Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-22
House Rejects Conference Re-
port on Postal Bill.
DEFEATED BY 145 TO 156
All Democrats and q Number Of Re-
publicans Unite.
COMBINE GREATLY DELIGHTED
Speaker Cannon Manifests Disap-
pointment-Senate Will In
sist on Amendments.

The most exciting parliamentary miXup
of the session occurred in the House to-
day, when the chamber resounded with
exultant yells. the clatter of desks and
screams of JOY following the announce
ment of the adverse action of the House
on the conferees' report of the post office
appropriation bill, thus defeating the ship
subsidy provision.
The vote was very close indeed-145
for the subsidy to 156 against-and as a
result, the post Office appropriation bill Is
returned to conference.
In view of the fact that change in
just q few votes will swing the House
into line, the advocates of the subsidy
have not lost hope.
The yielding of the House conferees on
the subsidy proposition. which was put
into the bill in the form of Senate
amendment offered by Senator Gallinger.
is understood to have been due largely to
the influence of the president
When the roll call was about half over
today all who were following the vote
realized that the result would be close.
and after the last name had been called
and the clerks we're making up the totals
a great crowd of members jammed into
the well of the House, waiting for the an
nouncement by Speaker Cannon.
Speaker Displeased.
Then the clerk passed the little slip
with the totals on it up to the Speaker.
Uncle Joe gianced at it and frowned.
Cali my name," he said. curtly, and
responded Aye when the clerk cried
"Mr Cannon" Then the Speaker read
the result.
Instantaneously there was an outburst
of wild applause from the solid demo-
cratic sides. which was joined IN oy
thoso republicans who had likewise voted
No.. It was several minutes before the
racket suhsided, and meanwhile Speaker
Cannon was bangine with his gavel on
the sounding board Of his desk.
Messrs, STAFFORD, Kansas: Small. North
Carolina. ana Finley. South Carolina. and
the system of weighing mails provided for
in the bill was condemned by MI. Mur-
dock. Kansas.
Expressing regret that he was COM
PEELED to break with his democratic
colleagues on the subsidy proposition. Mr..
Hobson. Alabama, vigorously supported
it. saying it was matter Of national I'M
portance as distinguished from gra-
tuity to private interests.
When the time came for vote. Mr..
Williams insisted on roll call and the
yeas and nays were ordered.
Filibustar Resumed.
The suggestion that gained wide cur
rency last night that John Sharp Will
liams of Mississippi would today aban-
don his filibuster in the House was ap-
parently dissipated when that body met.
Mr. Overstreet, Indiana. called up the
conference report on the Post Office ap-
preparation bill and Mr.. Williams was
prompt to demand the reading of the re-
port, although it's contents had become
fully known through publication In the
Record this morning. Under motion by
Mr.. Overstreet to agree to the report the
only opportunity Afforded was to accept
or reject the report In its entirety, al
though forty minutes were allowed ior
debate.
Mr. Overstreet made a strong plea for
the mail subsidy provision of the bill,
while Mr.. Moon, Tenn the ranking MI
nority member of the Post Office commit
tee bitterly opposed it.
The announcement of the result of the
ballot was greeted with vociferons ap-
piause by the opponents OF the report.
So close was the result that on request
of Mr.. Oyerstreet. a recapitulation was
ordered. This disclosed the vote as fol-
lows: Yeas, 14J: nays. 1j6. Thereupon Mr..
Overstreet moved TO disagree to the Sem
ate amendments and ask further con-
ference, which motion brought to his feet
Mr. Moon. who insisted that Mr. Over
street. having been defeated. could not
under the rule be recognized to make a
motion in connection with the bill.
Speaker Cannon however, overruled the
point
The amendments then were disagreed to
and a further conference with the SEN
ate asked. On this proposition Mr. Moon
did not demand roll call.
Senate Will Insist.
The disagreement of the House TO the
ocean mail subvention amendment to the
post Office appropriation bill was laid
before the Senate today and a further
conference was ordered, the Senate con-
ferees being instructed to insist upon the