Hon. Asbury F, Lever, Representative from South Carolina 



These reports removed the fighting" 

 from the skirmish line in the committee 

 to the House itself, and there a battle 

 royal was to be expected, with the 

 whole powerful machinery of both 

 party organizations opposed to action. 

 It became known, however, as the ses- 

 sion wore on, that the Speaker had 

 finally given his assurance that the bill 

 should receive consideration during the 

 session, and it then became a question 

 of whether the appropriation bills and 

 other privileged legislation would be 

 out of the way in time for full consid- 



eration. A special rule was reported 

 about a week before the close of the 

 session under which business could be 

 brought up under suspension by a ma- 

 jority instead of a two-thirds vote. 

 This enabled the Weeks bill to be 

 brought in on the first of March and 

 it passed the House by a vote of 157 

 to 147, ten answering "present," and 

 seventy-two not voting. There was a 

 spirited two hours' debate in which 

 there were many speakers on both sides 

 and Payne of New York and Taw- 

 NEY of Minnesota took the floor 



259 



