, 1875-02-04

THE NEW RULE,
The new rule adopted by the House of
Representatives at Washington will commend
itself to the approval Of every honest man in
the country. The Democrats themselves
will, utter they hnve had time for reflection
be surprised ct their own stupid obstinacy
The rules of deliberativc bodies ought to un-
dergo but few changes, and never bo altered
save whom experience has demonstrated q
necessity for the change. In this respect the
rules of the two Houses Of Congress arc like
tito Constitution of tho United Statos They
are fntonded to DO q permanent law, subject,
however, to such additions and notifications
rs time and the change OF circumstances may
show to be necessary.
The rules Of the House Of Representa-
tiyes have therefore undergone but little
change since the foundation Of tho Govern
ment. As time has progressed and the bust
| ness Of the House has increased, theBe have
led to notifications. Thus, twenty-five
yeara ago, 1t was the custom to present nll
petitions md memorials to the House, tho
presenter stating their substance and moving
their reference. It became necessary, in
order to save time, to have these papers filed
in tho Clerks Office, instead Of being present.
cd in open session. The old form is still pre-
served in tho Senate. Other changes Of q
like character have been made, but generally
not until the general sense Of the House has
demanded them. Far back a tho Kansas
Nebraska bill, and gwen to some extent prior
to TINT date, the attempted forcing Of the
previous question has led to resistance on
the part Of the minority and a resort to
parliamentary expedients to prevent action.
This was notably displayed in the case
OF the Kansas-KebraskA act in 1864,
when the bill was eventually car
rial by whit Speaker BLAINE styles
ia Legislative fraud.' The powor Of the
minority to arrest the proceedings Of the
House at last became so liable to abuse that
just before tho War the rules were changed
by the Democrats, giving to two-thirls Of the
House the power to suspend the rules and
pass bills Instantly and without debate. This
was adopted as an evident necessity 1t sub
stituted two-thirds Of tho House for 1nnjor-
| ity in absolute control Of business. Another
stage in the history Of the country had been
reached+ Frauds and schemes Of p1under
arc unblushingly presented to Congress.
Single members Of the House load
| cd down with as much as 5000, 900 Of
corruption money, use their influence for sub.
aidy legislation officers Of the House, even
tho Doorkeepers, arc feed to promote schemes
Of robbery. It was important TINT the
minority should have some power to resist
such raids on the Treasury, and yet that
minority consumed nearly an entire week op.
posing the will Of the majority as to
taking up the Civil-Riglts bill! Here
was q striking instance Of the peril
that was involved in any attempt to
amond the rulo so rs to give to tho ma-
iority control Of tho Houge. Alr. JoHN
CESSNA, a subsidy-promoter OF Pennsylvania,
proposed aa caucus agreement a new rule
which cut or all dilatory motions, and left to
the discretion Of n mere majority tho power
to pass any measure instantly and without
debata or amendment. number OF Re.
publioans united with the Opposition and
defeated this monstroua rule. Finally, after
mother protracted siege, two-thirda Of tho
House voted to suspend the rules, and then
the House adopted tho following anti-flibus-
tering rule:
Whenever queatIou IL pending before the
House. tho speater sba not euteEtaa any motion OF
ailatory character, sIcst ono mutton to eouEn aud
one mutton to tx tho day to which the uouso ahall nd
journ, hut tie previous question the eugroasnent
and tait reading Of any Lii Joint resolution shall
not be esdsred during tue hra day of ita coASldera
ton nniess twoth'rds Of tue members present shall
scoond the demand; proeidd, that this rule sa lot
| apply 10 uoaxa resolutions offered In tbs morning
huuts Of Moudsy: sn provided (urth4F. that 1t sAs
not apply to any proposition to appropriate tho money
tho credit other property OF The United aatsa, sx-
cept III tho regular annual appropriation Hills.
This rule reduced to plain English means
that motion to adjourn and motion to ad-
iouyn to time certain may each be made
once while measure is pending; that the
previous question ahnl1 not be ordered on tho
same day measure Ia taken up for consider
alton unless by a yote Of two-thirds; but the
rule is not to apply to any bill appropriating
public money, credit, or other property, ex-
cept in the annual appropriation bills. The
minority under this rule will hive at least one
day in which to debate any measure and Offer
amendments to It; and should any bill grant
ing subsidy in either money, or credit, or in
lands be propoaed, the old right to inter.
pose dilatory motions remains unchanged
and unabridged. Ths rule literally gives
the majority ths power, after fals
debate, " psas public aassu1ss Dc,