The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-01
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS.

rD1roRIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Proceedings of CongTcSE-Amcnding the
RuIes-Ridcrs on Appropriation his
Arguments Pro and Con-Slow Progress
of Legislation.
WASHINGTON, February %, 1850.
Special Correspondence Of the lntellSeucOr.
For two months past the proceedings in
Congress have been sinsularly monoton-
Gus and uninteresting. The reason OF this
is, so far as the House OF Representatives
is concerned. that this body has been
incubatinga new set Of rules, and ever
since the first Of the year has been
going into the Committee Of the Whole
,lay by day for the purpose OF discussing
the proposed changes. The new rules are
allowed by every body to be q great i'm.
provement over the presentrules, and are
tho product OF the wisdom OF both sides,
hut nevertheless the debate in Committee
Of the Whole has eenlong and wearisome.
Finally, the job was completed yesterday,
30 far rs the Committee OF the Whole
could complete it, but the House, in its
representative character, has now to adopt
them. This remaining gauntlet has got
to be run, and it is expected that one or
two stiff contests will now occur. The
principal bone OF contention has been
what is known as tho twenty.frst rule,
the rule that covers appropriations. and
that admits OF riders in the shape Of leg
islation on the top Of the appropria-
tons OF money for the support Of the
various departments Of the government.
Your readersar familiar with the history
of the extra session Of Congress last year,
a. respects these riders, and will readily
recall how long and bitterly the Democ-
racy attempted to saddle tho regular sup
plies Of money with the repeal Of the So
called election laws. The fall election put
II damper on their contest, and tits Doubt
full whether they will renew the fight this
session. They may, however, for they
nearly always manage to put their loot in
It, in some shape or other, just before cleo.
tons. Providence has apparently decreed
that they should always do thus, and so
regularly has it happened that they have
done so in the past that we can scarcely
expect to sec them miss their opportunity
ut the close OF the present session.
RIDERS on APPROPRIATIONS.
The discussion in the committee OF the
whole Over tho 9lst rule, has arrayed
the two parties in the House OH nearly
party lines. Such men as Frank Hurd, Of
Ohio, on the Democratic side, have made
learned arguments, based on precedents
in English history, to show that the power
To saddle appropriations OF money with
certain conditions has been one OF the
safeguards OF popular liberty. He and
other Democratic leacers have cited the
various contests between the Grown and
tho House OF Commons, in support OF
their position as champions OF riders on
appropriation bills. On the other hand,
Alexander IL. Stephens, who is Demo-
crat, but not bipartisan Democrat, con.
tends that there is no similarity whatever
between the history OF said contests in
England, and the status OF affairs in this
country. We have no Crown here, says
Stephens, but the people; nobody exer-
cises hereditary or royal pEerogatives here;
the people pass upon all issues that arise
in Congress every two years, which Is
often enough, and they elect President
every four years. So that the power to
rCctify wrongs is constantly III the hands
of the people, and therefore 1t is not only
nonsense, but revolutionary nonsense for
Congress to undertake to withhold money
from the coordinate and equal depart
mcnts OF the Government, in order 10
coerCe one OF those departments into
aQuiescence In It's immediate views, what
ever they may happen to be at the mo.
ment. The president Is clothed by the
people with power-the power Of the
Vet0--as involable as any erconierred
on Congress, and 1t cannot be arbitrarily
rendGd from him, except by tho high.
hand OF revolution.
present on the 2lst rule, and 1t may be
continued for some time to como in the
open House before the rule is disposed Of.
= COMMITTEE OF TIE WHOLE.
Perhaps l ought to have said word in
explanation Of this parliamentary express
sion. The proposed new rules were re-
ported to the House OF Representatives
from special committee, consisting OF
leading Democrats and Republicans, ap-
pointed at tho extra session Of Congress
last year. That committee had leave to
sit during the recess, and it is only fair to
say that it has made q report that embo-
dies sot OF amended rules that are pro-
nOunC0d excellent by both sides. All
changes in the old rules had TO be made
by unanimous consent in the committee,
and where unanimous consent could not
BIO obtained the old rule sought 10 be |
was reported back without
The necessity for new
set OF rules Is recognized by everybody as
n great necessity. As tho rules have stood
for many years 1t takes an average mem.
her at least two terms TO become even
tolerably familiar with them. and a
new member has no chance what
over in parliamentary strategy with an
Did member. As soon as tho
special committee submitted their report
early in the year, the House resolved IL
self into q Committee OF the Wholeon the
subject OF this special committees work,
md day by day, almost without interrup.
ion 1t has continued to resolve itself into
committee In order 10 debate the
charges proposed. After daily discus.
ion which often takes very wide range,
md after the members get very weary
-. 4. \ Il