Speech #520083815

I can not consent to the construction placed upon this agreement by the Senator from Tennzssee. I think that if he will examine the records of the Senate he will find that the uniform custom of the body is thatwhen an agreement has been entered into to vote upon a bill and pending amendments without debate at a certain fixed hour. the agreement does not exclude any parliamentary motion that is admissible under the rules. I have not had time since the discussion came up to go back and look at the matter. but four years ago. when the Chinese exclusion bill was before the Senate. an agreement was entered into that the Senate would vote at 1 oclock on a given day. I happened tobe absent from the Senate at the time. Itwasamatter of some importance. coming. as this does. right in the midst of a Presidential election I was very much opposed to the passage of the bill at the time. and wanted to delay it.