Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-30

not have the force Of concurrent resoiu,
ton. but Mr.. Payne said it was the journal
that the courts looked at Referring 70 tne
notification to the President, MT Parher
said that was simply q notice to the Presi-
dent that the House had performed Its duty
on that particular day. but the session con-
Mr.. Smith Qky.) asked if the adjournment
on the Saturday preceding December was
not tantamount to sine die adjournment
Mr.. Parker replied that sine die ad-
journment could not be taken without the
concurrent action of the Senate.
Mr.. Cooper CWis.) took issue with the
proposition that there is no distinction be-
tween sessions. He asked If the two houses
could have adopted a concurrent resolution
December 5, taking an adjournment over
the holidays, answering that 1t would have
been contrary to the mandate of the Con-
stitution. which specifically provides that
Congress shall meet at least once year on
the first Monday in December. Congress
was In special session November 8, by rea-
son of the call of the President. and that
session ended he declared. at noon on the
first Monday in December, the day fixed by
the Constitution for the assembling of Con-
gresS.
Mr.. Cooper's Decision.
Mr.. Cooper said he had made up his mind
what he purposed doing in the matter of
mileage, and left it to every member to do
as his conscience dictated
Mr.. Cooper. speaking on the distinction
between sessions, said the Constitution pro-
vides for extraordinary sessions, and If it
did not provide for a regular session Con-
gresS would be at the mercy of the Pres-
dent.
Arguments for and against the proposition
received the careful attention of members
of both sides of the House.
Mr.. McDermOtt called attention to the
fact that the Senate had adjourned the No
vember session, and that the House had not.
Mr.. Littlefield said in his judgment the
mr. nf ha 90 aA,,lI ,x4ta 1f
that body on his own motion. but Mr.. Nc
DermOtt said that If no objection was made
his act became the act of the Senate.
Struck Out Appropriation.
Mr.. Tawney then overruled the point of
order.
When Representative Tawney. in the
chair. overruled the point of order against
the item he stated that the mileage allowed
to members was rot intended to merely
cover the expense incurred in travelling. but
was in the nature of an additional compen-
sation to their regular salaries.
just as soon as the decision was an
nounced Mr.. Underwood of Alabama moved
to strike out the paragraph containing the
mileage item. He declared that the repre-
senatiyes had no right to vote themselves
additional compensation.
During the discussion that followed this
motion numerous amendments were offered,
tenor Mr. Olmstead of Pennsylvania
moved to amend by providing that the
mileage should be paid only to those MEM
bers who certified that between the time
the House adjourned at 11:55 o'clock and
met again at ~ o'clock they had jpurneyed
to their homes and back.
This amendment was greeted by a storm
of laughter
Finally. all the amendments were voted
down and the question reverted to the mo-
ton Of Mr.. Underwood to strike out the
paragraph On a viva voce vote the demo-
Gratis voted loudly in the affirmative, but
the storm of nays seemed to be in the ma
jority. The chair was about to so rule
when tellers were called for.
This move proved successful for the OPP
ponents of the double mileage, for not
single member was apparently willing to
publicly place himself on record in favor
of retaining the mileage item in the bill.
One hundred and sixty-seven members
voted to strike out the paragraph while
no one responded when the negative ques-
ton was put