The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-01
Using Every Parliamentary Expedi-
ent to Prevent Any Legislation
I'm the House.
OVER NINE HOURS OF TURMOIL
FIFTEEN ROLL CALLS AND TWO
CALLS OF THE HOUSE.
Debate on the Sale of White House
Relfcs-Another Financial Bill
by Representative Fowler.

WASHINGTON, Feb. zS.-The Democrats
stuck to their fiiibustering programme in
the House to-day, and even under the oper-
alton Of the special rules adopted yesterday
the majority progress with appropriation
bills and conference reports was exceed
ingly slow and laborious. The Democrats
forced a roll call on every proposition and
compelled the reading in extenso of every
thing presented. Every parliamentary ex-
pedient was seized to delay matters. and
at the end of a session of over nine hours
the House. completely worn out. at sos
tonight took recess until noon to-mor-
row (Sunday.) There was no sign of the
Democrats abating their opposition. The
reading clerks tonight were exhausted by
the days strain of trying to make them
selves heard above the ceaseless din and
confusion on the floor. There were fifteen
roll calls and two calls of the House.
The feature of the day was the passage
of the omnibus building bill with House
amendments, which latter increased the to-
tai carried by the bill to over $1,000. .OOO
The leaders who opposed the bill did not
attempt to defeat it and it was passed-2O5
to 26-under suspension of the rules. Mr..
Mann, Of Illinois, took occasion during the
debate upon 1t to charge "collusion' be-
tween the architect and contractor Of the
Chicago building.
Mr.. Gaines, of Tennessee, during the dis
cussion of a conference report. bitterly ar
raigned the authorities for selling the ''sa-
cred relics of the White House, including.
he said. a sideboard which. he said, had
been presented to Mrs. Hayes by the w. C.
T. u, and which he declared was now re-
posing in a Washington brewery.
Mr.. Grosvenor denied these charges, say
ing that nothing but secondhand furni-
ture' had been sold
The net result of the days session was the
sending to conference of the naval and for
tifcation appropriation bills. the adoption
of the conference reports on the railroad
safety appliance bill and the Military Acad-
emy appropriation bill. the postofflce, the
omnibus public building bill and the bill to
settle the accounts of officers during the
Spanish period and the adoption of the Sem
ate amendments to two other comparative
ly unirnportant measures
When Mr.. Gaines presented his resolution
directing the officer in charge of public
buildings and grounds in conformity with
the act of April z, 1900, to prepare an in
ventory of the public property at the White
House. the cost, If still in use, the price
received, if sold, to whom, etc. Mr.. Payne
cut off debate with motion to lay the
resolution on the table. This excited the
ire of Mr. Gaines. and amid great confu-
sion he shouted his denunciation of the 9TH
er side for letting this robbery go on
The Republicans Jeered his remarks. He
demanded the yeas and nays. I'll put you
on record" he cried. Il want to show
where Lucy Webb Hayes's sideboard went"
The roll was called and the resolution
was laid on the table.
Later, when Mr.. Gaines secured the floor,
he referred to the recent sale in this city
of articles in use in the White House be-
fore il was remodeled. The sideboard
given to Mr.. Hayes by the w. c. t. U..
he said, had been sold and was now in a
washington brewery, where, he said, he
understood it had been identified by Col.
Webb Hayes. Attempts to buy, he said,
had been unsuccessful. The man who had
the sideboard ne said. had secured other
nit up a White House saloon at the St.
Louis exposition. Mr.. Gaines said that
other valuable mementoes OF other days.
including a mirror presented by Count
Rochambeau and bronzes by General Pat
terson to President Jackson. had been sold
illegal and an outrage, and that these relics
should be repurchased and placed IN the
Smithsonian Institution
1t was then Mr.. Grosvenor made his
speech He said the pending bill related to
fine breeding animals. not bar fixtures He
did not believe the stories in circulation
about the sale OF relics at the White House.
He did not believe that such a thing could
have occurred without the knowledge or
the occupant of the White House and re-
fused TO believe the President would coun-
tenance a sale or valuable relics.
"Wil you agree 10 investigation asked
Mr. Padgett. of Tennessee
ct will not replied Mr.. GroSvenor. amid
Republican laughter. II do not believe In
CONTINUED ON PAGE z. COL. 81