, 1875-02-01


tom is composed Of about 1a7 Republican md
~ Democratic members. There is clear two
third Majority in favor Of tho Republicans,
yet last week there was tho singular spectacle
Of minority, less tllan one-tliird Of tho
whole House, absolutely controlling 1egisla-
tiou and suspendirg business. In FREQ
country, where tho majority rule prevails,
this proceeding is anonalous. Tho process
is is III making alternately tho thren motions.
II, to adjourn ., to call tho House g. to
1ay On tho table. On encll Of these motions
the yeas aud nays arp called, eacl call oceu-
pying two-tAirt1s of an hour. An fnst
as ono of these motions is voted down ar,-
other is made, and thus for over fifty hours
continued session tho minority was able to
defeat any action Of the majority. At Inst,
on Friday morning ut 10 o'clock, tito majority
yielded, and Tho House adjourned until Satur-
day ut noon. On Saturday tho first business
was tho reading Of tho journal Of tile pre-
violls session; on this journal aro recorded
the Lists Of yeas and nays, tho lists in this ill
stance numbering seventy-fve. The minor
ity insisted tint tho journal be read III full,
lists and oll aftor spending several hours
hearing this record read, tho House adjourn
cd. This morning the business will DO
resumed just where it begun sew
oral days ago. We ara by no mems
opposed to dopriying minoritiea of clear-
" and well-dodned rights. Wo should
protest as strongly as any ono against giving
majority absolute authority; but there is
no moro certain principle Of Justice than that
the majority should have control of tho h,,si-
ness Of the House. or whnt avail is it that
party elect q body Of representatives, with a
large numerical majority, ii tho minority can,
at their pleasure, dony the majority the right
to rlle tho House, aud thus dofcat the popu-
lar will. Any system Of rules under which
this proceeding can take place is Of necessity
wrong. It is 4 transfer OF tho authority Of
the House from the minority to faction.
It is proposed to-day to givo notice and to.
morrow to introduce rule which shnu put
MI end to this nnomoly. It is not proposed
to secure to tic minority the right to govern
by extinguiahipg the right of u minority to be
heard and to record thoir votes. It is rs,1e
that will repeal tho operation of tho dilatory-
motion procoss,-a process unknown to the
parliamentary law Of any other milton. It is
understood that the Speaker will recognize a
motion to amend the rules as ono Of privilege
and On ono which majority Of the House can
adopt; md, If this rule DO adopted, then tho
powor Of the minority to ohstruct tho trans
action Of business will bo removed,
Both partieg ire interestedin this business.
The next Houso will bo largely Democratic,
aud, unless tho rules bo amondod, the Repub-
lican minority may then do what tho Demo-
crats havo been doing the past week. On
tho other hand, tho Republicans, who arc
now tho majority, will bo the minority at tho
noxt session, and they caunot afford to sur
render in advance my Of tho rights that per-
tain to q minority. Under these ciroum-
stnnces, VIC think TINT both partios can afford
to bo honest, and make such rule as will or
ought to DO acceptable to both majority and
minority in this House and in the next