New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-05
THE UOUSE FINISHES Up.
no IMPORTANT MEASURE ~ The WHOLE fWO YEARS
A CLOUD OF PRIVATE BILLs-IIIE RULES
AMENDED WITH An EYE To TIE FUTURE

no IMPORTANT MEASURE ~ The WHOLE TWO YEARS
A CLOUD OF PRIVATE BILLs-IHE RULES
AMENDED WITH An EYE To TIE FUTURE
CLOSING SCENES.
icy TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRTBUNE.J
WASHINGTON March 1.-The last night session Of
the House of Representatives began at o'clock on
Saturday evening with full chairs and crowded gal
leues The audience was not distinguished one,
as Washington audiences 90; bat IL was a very
attentive one and sat through the early hours OF the
night with extraordinary patience considering the
uninterestiug character of most of the proceedings.
The unfortunate people whose misfortune 1t has
been to do so much standing around in the trangu-
lar spaces behind the members desks i'll the last
month were also out IN full force, and among them
were at least hundred untledged representatives,
who will occupy seats in the next Congress and
who have come to Washington to see the Inaugural
ton and get the hang of things in advance.
One Of the most remarkable things about the
session that Just closed, and indeed of the whole
Congress has been the almost total failure to per
feet or even TO propose important measures OF egs
lation The first session of this Congress, being CON
dueted for Presidential purposes, not expected
to be prolific of anything except political schemes
The unprecedented mania for investigation and the
long ,yrange over the Appropriation bills occupy
ing 50 much Of the time of the committees as well
as of the House, and the incXperience OF majority
of the members, made that session more barren OF
tangible results even than such sessions generally
are and left very little business i'll shape to be taken
ND and disposed of this Winter No matter what
shape the work of Congress might have been IN,
bo,yeyer. the excitement of the Presidential con-
tr0yersy during the present session would nave pre-
vented il from receiving attention. 1t not
strange therefore, that on the last night OF the
Congress very few except private bills, besides
al
penscs of the Government, remained to be acted
upon.
Early in the evening the biennial proposition TO
amend the rules in order TO gain some political adj
vantage in the next Congress, was brought forward
Four years ago it was the Republicans who desired
so to amend the rules as to place IL IN the power ol
less than twothirds TO suspend them and pass poti-
cal measures under the whip and spur and without
debate The Republicans then saw departing their
large majority by the aid of which they had been
able to carry all their political measures IN spite OF
the protests of the Democrats and the rules enacted
for the protection of the minority ana they very
naturally desired to secure new lease Oh that
noxyer The Democrats were then thrown into
state of the greatest excitement and under the
lead Of the late James Brooks defeated the proposed
amendment This time il was the Democrats VINO
desired to make provision for anticipated trouble IN
tho noxt Congress- The amendment was reported
by Mr. Sayer and provided that, pending the
election of a Speaker of the House, and
when the Clerk of the last House Is acting
as presiding officer, the Sergeant-atArms shall be
in attendance and under the direction of the clerk
shall preserve order. The Republicans were very
suspicous that the Democrats intended to get some
unfair advantage of them by this change OF the
rules. and opposed it with much determinations The
amendment was carried in spite of the refusal OF
the Republicans to vote their object being to break
the quorum. While the rules of the last House are
notbinding upon the next unless accepted by il,
the adoption Of new one now puts II
in the power of the meager Democratic
majority which will gather in the House
at the beginning Of next session to accept this new
rule which they could not then enact ia wall en-