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Oongressional Record-House. February 23 2134 OONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. FEBRUARY 23, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. fact gone on without reaching any agreement, and, I may say. with the idea on the part of some of us that there would be a fur­ FRIDAY, February 23, 1900. ther extension. I hope very much that we shall not close the de­ The Honse met at 11 o'clock a. m. Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. bate at the early time indicated by the gentleman from New York. HENRY N. COUDEN, D. D. If it be done, it will be impossible for a number of gentlemen on The Journal of yesterday's proceedings was read and approved. this side to get in the speeches they desire to make. Mr. PAYNE. I will only say, Mr. Speaker, that to all who TRAFFIC BRIDGE ACROSS RED RrYER, LOUISIANA. have applied to me I have uniformly stated that I intended to do The SPEAKER laid before the Honse, with the amendments of the very best in my power to close the general debate upon the the Senate, the bill (H. R. 4473) toauthorizetheNatcbitochesRail­ bill this week. I made this statement in order that gentlemen way and Construction Company to build and maintain a railway on both sides of the House might understand exactly the situa­ and traffic bridge across Red River at Grand Ecore, in the parish tion. of Natchitoches, State of Louisiana; in which the concurrence of Mr. DALZELL. Why, Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from the House was requested. Tennessee will permit me, there were two hours allowed for de­ The amendments of the Senate were read, as follows: bate last night that were not even taken advantage of. In line 7, page 1, strike out "their "and insert "it." Mr. RICHARDSON. Just a word on that, Mr. Speaker. I had In line 1, page 3, strike out" on said bridge." arranged, I will state to the gentleman, with members on this Mr. BREAZEALE. I move that the amendments of the Senate side of the House who desired to occupy one-half of that time; be concurred in. supposing, of course, that gentlemen on the other side would oc­ The motion was agreed to. cupy the remainder. I did not wish to transgress upon th'3 time ADDITIONAL MESSENGERS FOR HOUSE POSTMASTER. of the other side. As it was I put in about an hour and a quarter. Mr. BULL. I rise to make a privileged report from the Com­ and could_have used very much more time if I had been apprised mittee on Accounts. of the fact that gentlemen on the other side did not desire to oc­ The Clerk read the following resolution, introduced by Mr. cupy it. BROWN December 20, 1900: Now, I hope the gentleman from New York will not undertake Resolved, That the House Postmaster be, and be is, authorized to employ to close debate without giving an opportunity to at least the older three messengers, a.t $100 per month ea.ob, during the sessions of the Fifty­ members of the House who desire to be heard to talk upon a sixtb Congress, to be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. question which is probably the most important one with which The amendment reported by the Committee on Accounts was we will have to deal during this Congress. read, as follows: Mr. POWERS. Mr. Speaker, I sincerely trust the gentleman In line 3, after the word "ea.ch," insert "from February l, 1900." from New York will not insist on closing the general debate to­ The SPEAKER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment morrow. There are many gentlemen on the floor of the House reported by the Committee on Accounts. · who are not entirely clear as to the action they should take in ref­ Mr. RICHARDSON. I should like to know whether this is not erence to the pending bill. This discussion is certainly very use­ an unusual resolution. Does it not propose to increase the force ful in bringing out the advantages proposed by the committee and of the Postmaster beyond anything that has heretofore been done? the objections which are raised by the minority to the bill. Mr. BULL. It does not go beyond what we have done hereto­ It seems to me that this being a new question, one of novel fore in several Congresses-for the first time, I believe, in the impression, the utmost latitude of debate consistent with the Fifty-third Congress. state of the public business should be given, and that all gentle­ Mr. RICHARDSON. The resolution is recommended by the men who desire to do so may have an opportunity of being heard Committee on Accounts? upon the question. I sincerely hope therefore that the gentleman Mr. BULL. Yes, sir. will see that it is due to the House to extend the time beyond to­ Mr. RICHARDSON. And the minority concurred in it? morrow for general debate. Mr. BULL. Yes, sir. I myself confess that for one I want more light upon the ques­ The amendment was agreed to. tion. I want to listen to the speeches pro and con. I do not de­ sire to be forced to vote on the unsettled state of myown mind on The resolution as amended was adopted. the question at so short a notice as this. I think the time allotted TRADE OF PUERTO RICO. is not sufficient. It will do no harm to give to the House and. the Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House resolve it­ country light on the question, and it certainly can do no harm to self into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union indicate to the people of the country that a majority of the House for the further consideration of House bill 8245. And pending are trying to be liberal and fair and give reasonable opportunity this motion, I desire to give notice to the House that on Monday for the presentation of the opposition's views. next, immediately after the reading of the Journal, I shall make Mr. RICHARDSON. I suggest to my friend from New York, a motion to close general debate. who is always a fair-minded, amiable gentleman, that Monday Mr. RICHARDSON. I hope the gentleman from New York being District of Columbia day, we might devote the day to that [Mr. PAYNE] will reconsider that intention. It is absolutely im­ purpose so that the District will not lose its day, and take this possible for all gentlemen of the minority on this side to get in bill up afterwards for further discussion. during to-day and to-morrow the speeches they desire to make. Mr. PAYNE. I do not think we should allow other matters to In view of this fact, I hope the gentleman from New York will enter into consideration here until we have taken final action not insist on closing the general debate so early as he has indi­ upon this bill. That I will certainly object to. cated. Of course I can not prevent the gentleman from giving Mr. RICHARDSON. It will take all day Monday, at all events, bis notice, but I want to say to him that so far as we can we shall even if we adopt the suggestion of the gentleman from New resist the enforcement of any such notice. · York. The District will lose its day, and on Tuesday another Mr. PAYNE. This matter of the time to be occupied in debate matter which will probably come before the House may be pre­ was talked over in the Committee on Ways and Means when the sented for consideration. proposition to bring the bill before the Bouse was pending and Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, the motion is that the House resolve when a date was fixed for that purpose. We agreed then upon a itself into Committee of the Who1e House on the state of the week's general debate, which, of course, would close the discus­ Union for the furt.her consideration of the pending bill. I think sion to-morrow. And that was the understanding. In fact, the we had better go on with that in view of the conditions prevailing. gentleman from Tennessee was ready, when the bHl was taken up The SPEAKER. This discussion is only by unanimous consent. on Monday morning, to concede that and to conclude the debate Mr. THAYER. Mr. Speaker, I have a few remarks that I would to-morrow, and it was only because a further arrangement was like to make with reference to the closing of the general debate on desired by some gentlemen on this side in reference to voting on this bill to-morrow night. It is a most important matter-one of amendments that that agreement was not reached on Monday the most important with which we will have to deal during the morning-that we close general debate on Saturday. It was Congress. There are many gentlemen on this side of the House then the desire and expectation of both sides of the Committee who desire to be heard on the question, and some, as I am informed, on Ways and Means that that be done. I only want to give on the other side, and if this order to close the general debate shall notice-- be insisted upon, it will exclude all of those persons interested in Mr. RICHARDSON. So I understand. the discussion except those who are on the Committee on Ways Mr. PAYNE. So that gentlemen on both sides may govern and Means and the Committee on Insular Affairs.
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