is a body that prides itself upon its dignity and holds itself firmly to precedent. "One of these precedents which has grown in years to the practical importance of a rule is that a vote shall not be forced by cutting even by the will of the majority. The result is that it is always possible for a minority in a short session or in the closing weeks of a session to talk a measure to death—thatis, by insisting upon discussing a measure—and prevent a vote being taken. It is such tactics that the minority in this ease has shown a determination to adopt. The difficulty that besets them along this line is that the end of the Session is still six weeks away; their advantage, that there is a great mass of important legislation such as regular appropriation bills that demand action before the 4th of March. For the majority to force a vote and still regard the prover! "senatorial courtesy" would necessitate provision that no other measure should be taken up until the Treaty was disposed of.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.