Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1916-07-01
SENATOR LEWIS PRAISED ~
SPEAKER CLARK.

During debate In the House on |
the question Of adjournment Of the
Senate for period Of more than
three days without the consent Of the
House, Speaker Champ Clark left the
chair long enough to pay tribute to
Senator James Hamilton Lewis, Of
Illinois.
The question OF the Senate's action
was brought up by Representative
Mann, OF Illinois, who cited the last
paragraph Of Section Of the Consti.
tuition of the United States. which
says that neither house, during the
session of Congress. shall. without
the consent Of the other, adjourn for
more than three days, nor to any 9th.
er place than that in which the two
houses shall be sitting"
THE Congressional Record" says
Mr.. Mann. shows that on Saturday.
June 3. the Senate adjourned until
Thursday, June s.
~ do not know whether It Is the
business OF the House Of Represen.
tatives to tell the Senate OF the
United States to obey the COnstitu.
ton. I am not sure that II may be.
SO that I do not propose to offer any.
thing"
Representative Slayden. OF Texas,
suggested that the Senate's action
was a fracture of the Constitution
and then Speaker Clark took the
floor.
"The question that the gentleman
from Illinois raises Ia very fine
point" he said, and II comes very
nearly being a fundamental question.
The Senate. 1t seems, adjourned from
Saturday to Thursday-four days,
not counting Sunday, clear viola.
ton Of the provision Of the Constitu'
ton aforesaid.
Most Of the members have come
In In recent years; at least they have
not been here twenty years. Senator
James Hamilton Lewis, Of Illinois, an
exceedingly brilliant man, made ma
tional reputation when he was In this
house-he was here only two years
ClS97.9)--from the State of Washing
ton, and he made II on one question.
"Of course. he made a whole. lot OF
interesting speeches on other ques
tons but he first attracted national
attention on the paragraph OF the
Constitution just cited by the gentle
man from Illinois. When the House
passed the Dingley tariff bill In the
spring OF 1897 Mr.. Speaker Reed, who
entertained great prejudice agains
the Senate, and was not mealy
mouthed about expressing 1t, made
up his mind that the House should
not do anything the rest OF that sum
mer, so that public attention woult
be concentrated upon the Senate Il
see II dawdle.
The point that Senator Lewis
made his great reputation on wa
this; That that clause of the Con
stituton which was read by the gen
tleman from Illinois provided that on
house OF Congress cannot adjourn
more than three days at time witt
out the consent of the other.
Speaker Reed held with the ole
time lawyers that Sunday was die
non. no day, and he made two az
tournaments cover seven days in tn
teeth Of that provision OF the Const
tuition. Speaker Henderson an
Speaker Cannon and myself have a
followed the ruling OF Speaker Ree'
II may have been wrong original!
but il was a very convenient rulin!
so we let it go at that.
Whenever the House met dnrin
the period OF adjourning three day
at time we did not have anythin
else TO do, and Colonel Lewis e.
plotted his claim that Congress wa
not in session at all; that the fa'
that the House adjourned for moi
than three days practically adjourne
Congress sine die, and he kept II u
here time after time, week In an
week out, with other constitutions
lawyers occasionally helping him on
II shall never forget that one NOR
ing our friend the cartoonist Berr
man, one OF the most amiable OF mo
tails, had an immense picture OF NJ
Speaker Reed lying fiat on his bat
and Colonel Lewis standing u
umphantly on his stomach.
What happened in the sena