leave their pink
teas and poker parties to spend two hours
once a week passing pension bills for
them"
MIR. GrOsvenOr's HumOr.
Mr. Grosyenor humorously referred to
Mr.. Talbert's regard for the Constitution
as sort Of riparian growth" inasmuch
as up to this session of Congress
his conscience had never been disturbed
regarding the presence of a quorum Re-
ferring to the proposition to throw" Mr..
Talbert out of the next House, Mr.. Gros-
venor said that II he did not so vote he
would apologize to the whole world and
give as the reason for his vote that the
committee had reported in his favor, which
in his opinion. would be the only possible
justification for It.
Speaking on the subject OF the resolu-
ton. Mr. Grosyenor said that he had be-
come converted to the support of a serv-
ice pension law: special legislation was
not always viewed with favor, as he had
occasion to know, and he hoped that the
Pension Committee would bring into the
House two or three general propositions
that he could support.
Mr.. Dalzell said that. taking everything
into consideration, he thought the record
made by both sides OF the House upon the
matter of attendance on Friday night ses-
sions was one to be proud OF. He ac-
knowledged that with the exception of Mr..
Talbert the Democrats held the same
views regarding pension legislation as
did the Republicans. He said the SINGER
ity OF Mr.. Talbert's demand for quor-
um on Friday nights was demonstrated