Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-02
THE HOUSE EXHAUSTED
MEMBERS WERE WORN OUT SAT
URDAY NIGHT.
Senate Omnibus Building and the Dis
trict Appropriation Bills
Passed.

Every parliamentary expedient was seized
to delay matters in the House OF Represen-
tatives Saturday afternoon. and at the end
of session OF over nine hours when the
House, completely worn out. at sos o'clock
that night took a recess until noon yesterday
there was no sign OF the democrats abatins
their opposition. The reading clerks were
make themselves 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 Senate omnibus public building Dill
with House amendments, which latter IN
creased the total carried by the Dill TO over
$6.OOO.OO0 The leaders who opposed the
bill did not attempt to defeat 1t. and 1t was
rules. Mr.. Mann On) took occasion
during the debate upon 1t to charge "collu-
SION between the architect and the con-
tractor Of the Chicago public building. the
net result of the days session was the
sending to conference of the naval ana
Notifications appropriation bills, the adop-
ton Of the conference reports on the rau-
road safety appliance bill and the Military
the omnibus public building bill and the bill
to settle the account Of officers during the
Spanish war period and the adoption OF
the Senate amendments to two other COM
paratively unimportant measures.
Yesterdays Session.
The House held four-hour session yes
terday and put the District of Columbia APP
preparation bill through its last parliament
tary stage in the face of the democratic
filibuster. The previous question on the
conference report on the Alaskan homestead
bill was ordered The democrats put
block In the legislative wheel at every OPP
portunity. and 1t required six roli-calis 10
accomplish what was done yesterday. Large
crowds watched the proceedings from the
galleries.
When Speaker Henderson dropped the
gavel at noon Mr.. Richardson. the minority
leader, was on his feet. He announced that
there was evidently no quorum present, and
that the House could not do business Sun
day without quorum Thereupon on mo-
ton Of Mr.. Payne, the majority Ieader,
call Of the House was ordered The doors
were closed and the sergeant-at-arms was
instructed to bring in absentees. At the con-
clusion of the call PAL members had appear
ed-more than a quorum-and Mr.. McCIeary
of Minnesota called up the conference re-
port on the District of Columbia appropria-
ton bill Mr.. Underwood Of Alabama at
tempted to interpose the point of order that
the call had not been completed. but the
Speaker ruled that quorum having ap-
peared business could proceed. The doors,
which meantime had been opened, how
ever, were again closed by the direction OF
the Speaker on Mr.. Underwoods point OF
order that further proceedings under the
call had not been dispensed with by the
action of the House. After brief expla-
nation of the report against the protests of
various democrats who desired to be heard.
it was adopted-14 to 80.
There was another roll-call on ordering
the previous question on the Alaskan home
stead bill, which was presented by Mr..
Lacey Qowa). A half dozen points of
order raised by the democrats were ruled
out. and the chair declined to entertain all
appeals on the grounds that they We're dila-
tory. At 1855 p. m. the House recessed until
IL o'clock this morning with the motion
to adopt the conference report on the
Alaskan bill pending.