Word: quorums
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Vicious Circle. In Warwick, Va., the city planning commission gave top priority to "how to improve the attendance of members of the commission," but failed to act for lack of a quorum...
...Candidate Ramón ("Little Bird") Villeda Morales had won, but he fell short of an absolute majority (TIME, Oct. 25). Under the constitution, that threw the decision to Congress. But when Congress convened, only Villeda Morales' supporters took their seats; his opponents, by heading off the needed quorum of two-thirds, prevented congressional ratification of his election. This left Lozano no choice under the law but to assume the technical powers of a dictator...
...always so well ordered. In the last century filibusters were frequent, and minorities refused to vote, making action impossible for want of a quorum. Speaker Thomas Reed changed all that one wild day in 1890 by counting members present, although they sat mutely in their chairs when their names were called. Shouted a Kentuckian named McCreary, "I deny the right of the Speaker to count me present." "Czar" Reed shot back with devastating logic, "The Chair simply stated the fact that the gentleman from Kentucky appears to be present. Does he deny it?" With that, members bolted for the doors...
...talk droned on, Knowland introduced a closure petition by which debate could be shut off on a two-thirds vote. It was Knowland's only available weapon, and with it he served notice of his determination to harass the filibusterers. They rejoined by demanding a quorum call at 12:50, another at 3:46. The quorum calls gave the orators a respite while the sergeant-at-arms routed Senators out of their beds at home or off their cots in the Capitol...
...flagrantly abused. With the collapse of Jacobo Arbenz' Communist-manned government, about 900 people fled to nine embassies, taking the time-honored escape route after losing a revolution. Some of the refugees were top officials of the old regime, notably Arbenz himself, most of his Cabinet and a quorum of Congress. Others were panicky henchmen, fearful that they might be held responsible for the last month of Red terror, beatings and killings. In bad conscience, many thought it prudent to take with them wives, children, and even servants...