Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-20
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

WASHINGT0N NEWS AND GOSSIP.
SNAP JUDeNENrs.-There are grave cues.
lions involved in the discussion occurring.
yesterday. in the House, upon the propriety
of taking final action on bills before subject.
ing them to consideration in committee of the
whole. In the course of many years expe
rience with the House of Representatives, we
know that quite nine. tenths of the legislation
OF the body, which has subsequently been re-
GREETED by the members, as we'll as the coun-
try, has transpired under circumstances when
the plea that Immediate action was of vital
Importance, or that the matter was not of suf-
fcient Importance to justify the commitment
required by the rules, prevailed. Or, what /
equivalent to such action, when the House,
late in session, were rushing inportan'
propositions through, in the shape Of amend
mcnts, often of much greater moment than
the bills to which they were applied. We
have also seen the business of session. with
few and unimporsant exceptions, thrown owe,
until its last hours, BY the course of com
mttee in insisting on forcing the House to
consider their bills without commitment. The
result was, that though they failed to accom-
plish the enactment of one in twenty Of them.
the contamination of the business of oil the
other committees (Which would surely other.
wise have been passeO was utterly defeated.
The end was the accomplishment of literally
nothing. The sessions work, beyond the
hurried enactment of inperfectly matured
general appropriation bills, was a complete
notorious, and universally acknowledged
blank. Under these circumstances, We per
ceive, with unfeigued regret, renewal of this
disposition to monopslize the time of the
House with the business of single commit
tee. The rule Of the House requiring the
commitment of bills, is eminently wise and
prudent. 1t has been operative from the
foundation of the Government, and no one
dreams that it's repeal, or even its alteration
would be proper. If the House yield to the
solicitations of one member in this matter.
they will be subjected to dozen such efforts
daily. With the hundreds of land donating
projects now before the Committee of Public
Lands, to be reported on, Of course, we ques-
ten whether any other committee can posi-.
bly, be called in three months, if such requests
are listened to. We write here "from the
card'-from knowledge of what teok place
when the House yielded their rule at the las,
long session. If the bills and reports of all
the committees be committed, it will be the
interest of all to discourage Buncombe, and
all other expedients for wasting time-so
which custom the House must come, sooner O,
later; Or its legislation will, not long hence
degenerate into mere burlesque on, or apol
ogy for that rational and mature considera.
ton, which such body should give to all bust.
ness before them. We trust that new mem.
bers, before yielding 20 personal appeals in
such cases, will consult gentlemen more ex.
perienced than themselves in the business OF
the House. .a.s
The PACIFIC RAILF DAD PROJECT OF SEX.
AroR DoUGLAs.-We bear that Senator Doug.
las has proposed to the Pacific railroad spccia
committee, Of which hs is a member, q sort
| Ut compromise between the conflicting sec
tional interests which arc serving to compli
cate the question or questions they are &c
consider. We understand that, s, far. hi,
proposition has only been verbally motto in
their meetings. Or, in other words, that e
aas not yet formally laid it before his com.
mittec colleagues, in writing. Thus, be i.
said to propose that the Government, ATTIC,
the necessary preliminary surveys, shall cause
three entire lines to be located. One north
another south, and the the third over the
best route afforded as near as may be equi.
distant between tho other two. And tina,
then, without sppropriating or in any other
way advancing money to aid the construction
of railway over either route, the Govern.
ment shall permit any company to build eithe,
or all three Of the proposed railroads; aidine
them only to the extent Of donations of alter
nate sections Of the public domain through
which such road or roads may pass. The
lands to be donated under restrictions which
will guarantee their faithful application to
the purpose intended. He is said to propose
that the Govern ment shall not interfere to
cause either road to be undertaken first:
leaving that question to be settled by the
company or companies undertaking the work,
or works
We presume that nearly every me mber of
this special committee will have a scheme or
plan Of his own. Weare also certainly of the
opinion that there is not the slightest pros.
pect at this time, that majority of this com
mite will agree to report during the pre.en,
session in favor of any specific scheme.
FILLIBUsrERING.- demonstration in
the Senate yesterday on the subject of the
Presidents very recent proclamation against
hiiibustering, exhibited healthy tone Of
public opinion, We are most happy to be able
to say. It also forcibly developed the fact
that the policy of keeping our army and
navy with hourly increasing demands for
their services, at a size and IN q condition
which suited our circumstances we'll enough
ten years ago, must be abandoned at once.
We are among those most jealous of military
establishments under q government like ours,
sad would gladly endorse any feasible plan
to enable the Government of the United States
70 dispense with them. Yet it is idle to dream
OF such thing. We have very lately been
extending our frontiers and also our foreign
commerce 30 as absolutely to require an army
and navy double the present size of either, if