The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-21

the Civil and Diplomatic Appropriation bill, on
Saturday, providing for the appointment.
Provision was made by the House on the
same day for Charge d'Affalres to Switzer-
land, and for the raising Of the Peru charge
ship to full mission.
Mr.. VENABLE declares that Congress has
done and is doing nothing, and that he will be
obliged to tell his constituents so by and by.
The Globe reports him to have said:
son my return to my constituents they will
demand of me why Congress sit here year after
year and do little of the business of the country
and why it is that the highest duties of Legislators
are passed by have to tell them that it is caused
by the legerdemain, like thimble-rigging, and
the chicanery which is practced under the rules
of the House. An unsophistioated man comes in
here and finds that bill is before the House and
almost ready to pass, already have two three
votes been taken upon it, and when he would ma
turally suppose that one more vote will complete
the transaction-all at once, some gentleman who
understands the rule rises to point of order, and
the bill drops through the platform, and gets at the
lower end of the Speakers table If you look back
at the experience of this session. you will find that
onetor~th of the entire time has been consumed in
settling points Of order, which, when settled, are
neither rules precedents, because the next day
the House may settle the point of order exactly the
other way
The primary cause of all this, Mr.. VENABLE
assures US, is to be found in the complex and
conflicting rules of the House; strengthened by
the tendency to establish tyranny of the ma
jorty which he processes to discern in the spirit
and proceedings of his Democratic colleagues
Mr.. STEPHENS, on the other hand, affirms
that the rules are well enough, and that the
delay springs from the demagogism of the
House, the irregular proceedings of the Speak
er, and the failure of the Democratic heads of
committees to obtain the confidence of the De-
mocratic majority. We quote his words:
Sir, twenty-five years ago men came here and
did the business OF the country, and they con-
formed to these rules. There was no great fault
then in the rules nor is there any great fault in
them now; and, as the gentleman from North
Carolina MIR. VENABLE) intimates an intention to
go to his constituents and tell them where the evil
hes, wish him to carry this message to them
from me: that it is in the men whom they send
here. Tell them to send men such as they sent in
former times; to send legislators and statesmen,
and not demagogues. and then the public business
will be attended to under the same rules that it
used to be. The eviI is in the organization of the
House and the material ii is made Of and not in the
rules. They are in the main good and wise. Con-
form to them, and you could soon clear your table,
now grooming under the burden of 80 many bills
Enacted on. Put man in the chair aDho under
stands the rules and ,DiH enforce Them. Organize
your committees from proper materials, and let
men be sent to Congress who understand the pub
lie business, and you will hear none of this com.
plant against the rules of the House,
81 am not going into particulars to show where
think the blame is attributable, but do believe
that if the heads of committees had been efficient in the
discharge of their duties, the business before the
House would not have been in it's present condi-
ton. think there has been delay, and unneces-
sary delay. We are within, comparatively, few
days the adjournment of this Congress.
"lhe heads Of committees, IN my opinion. haze
not the confidence of the House; they do not exert
that influence which men in their position ought
to exert, and therefore everybody puts in for him.
self, and every thing goes pell-mell and in wild
disorder.
''There are two hundred and thirty-three mem
bers in the House. They come here, and all want
q
endeavoring to get out of building on fire, all
rush together, twenty and thirty get on the floor
at the same time, calling out, 'Mr. Speakerp sMr.
Speaker!' first one and then another, and not un.
frequently all together. They do not con form to
the rules, and the Chair does not make them con-
form, and hence, all attempting to rush in their
business at once, the way is blocked up and none
is DONE You ought 20 haus Speaker acho auould
proceed regularly under the rules With the business
who would recognise no man out Of order, and
who would let each one have a hearing in order
when his turn regularly came. Then the multi
tude Of business, instead of being crowded and
mashed in the general confusion, would all be act.
ed on in regular and orderly way. That is the
way it used to be done. You did not hear twenty
five and thirty years ago, complaints of the rules.
They were essentially the same then as now.
They were better administered, that is all. Mem
bers conformed to them; and if they did not, the
Speaker required them to do 3d."
We do not propose to discuss the relative
force of these averments; believing that all have
force, and that their combined influence pro-
duces the waste of time and delay of business,
which have at length aroused the Indignation
of the country.
The rules are bad-absurdIy numerous and
complicated, and withouta parallel in the prac-
tlce OF any legislative body in the world. They
enable cliques and individuals to Illustrate busi-
ness, and to give effect to the desires of outside
lntrguers. SO far Mr. VENABLE is right.
Io Mr.. STEPHENs's complaints in regard to
the SPEAKER and the Democratic chairmen
whom ne has appointed we need add nothing
They tally admirably with charges previously
preferred by Governor Brown and MI. Mace
and fully sustain this journal in its recent ex
posures of the Democratic obstructionists. their
aiders and abettors.