The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-28
FiIibuster in House Continues and Republicans Face a
 Hard Proposition
CONDUCT OF
 THE SPEAKER DENOUNCED
Special IroncIad Rules Made to Cut Down the Mnority's Power, But Even With This Procedure
 Is Laborious.

Washington. February 2T.-The demo- l crats of the house today carried out their threat yesterday that if Butler was unseated they would do everything in their power to block legislation from now until congress expires on March 1. The result was another stormy session, 1 prolonged from II o'clock this morning until almost o'clock this evening. Roll call followed roll call, and passion mani fested itself in bitter and acrimonious denunciations.
 Two special rules were brought into expedite appropriation bills and continue the legislative day of yesterday. in Or- der to reduce as much as possible the mlnority's power to obstruct legislation.
 During the debate on the rule the dem ocrats voiced their condemnation of what they denomlnated yesterdays out rageous action of the chair The repub- licans declared that they were willing to assume responsibility for what they had done.
 Mir. Dalzell said that unless this course was pursued, the democrats would con-
 
 roll calls on the senate amendments to the appropriation bills. It was agreed on both sides that the present situation sounds the death knell of practically ev- erythng except the appropriation bills. The friends of the omnibus public build | ing bill were plaeated by a promise, which 1t was understood was given that l their bill would be covered by a special rule to be brought In later.
 nffaI | getting appropriation bills into confer ence was a tedious and laborious pro- 1 cedure. an eight-hour session and thir- 1 teen roll calls being necessary to get | the agricultural and sundry civil, milf | tary academy and postoffice appropria- tion bills into conference. and to adopt the conference report on the Indian ap- propriation bill.
 All overtures from the republican sido to the democrats to induce the latter to abandon their filibustering have been fruitless, and there Is every indication that they will continue their present tactics to the end of the session.
 Speaker Denounced.
 With the reconvenlng of the house at Il o'clock this morning the fight was rec sumed. When the speakers gavel fell MT. Richardson, the minority leader. made the point of no quorum. We can not do business without quorum said he. adding sarcastically, although we can unseat a member without one"
 The speaker calmly replied that there was manifestly no quorum present and directed a call of the house. | On the call 267 members appeared. Mir. Underwood democrat of Alabama, rising | to parliamentary inquiry, asked if the | agricultural appropriation bill which had | come to the house with senate amend ments had been referred to the commit | tee on agriculture. The speaker replied | that it had not, that the chair exercising his discretion had kept 1t on the speak CTS table.
 Mir Underwood called attention to the fact that unanimous consent was yester- day refused when it was asked for the purpose of non-curring in the senate amendments and referring the bill to con- ference and asked if that action did not send 1t to committee.
 Underwood Tests Rule. l The speaker replied that 1t did not. Thereupon MT. Underwood attempted to remove the reference. but the speaker declined to recognize him for that pur- pose.
 The speaker then laid before the house the Presidents veto of the bill to remove the charge of desertion aginst Levi L. Reed.
 MT. Hull moved the reference of the message to the committee military affairs, and upon that motion demanded the previous question. The democrats forced roll call upon the demand. The previous question was ordered and an- other roll call followed on the motion to refer the message to the mintary affairs committee. The message was referred 193 to 59
 As soon as the speaker had announced the vote NIT. Fleming, democrat. of Geor- gia, rising to question of the highest privilege, sent to the clerks desk and had the following resolution read:
 Flemlng's Resolution.
 "Whereas, It appears from the con- gressional record of February 26, 1903. that by actual count and announcement by the speaker pro tenn quorum was not pres ent when the resolutions were voted upon, declaring that James J. Butler was not elected and that George P. Wagoner was duly elected representative in the Fifty seventh congress from the Twelfth Mis- souri district, and that the point of no quorum was duly raised upon the vote on each of said resolutions. and that the same in each instance was overruled by the speaker pro tenn In violation Of the constitution. and against the rules and practices of all parliamentary bodies.
 Resolved, That the announcement by the speaker pro tom that said resolutions were adopted was in fact untrue and that the said James J. Butler is still en- titled to his seat in this house and the said George c. P. wagoner is not now entitled to the same"
 MT. Payne. the majority leader. was recognized despite the protests of Mir. Fleming that he could not be taken off the floor and he moved to lay the resolu- ton on the table. The democrats forced a roll call on the motion. MT. Cannon of Illinois then asked unan- imous consent to disagree to the senate amendments to the sundry civil appro- priation bill and send the bill to confer