The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-22
The Obstructionists and the Hon. II. HI.
Bayly.

rising sun.
The Obstructionists and the Hon. II. H.
Bayly.
We take pleasure in transferring to our col
umns from the Globe more full report than
we have hitherto published of the remarks Of
the Hon. T. H. BAYLY on the Instructions to
public business in the House of Representa-
tlves. Mr.. BAYLY's object is to exculpate the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, of which
he is chairman, in the matter of the ex-
traordinary delays and irregular evasions Of
business which will distinguish the Thirty
second Congress in history. Mr.. BAYLY's
committee is very important one when it can
lay its business before the House, but if its re-
ports cannot be presented, and its measures are
slowed away and smothered at the bottom
of the pile on the Speakers table, it is alto
gether shorn of its Importance. De non eris.
teatibus ct non apparentibus eadem est ratio
or to render the old maxim freely, the chair
man of Ways and Means may concoct ex-
cellent measures, and if he cannot get them
acted upon they go for nothing.
| In commenting on the debate of Tuesday
last, when Mr.. VENABLE convused the House
by telling them that HE was going home to re-
present to his constituents the manner in which
time was wasted in the House, Mr.. BAYLY
observed that the remark had frequently been
made In the course of that debate, that the de
lay and obstruction to the public business was
owing, In great measure, to the ineficiency
OF gentlemen who were at the head of the
leading committees of the House. ssAlthough
| know continued Mr. BAYLY, 'that none
OF these illusions were designed for me, and
though | know this House understands this
pretty well. yet, as am at the head of per-
haps the most important committee in this
House, other persons may suppose those re-
marks Were designed in part for me'
MIR. BAYLY affirms that it is the very
promptitude with which his committee has
acted that has been the cause of the distractions
that have been interposed to the public bust
ness. 1t seems that the hundreds of bills piled
upon the SPEAKERS table are kept there be-
cause DEMOCRATIC Committee of WAYS and
Means are known to have decided in favor of
particular bill, which underlies this mass of in
complete and INSTRUCTED legislation. If this is
not faction, and faction in its worst shape, we
are at loss to understand what may be called
faction and nothing is clearer than that ma
jority of the House ought not to submit to this
new fashion of an unconstitutional minority
veto. On this subject Mr.. BAYLY says:
although the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
in one respect, is committee of very great i'm
portance yet has very little to do with the ordi-
nary Legislation of Congress. We have few bills
to report requiring the action of Congress. de-
sire to say, in justice to myself and that commit
tee over which am proud to preside, that there
has not been day when docket has not been
cleared. have not called the committee together
very often, because | knew how much members
are occupied, and how inconvenent it is to be fire.
quently called to the committee rooms. / have
uniformly waited until there was enough upon our
docket to occupy the morning, and then con-
vened the committee, and we have cleared it. One
OF the very causes of the obstructions to the bust
of this House has been the prompitude of that
committee. Every one knows that the French Spo
liation BILL which lies the bottom of that huge
mass of bills upon the Speakers table, creates to
great extent the difficulty of getting at the bust
ness on the Speakers table and the opposition by
the enemies Of that bill to going to that business
has been augmented by the fact, which is well
known, that very early in the last session of Con-
gress, as soon this subject was referred to that
committee, meeting of the committee was called,
that subject acted upon, and that was ready at
any time to take it up; and that in consequence
there would be no necessity to refer the Senate
bill, which is now on the Speakers table, to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, as it had been well
considered and already decided upon
Mr.. BAYLY then proceeds to show that the
allegation is not correct that the public business
is in no worse condition than it was when Mr.
COBB was Speaker of the House, and when Mr.
BAYLY was charged with most of its business.
This he does very successfully, and then goes
on to show what are the real and just causes
of complaint at the present day. This portion
of his speech we give at length:
''But, sir, the complaint at this time ia not that
the committees have not reported. The complaint
now is not 80 much that there is not business be
fore the House, as it is that the business that 10
before the House is not transacted. During that
Congress you never any such pile of bills
upon the Speakers table as there is there now
We kept the Speakers table clear I know that
we did it with great deal of difficulty; but we
did it, and know that made myself odious to a
good many members who had local bills on hand =
as gentlemen who served in that Congress will
recoliect-by tdragooning' the House, Chat was
the expression frequently applied me,) to force
on the public business of Congress
ssNow, sir, the fault of the delay in the public
business, as was correctly stated by the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. sTEPHENs) yesterday, is not
in the rules. The rules are good rules. They are
easily understood and easily administered. But
the Speaker cannot administer them alone and un
aided. The heads of committees cannot do it.
This House can control the heads of committees
and even the Speaker himself to great extent.
One great obstacle to the transaction of the public
business here is, that rule designed for emer-
gency is invoked every day for the most ordinary
purposes. Sir, the rule enabling thirds of this
House to suspend the rules, to take up subject out
of its turn, was designed for emergency, but
not for every day resort. twas designed to facili-
tate the passageof bills of pressing Importance, a
delay in the passage of which, even for day or
two, might lead to injury of the public interests.
That was the design of the rule. But how is it ad-
ministered here? Why, sir. il is invoked upon
every occasion, and for the passage of every ordi
nary bill that can be brought up. Members
too impatient to wait their turns in the regular