HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The SPEAKER pro tempore called the House to order at 9 o'clock A M, and directed the Clerk to call the roll of the qualified members, and the list of Counties and Districts not represented.
Mr. GORDON moved that the House do now adjourn till Monday at 2 o'clock.
Mr. OSBORN thought it better not to adjourn now but send for the absentees - get in all the Republican members - wait till the Senate convenes and see what they will do.
Mr UNDERWOOD made the point, which was sustained, that the motion was not debatable.
The House refuged to adjourn.
Mr OSBORN moved that the Doorkeeper be directed to notify the absentees that the House is in session, and request their attendance.
Mr. VATER submitted an amendment to the motion, which was read, as follows:
Resolved, That the Doorkeeper, with such assistance as may be necessary, is hereby instructed to bring within the bar of this House, with all possible dispatch, the absent members.
Mr MONROE made the point, which was sustained, that the motion is not amendable.
Mr GORDON suggested that we do not yet know who are absent, and if the motion was to produce the attendance of members who have not qualified, he held that it is not in order
Mr OSBORN said all the qualified members are not, in their places.
The SPEAKER then directed the Clerk to call the absentees, and the Doorkeeper to bring them in - the motion to send for them having been adopted.
On motion of Mr. RATLIFF, further proceedings, under the call of the House, dispensed with
After sundry ineffectual motions to adjourn, submitted by Messrs GORDON, WILDMAN, VATER, DAVIDSON and others - Mr. Ratliff of Grant, was called to the Chair.
Mr. STEWART, of Ohio, made an ineffectual motion to adjourn till Monday at three o'clock.
Mr. WILDMAN moved that the Chair may be requested to give his views of the propriety of repealing the County Seat bill. [Laughter]
Mr. BUSKIRK moved that a committee of five be appointed, and instructed to prepare and report a resolution adopting the constitutional amendment.
Mr GORDON proposed that three members of said committee be composed of colored men.
The SPEAKER pro tem. ruled the motion and out of order.
Mr. BUSKIRK appealed (informally)
Mr. COFFROTH moved for the consideration of the salary bill.
Mr OSBORN moved to take up from the table Mr. Pierce of Vigo's bill, which relates to female dogs.
Mr PIERCE of Vigo. That bill was not laid on the table. And that, I understand, is the chief reason why the Democracy are not in their seats in this House. [Laughter]
After further proceedings in this vein -
Mr COFFROTH moved that the House do now adjourn till Monday afternoon, at half past two o'clock; and, thereupon, he demanded the yeas and nays.
The rules requiring one tenth of the numbers present to second the demand for the yeas and nays on a motion to adjourn, required now another call of the roll, which determined 62 members present. And then -
Mr COFFROTH withdrew the motion.
Mr PIERCE of Porter, moved that the House proceed to the election of officers, and he said, I make the motion in good faith.
Mr VATER If the gentleman makes the motion in good faith, I make the point, that we can do no business without, a quorum
The SPEAKER pro tem. sustained the point, and rule the motion out of order
Mr. PIERCE appealed, and after desultory conversation thereon -
Mr. MONROE, declaring the constitutional limitations of the power of the House to be this, to send for absentees, and to adjourn from day to day, moved an adjournment till Monday, two o'clock P. M
The motion was agreed to on a division affirmative 28, negative 20.
So the House adjourned.
