The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1911-01-21
NO. IL.
SPEAKER CANNON DEFEATED
STIRRING SCENES OF LAST SES-
SION RE-ENACTED.
Speaker Made Attempt to overthrow
New Rule Made by Democrats
and Insurgents.

Washington.-The stirring scenes of
the last session of congress, when the
house overthrow Speaker Cannon and
took the making of it's rules into it's
own hands, were re-enacted in part on
the floor of the house Monday.
| Threatened with what they believed
| to be an effort to draw the teeth" Of
one of the most important of the new
rules, democrats and insurgents joined
/ in the defeat of the speaker. BY a
vote of 145 to 126 the combined forces
rallied to the support of Representa-
tive Fitzgerald (democratJ of New
| York, and sustained him in his appeal
| from the speakers ruling.
The fight developed as the result of
the second attempt to use the new rule
| which gives the house power to dis.
| charge committee from further con-
| sideraticn of a bill that has been refer
| red to 1t. The insurgents and demo-
| Gratis believed this rule was ironclad;
! that as soon as the consideration of
| bills by unanimous consent had been
concluded an every first and third
Monday of the month the house was
| bound by the new rule to take up the
| motions 10 discharge committees from
the custody of specified bills.
| When the moment arrived, however,
Speaker Cannon gave recognition to
Representative Hull of Iowa, chairman
of the military affairs committee. Mr..
Hull moved that the house resolve it.
| and take up tie consideration of the
military appropriation bill upon which
/ it had been working last week.
There was an immediate rallying of
forces and stiffening Of ranks from the
insurgents and democrats. Mr. Fitzger-
aid insisted upon the consideration of
motion to discharge a committee
which was upon the calendar.
Speaker Cannon declined to give Mr..
Fitzgerald the preference. but said he
would be glad to consider point of or
der if Mr. Gitzgerald wanted to make
| it.
The democratic member declared he
did not have to make a point of order;
! that it was his right to recognition un-
der the new rule without raising any
| point of order against the speakers &C
ton.
"You will overrule If make point
/ of order,'' said Mr.. Fitzgerald.
Insurgents, democrats and regulars
4snpo irfo hn fro hof
lowed. On the speaker'srefusal to rec
ognize Mr. Fitzgerald, the latter was
finally forced TO make point of order
against the taking up of the army ap-
preparation bill.
The speaker had his ruling on the
point prepared in advance and read
from manuscript. He held the new
rule did not make it mandatory upon
| the house to take up the motions to dis
charge a committee; that it simply
made such motions in order, If the
house desired to take them up.
Upon this basis the speaker held
that Mr.. Hull and the army appropria-
ton bill had the right of way and that
the motions provided for under the
new rules could not be interposed.
"I appeal from the decision of the
chair" cried Mr.. Fitzgerald.
II move to lay that motion on the
table, interposed Mr.. Payne of New
York, republican leader of the house.
The Payne motion was the first test
of strength in the house, and it was
dofeated IKE To 1874 Then followed an
acrimonious debate upon the ruling.
When the vote finally was taken on
the appeal from Speaker Cannon's rul-
ing twenty-three insurgents and all but
| one of the democrats present voted
against the speaker The result was
the defeat of his ruling by a vote OF
145 to 1875.