The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19
.F|u|BUSTER FIGHT
 < IS HOTLY WAGED
Cannon Rules That Today h Is Yesterday
MANN OPPOSES BILL
Underwood of Alabama Lead Forces in Favor of Omnibus War Claims
 Bill But Mann's Tactics ki Holds Up Action

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 washington, February 18.-Speaker Can- non at 80 o'clock this afternoon made the unique ruling that insofar that the concerned, today is yesterday. In other words, he sustained the contention that Fridays session was still in progress.
 Then came the spectacle of big ma- 1orfty of tho House members. composed of practically ell of the democrats and many of the republicans, trying in vain to work their will against virile repub- iican minority valiantly led by Repre- sentative Mann of Illinois.
 MT. Mann flibustered all day yesterday against the passage of the omnibus war claims bill. After he had failed in his effort to have tho session resumed at II o'clock this morning declared a new leg islativs day, MT. Mann renewed his fili- buster and began to demand roll calls on every proposition put before tho House.
 Indications were that the filibuster would continue all day and into the night.
 As soon as Speaker Cannon rapped or der at II o'clock Mr. Sims of Tennessee moved that the House go into commit tee of tho whole to resume consideration of tho war claims bill Then the fight be- gan in earnest. MT. Underwood of Ala bama leading the forces in favor of the bill and Mir. Mann those against 1t.
 Aboutp1oo of the 1ss pages of the bnl were read last night. and MT. Sims moved today to dispense with the further reading and to begin tho second reading for amendments under tho fve-minute rule. Mir. Mann objected.
 The reading of the bill proceeded for . time.
 At 1885 MT. Mann suggested a quorum was not present Representa- tive Bennett of New York, acting as found considerably less than a quorum and a roll call was begun, the third of the day.
 The House broke into an uproar at the conclusion of the roll call, which showed a quorum.
 As the reading clerk approached the closing paragraphs of the bill MT. Mann resorted to new tactics. He made the point of order that the claims bill was improperly on the private calen- dar tnasmuch as 1t contained several legislative sections. This motion re- quired long search through the prece- dents
 Representative Currier of New Hamp- shire. temporarily in the chair, way about to rule whom MT. Mann with- drew the point of order.
 T believe in being fairly fair" he said amid laughter
 At last the reading of the bill was completed.
 MT. Mann promptly asked for the reading of the committee amendments. The amendments struck from the Sen ate bill all tho French spoliation claims. Tho matter stricken out had already been read once. MT. Mann i'm sisted upon tho parliamentary right to have 1t read again. The amendments covered seventy pages.
 When the clerk had finished reading the amendments, Representative Prince of Illinois, chairman of the committee on claims, took the floor to discuss tho bill. He read an extract from Presi- dent Taft's message urging Congress to pay claims that had been acted upon favorably by tho court of claims. MT. Prince declared amid applause that Con- gress should either carry out the deci- sion of the court of claims or abolish the tribunal. Then MT. Moon moved to
 
 ton was lost. fl to ss.
 MT. Mann made the point of no quorumA A roll call followed. It disclosed quo rum and the House by . vote of 1S0 to B refused to adjourn.
 / MT. Prince moved that general debate be limited to three>hours. which was agreed to. Some of the democrats de- manded an opportunity to vote separate ly on the French spoliation claims
 nk "a o rp a fh0Qo claims" said MT. Clark of Missouri. You will' replied MT. Prince.
 Some one suggested that as result of tho committee amendments the French claims were already out of the bill
 Then they'll never get back" shouted MT. Clark.
 The House at this time. however. had not adopted the committee amendments and the French claims were still in the bill
 MT. Gardner of Massachusetts moved an adjournment. which was defeated. I to 2s. MT. Carlin of Virginia moved q call of the house. to which MT. Mann made a point of order. but the mo- ton prevailed. Finally. on a motion of MT. Carlin, adopted by 70 to TO-. the sergeant at arms was directed to arrest absentees and bring them to the bar of the House. Meantime there were many burlesque parliamentary moves with frequent outbursts of uproarious laughter.
 MT. Hef1in of Alabama attacked the filibustering policy of MT. Mann. say ing he was making the great blunder of his life. and predicted democratic victory in the national election two years hence. which evoked huzzas from the democrats. MT. Heflin characterized the filibuster as the most shameful per- formance he had ever seen during his public career. He declared the. repub- licans dared not let the measure come to vote.
 Many members sarcastically offered time to MT. Mann for speech, but he only smiled Mir Olmstead of Pennsyl- vania, the speaker pro tenn. was asked what progress the sergeant at arms deputies were making. MT. Sims moved that hereafter representatives who ab- sent themselves from the House ses- sion should have their salaries deduct cd, they being paid S20 day to at tend. The motion was overruled be- cause 1t only could be denied when quorum Is present.
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