The Speaker left his place, of course, and a chairman was appointed.
Now the contest raged hotter than ever--for the authority that compels order when the House sits as a House, is greatly diminished when it sits as Committee.

The main fight came upon the filling of the blanks with the sum to be appropriated for the purchase of the land, of course.
Buckstone--"Mr.Chairman, I move you, sir, that the words 'three millions of' be inserted." Mr.Hadley--"Mr.Chairman, I move that the words two and a half dollars be inserted." Mr.Clawson--"Mr.Chairman, I move the insertion of the words five and twenty cents, as representing the true value of this barren and isolated tract of desolation." The question, according to rule, was taken upon the smallest sum first.
It was lost.
Then upon the nest smallest sum.

Lost, also.
And then upon the three millions.

After a vigorous battle that lasted a considerable time, this motion was carried.
Then, clause by clause the bill was read, discussed, and amended in trifling particulars, and now the Committee rose and reported.
The moment the House had resumed its functions and received the report, Mr.Buckstone moved and carried the third reading of the bill.
The same bitter war over the sum to be paid was fought over again, and now that the ayes and nays could be called and placed on record, every man was compelled to vote by name on the three millions, and indeed on every paragraph of the bill from the enacting clause straight through.
But as before, the friends of the measure stood firm and voted in a solid body every time, and so did its enemies.
The supreme moment was come, now, but so sure was the result that not even a voice was raised to interpose an adjournment.

The enemy were totally demoralized.