Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-07-04

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must ''''e''N WIN. H. ROY
SPEECH OF T. TH H}Sa,E 1. BAlLY, ESQ
I'm e appropriation BMI the House Of Representatives.
Friday June l4h, 1850.
The Bill supply deficiencies in appropriations for the
services the fiscal year. being under consdea-
lion in Committee of the Whole on the State of the Union
MIR. BAYLY said: Mr.. Chairman, we are now in Com
mi:lee Of the Whole the the Union upon ap-
propra,on bill and shall avail myself of the latitude OF
debate which am entitled. to defend the committee,
which have the honor preside from the unjust
tons which been made against H. opportunity do
which before has been perseverngy withheld BY those who
made them.
On The Sd of this month the member from Ohio Mr..
Schcnck offered resolution 10 the House. assuming that
the Committee of Ways and Means had neglected.
port the appropriation bills within the proper time
and he proposed that the House should instruct them
bring those bills whou further delay When this res
outon assuming that the failure OF the committee 10 report
within thirty days had arisen from neglect on their part and
that the ncrposiion Of the House necessary 10
pei do duty offered, insisted upon the right
TO make an explanation. think was entitled 10 do il un-
der the rule II requires the committee, in the event of
their failure report the bills 10 report the reasons OF the
failure And when arraigned under this very rule
for neglect, think we had right under the last clause
it, 10 defend ourselves. But be this may, when
tempt made to us entitled, upon every
principle Of fairness and justice not TO courtesy be
heard This, however, refused TO u.s. But this is
the Of IL On to-day, when proposed in strict compl
with tie rule make statement again effort made
silence and made By the vey member who had brought
his un(ounded accusation against Us Sir, have wish
defend the committee against anything that members can
saw for sir there class of fauth finders against whose
complaints defence is necessary. But, sir, of
respect the rules of this House. and the fifty gentlemen
who voted suspend the rules 10 enable the member from
Ohio Mr.. Scienck 10 introduce his esoutionmany of
whom however il is but Just 10 say, voted for the motion
suspend they have assured me- only to give me an opor-
tunity explain, and without meaning to concur at all in
the implied in the rcsolion-outo OF respect to the
desire 10 say lew words.
Sir undertake to say that since the change Of the
nf he fiscal December
30ih of June the rule which the member has attempted 10
resusci;a found upon attack against the Commit
tee of WAYS and Means has been obsolete Ii not only has
never been complied with the long session of Congress
since ina, Tine but has not been desirable or even proper
that i, should have been complied with. have looked
the date of the report Of the appropriation bills since that
time and bears what say But shall only refer TO
the period at which Those bills were reported by the Com
mittee of Ways and Means of the last Congress select
that committee, because its chairman is now present; be-
cause Wing committee and seems be regarded by
some having been the paragon OF committee That
committee appointed in the first week of the session. In
consequence Of the delay IN organizing the House the pre-
sent committee appointed until after Christmas
Mr. Vinton reported The last Congress- the Military Aca
DENY bill the 25th of january the revolutionary pension
bill also the 18th Of January the deficiency bill of that
year and the Indian bill on the 18th OF January the fort
cation bill and the army bill the 3ls Of January; the
w bill the slh Of February the civil and diplomatic bill
on the 9th of March, the navy pension bill and the post office
bin the 9TH of April. reported the deficiency bill and the
fertilization bill the 9Th Of March, the Military Academy
bill on the 18th Alarch the army and navy bill the lt
18Th Of May / have reported to-day all the Other
bills, except the civil and Diplomatic which We
are nearly ready report; and those bills have been
in my desk for month, ready to be reported; and
have been prevented from reporting them by the member
from Ohio and others acting with him. And indeed such
was the case great with those which preceded
them In scarcely single instance was able TO make
ports of linen. they ready 10 be reported
The House will bear witness, that 1t has been with great
difficulty could prevail upon il any time 10 proceed with
the regular order oil business. The House will testify that
from the beginning of The session. have persevered in my
efforts induce il 10 do but in consequence OF the
citing questions before us it has been impossible for
succeed enc time in Besides this il will be recoleced
that early in the session reported the bill TO provide for de-
,rav:ue the expenses collecting the This
new BILL made necessary by The act Of the Sd Of March,
1919 II which the Committee Of Ways and Means
were never charged with before. II earnestly pressed
uron our attention by te administration Action upon il
considered important That the President made it the
subject of special message. Ii and important
subject required close investigation and il underwent il
i'm The committee and in the TWO Houses OF Congress; and
Outstanding the mass of business before l we're
without clerk for Two months after our appointment
But than u! this, the Committee of Ways and Means
were orcby struck with The enormous and they believed
unnecessary expenditures Of This government We deter
nei scrunlze tho appropriations asked for closely and
if possible, bring them into reasonable limits IN this re-
sacct have effected something; but am free saw
Il great deal | became early convinced that real and
beneficial reform be effected in this respect without tho
rough and cordial sympathy and cooperation between Con-
greas and the Administration
The committee will bear witness that although had
no clerk in three weeks after my appointment chairman
had oil our bills, which III the aggregate would
make small volume drawn according TO the estimates from
the departments upon table. And could have report
"a them ii had been desirable in few days. But if
had hey would have been little than skeletons Of bills
This especially OF the civil and diplomatic bill.
dav has passed since commenced labors to this
very morning that have received communication
after communication from the departments transmitting
changes oi estimates, additional estimates and asking for
additional appropriations. If had reported those bills
promptly should have been compelled to have moved
many amendments in the House. that it would have deyoved
upon the House itself, instead Of the Committee Ways
and Means, the responsibility Of framing the BILL which
nv BODY all acquainted with legislation knows would be
! highly inconvenien:, If not impossible.
How sir was it with the deficiency bil In the original
estimates sent asked appropriate 1901 3o
A. But before the bill became law items press
ed upon until il up 10 S575o0 3d. and most of
them brought in by amendments after the bill
ported And does not the House rccolcct that when was
moving amendment after amenomcni by direction oil inc
committee the member from Ohio alr. Schenck attacked
us for moving amendments Of which the House had
notice. and complained that the House could under
sandinely upon ;hen But this is all on the day
acted that bill finally in this House. after had come
back to s from the Senate apprsed of deficiency
in the Quartemas,ers Department of 5000 600 and also
of this deficiency which asking the House to
provide for. 1t will be ecoected thar moved them
amendments 10 the Senate amendments, and they were r-
| led out of order
Other beyond control have delayed ns partcu
larry for the last months Two of our members have
been in bad health most Of the session Others of them have
been temporarily absent from hecty Two of them Messrs
ynton and llibbard special committees the former
On the Ewing investigation committees and he has been
y little with the Committee of Ways and Means since that
committee raised And although my friend from
New Hampshire, lAIr. Hibbard,l has been elected TO
serve upon committee rather than the select COM
mcc Of which he is member, whenever his presence
with would give US quorum, ye, his presence would not
always do it, and for the last month We have been very rarely
able get quorum Every member Of the committee will
bear testimony, that have been constant in my attend
ance upon the committee.
But sir what inconvenience has anybody suffered in con-
sequence of not having reported the civil and diplomatic
bill! Docs not every Onc know that il is always the last
bill acted upon' say, with certainty that during the
four Congress that have been here it has passed be-
fore the last night of the session. and although have not
looked TO ascertain precisely how The fact is think am
safe in SAYING that such has been the for half
y Has The House acted upon the bills already reporcdl
So far from it, does not every know that s Impossible
in the present nnccrc to prevail upon take up any
the ordinary business of legislation? Such being the casc
obviously better for the have suggested that
the civil end diplomatic bill should remain in the COM
mtee until within reasonable period Of the time when
the House will be ready 10 act upon il!
To enable the House and the country to appreciate the
spirit in which the attempt eproah upon the Com
mttee of Ways and Means originated desire TO call its
enon remarkable facts On the Sd June the MEN,
b.rfr SchenrE