The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-05-25
Communications.
MODE OF DOING BUSINESS IN CONGRESS

.
MODE OF DOING BUSINESS IN CONGRESS.
COMMUNICATED.
As the "Reform Parliament" is about to assemble,
permit an humble citizen to make suggestions as
TO the mode Of preventing the of time and pro-
noting the despatch of important business:
l. Resume the old plan Of discussing general sub
ects the Presidents message, Immediately after its
reception and before the committees have reported
other business; thus, from two 10 four weeks of the
session, which is thrown away, will be saved partcu-
larry so, if members are afterwards required they
should be, to conne themselves in debate strictly
the matter under discussion.
2. recent alteration of the rules OF the House re-
quire the appropriation bills to be reported within 80
days after Congress meet This is Of little Importance
in the despatch Of business unless the bills prompt
y acted they have been usually suffered to sleep
till towards the end Of the session, and then taken up
and hurried through at the very last moment; as a
remedy for this very great evil, let the rules be
changed to make the appropriation bills the special
order after GO days. This would prevent injurious
haste insure their passage in due season. and the
absurd necessity Of suspendng the rules from day to
day as was done during the last Congress, to get
the most important business to be acted on.
g. In Committee of the Whole let one-fifth of the
members be quorum; this it is conceived would not
infringe on the Constitution and would save the
time now lost by the Committee constantly being
compelled rise for the want Of majority, and the
consequent call of the House TO obtain quorum.
A. Heretofore motion for the committee to rise and
report a hill has been considered debateable con-
sequently, bill may be kept in committee for weeks
after four-ffths Of the House ready report II
is su ggested, that after bill has been discussed in
Committee for, say uuys, nlotion roTr. -r.
the bill should be undebalcabIe this would cut of many
long and useless haraDgues to empty seats on exrane
GUS matter compress the speeches TO a reasonable
length and to the merits Of the BILL and save much
time The British House Of Commons usually finish
subject, however important, at a single discussion
and never extend it two three sittings. Why
may not this be done here, why should members be
continually celebrating speeches to their constituents
instead of for them or the House2
g. Much time is lost by the constant efforts to sus-
pend the rules In order get up matter out of its
course and it is believed that much again business
could be done if every thing was done in its proper or
der. Two-thirds of the members present may now
suspend the rules for any purpose fthreefourths or
four hs ever required suspension for ordinary pur-
poses, il would be SO hopeless that it is conceived it
would seldom be attempted. If the subject was ofim
mense Importance, or pressing emergency there never
would be difficulty in obtaining suspension; as a
suspension is an alteration of the rules of business
perhaps two days notice of such alteration, as in all
other cases, might in remedy the present
evil
G. About onc-ihh Of the time is now spent in cali
ing over the States for petitions; this is schoo-boy
affair, and useless waste of tme nobody ever
listens to how many or how many women pet
ton or demonstrate any subject. Let the petitions
be handed 10 the Clerk and by him be entered in the
minutes, and under the direction Of the Speaker sub
ec to the rules and orders ofthe House. be referred TO
the appropriate committee or laid the table, this
would save one day at least in every week.
l. Nearly onehalf Of the session, the day is cut of
to two OF three hours by the majority present adjourn
ing, without any sufficient reason ~ whereas, if two
thirds, or majority Of the whole House, were requir
ed for an adjournment, unless the session had con-
tnued, say five hours, the House would sit every day
reasonable length time,
g. The right of appeal from the Speakers decision
should be defined, and twothirds should be required
to override il. Appeals were taken during the last
Congress upon every subject-cvcn the right to the
door-and bare majority overruled the Speaker with
out regard to rule, principle, or consistency. The
Speaker should be clothed with and exercise more a
horty to preserve the dignity and dccorum of debate
and to suppress irrelevant impairment discussion
or decamation--and until il is so, the House Of Re-
prcsentatives will not cease TO be bear garden, and
Congress almost nuisance. The people call for this
reform, and sooner or later, will have it,
O. Il is believed that the present manner Of reporting
the proceedings of Congress tends greatly to the waste
Of time and the derogation Of that body In the frs,
place. the letter writer's hough many ofthem are high
" respectable and gised present but garblcd state
men or falsely colorcd picture Of the proceedings
and drawn up too frequently to Pamper the dcpavcd
apostle which they Themselves have vitiated. With
but too many Of them, impertincnce and personalities
arc every thing, and fight quite desira able
affair, in which the actors magnifed into heroes
or statesmen Of the bodest Characterization par,izan
descriptions become the newspaper gossip for weeks
and then react upon The House by way Of stimulant
to the repetition Of the scene. In their caricatures
business men-men Of sterling worh-arc never no
tced-nor does legitimate business itself fare much
better and even in the regular reports frequently
see i noted-"thc House spent to-day in private