The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-06-15

Tg.,Ic and Sending it to Conference,
A. Requested by the Senate, After
Forty Minutes Debate, Passed by the
Vote Of fS4 to 99-Mr. Williams and
Other Democrats Opposed the Rule
Because They Thought the House
Had the Right to Vote OH the ser
ate Amendments.
Washington, June 31.-With a very
large proportion of the members pres
ent, due to the activity of the repuh}t-
can and G.mocratic WHIPS, the house
today PASSED a rule sending the rail
road rate Iii back to conference as
! asked r.. The senate without even an
expression - lis wishes as 70 az of
the amendments to the bill. The rule
wa debated for forty minutes. The
leaders participated in the discussion,
the democrats taking the position that
TIE G1..e was ODDOrtune to concur in
thu -ieeping car ana IN
st-ec- h conference as to the anti
pas amendment. Although the demo-
Cra-9 we're aided bE eight republicans
they IT, ID ~, COMMAND T-t-S enough
to de1e&- - lie which Vi adopted
1874 to -.
When Tie house met NJ. DalzeIl pre-
scented rule from the committee on
rules taking the railroad bill from the
speakers table, and sending it to con-
ference as requested by the senate.
Mr.. Williams, of Mississippi, the mi
uOrity leader, desired to offer an
amendment. but with a shake of his
head. Mr.. Dalzell refused permission.
Mr.. DalZeIl then moved the previous
question, w~hereupOn Mr.. Williams de-
manded the yeas and nays, and the roll
was called. BY a vote Of 1856 to 80 the
previous question was ordered.
Mr., Dalzell explained the parliament
tary status Of the rate bill, stating that
the senate had amended the bill and
that on the request of the house a con-
ference between the two houses had
been agreed TO. Now the senate has re-
committed the bill to the cOnferees.
The rule proposes to grant the request
-xf the senate for a further conference.
Mr.. Williams the minority leader,
said that the house was pretty familiar
with rules by this time. If they want
ed to be gagged all they had to do was
to vote for rule. If they desired to
express themselves on the great ques-
tions involved in the rate bill they
would vote no. He said the gentleman
from Pennsylvania, Mr. Dalzell), had
promised the house that it would have
4 chance to vote ON the amendment,
and now hTiT n zoe 10 81 r,110 yr015hifir n ~
honest expression. Mr.. Williams then
read the amendment he proposed to the
rule as reported by Da1zell from the
committee on rules:
Provided, however, that the house
conferees are instructed to concur in
the senate amendment declaring sleep
ing car companies to be common car
rlers, and are further instructed to in
slst upon eXempting from the provision
torbidding free passes to officials and
employees of the railroads and their
Immediate families"
Mr.. Bartlett, of Georgia, opposed the
adoption of the rule because he said
the house should have the right to vote
on the senate amendments. He called
attention to the statement made by Mr..
GrOsvenor, of Ohio, on May 25 when
the bill was, by a rule, first sent to On
ference and quoted him as saying:
4 ask the house to hear what I say
Aand measure my language. When that
conference report comes back there
Will be a chance to vote on every
amendment the house desires to vote
upon and then we will debate and for
once in my life I think I occupy a posi-
tIon where [ can enforce the suggestion
/ have made"
Paraphrasing what was said by JOS
hua, Mr.. Prince, of Illinois, received a
round of applause when he stated his
position:
Choose We this day whom you will
serve 1.-The sleeping car companies or
the people; as for me and my house, we
will serve the people"
Mr.. Richardson, of Alabama, was
pronounced against the rule believing
that now was the time for the house to
set the seal of its approval on some OF
the amendments of the senate, particu-
larly on the question of sleeping cars.
Mr.. Townsend, of Michigan, was in
favor of the rule on the ground that it
was the orderly procedure to determine
what the house desires.
He said that sleeping cars had not
been originally considered in question
with rate regulation at the time the
bill was first considered in committee,
but as the dangerous doctrine of speci-
feation had been adopted he believed
that sleeping cars should be included
in the bill. Speaking of the bill itself
Mr.. Townsend said it was a much bet
ter bill than the most ardent friend OF
the measure had hoped for when the
agitation began.
& MI. Grosvener said that the position
ct the house was the same as when the
conference asked for by the senate had
been agreed to; that the house had no