Year: 1875

THE HOUSE CONTEST OVER THE RULES.
ADAY OF EXCITEMENT AND CLOSE VOTING-EFFORTs


OF THE MINORITY TO RETAIN THEIR PRIvILEGBs


-oBJECT OF THE MEASURES URGED BY GEN.


BUTIER-FORM OF THE QUESTION THAT WILL


NOW BE BROUGHT FORWARD.


IBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNEl


WASHINGTON Feb. 1.-The political contest which
blocked the wheels of legislation in the House all
last week was renewed Immediately after the read
ing of the journal to-day. Under the rules of the
House the morning hour of Monday is set apart Tor
call of the States for bills which may be intro
duced and referred to committees. If the entre
hour is not consumed by this call it is followed by
second, during which it is in order to introduce
House resolutions for immediate consld-
Grafton. Under the first call it has
been customary to receive joint and concurrent
resolutions for reference, though nothing is said
about them in the rue but House resolutions are
not received. The first State called was Maine,
and Mr.. Hale at once offered the rule. as it was
agreed to in the Committee on Rules at their meet
ing on Friday. Mr. Randall at once made the point
of order that this being House resolution, was not
in order under the first call The Speaker ruled
that il was He said that joint and concurrent reso-
lutions were always admitted under this call. al
though they not named in the rule and that 1t
had been customary for resolutions to amend the
rules to be brought in under this call
II the rule was to be construed liter
ally, no resolution of any kind could be
received, but as it was not construed literally IN one
case it ought not to be in another This ruling was
looked upon by the Democrats and by some of the
Republicans as a Titled strained, but no appeal
taken.


As the call proceeded Pennsylvania was reached
and Mr. Cessna offered resolution for a further
amendment Of the rules more in accordance with
what is desired by Gen. Butler and the politicians
who side with him, than the one prepared in the
Committee on Rules The first section of this rule
is similar to the other, except that it proposes to
allow twothirds of the House to order the previous
question on the first day q bill is taken
up for consideration instead of requiring a
three-fourths vote TO do it. The second
section gives the Judiciary Committee
permission to report public bills and joint resolu-
tlOns at any time on Tuesday or Wednesday, except
when the House is considering the regular appro-
priation bills or bills from the Committee Of Ways
and Means affecting the revenues. The third section
makes it in order to dispense with the further read
ing Of the journal after half hour has been spent
in that way. These rules would be almost as OBJ
iectionabe TO the Independent Republicans as the
caucus rule that the majority attempted TO pass last
Monday The second section of il gives the Ju-
dietary Committee two days in every week
which 10 report its political bills; and with
the first (which allows the majority to have
complete control of measures reported) makes
the most Objectionable legislation possible
Mr. Randall repeated his point Of order, and after
an excited discussion Of a few minutes in which the
Speaker and half-a-dozen members engaged, Mr..
Blaine oyerruled the point of order, aud from this
decision Randall appealed. The ruling of the
Speaker was sustained by strictly party vote 175
members voting in the Affirmative and 81 in the neg
atiye


Before this vote was announced the morning hour
expired After the morning hour on Monday, it is
In order for any member who can get the floor to
move 10 suspend the rules for any purpose, and if
two-thirds vote for such a suspension, a bill
or resolution may be at once passed, or time for
its consideration fixed. Taking advantage OF this
privilege Gen Butter later in the afternoon moved
10 suspend the rules as TO make report from the
Committee OIL Rules at once in order, and to limit
debate on any resolution they should present to one
hour On this the Yeas and NaYs were called. but
the motion was lost for want of the two-thirds
vote. 100 having voted in the Affirmative and 81 IN
the negative. This was followed by another st.
tempt TO suspend the rules as to make the report
Of the Committee on Rules IN order immediately
after the reading of the journal tomorrow. This
also lost the vote standing l73 Yeas TO 80 Nays
After this the House took @ until 10 o'clock
tO-U0uow. when final attempt will be made 70