Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-04-09
Committees Of the Whole.

TT is one of the rules of the National
House of Representatives that every bill
involving the levy of tax, or an ex-
penditure of money, shall be first dis
cussed in what is called the Committee
of the Whole. As a Committee of the
Whole is made up of precisely the same
persons as the House itself, the reasons
for this rule are not apparent to persons
who are unacquainted with parliament
airy usages.
What is chiefly gained, when the
House goes into a Committee of the
Whole, is that then the rules of the
House only apply in part, and those
which take their place are more tavora-
BILE to free discussion and amendment,
and to the rapid transaction Of busi-
ness.
We can only give one or two illustra-
tions to-show this. When the House is
transacting business a member may
move the previous question, and thus
prevent amendments from being offered
or voted upon. In the Committee of
the Whole, amendments may be offered
without limit, and there is only one way
of stopping a debate, which we shall
presently mention.
Again, in the House, one-fifth of the
members may order the yeas and nays
to be taken, and this often makes prog
ress very slow. In Committee of the
Whole the yeas and nays cannot be
taken at all. Votes are taken by rising,
or by the members passing between
tellers.
When the House votes to 90 into
committee-say on an Appropriation
bill--th Speaker leaves the chair, and
calls to it some member who is ad-
dressed as Mr.. Chairman" and who
usually acts as Chairman when the
House is in Committee of the Whole
on that bill until il has been disposed of,
In Committee of the Whole the mem.
ber who reports the bill from the Com
mittee on Appropriations has charge Of
it, and first makes a speech in eXpla.
nation. He is followed by other mem
bers, who discuss the measure gen
orally, and not in reference to particu-
lar items.
When this general debate is ended
the bill is taken up in detail The
Clerk reads it, clause by clause. If ,
member wishes TO offer an amendment
to any clause, he interrupts the read
! AlAE unN pAODOoNo Abs 1nO usual lA az
tice is to allow the mover of eacl
amendment, and those who support o.
oppose it, so many minutes each, anC
to limit the time that can be given il
all to one amendment. Sometimes I
member will move to strike out the las
, word of an amendment for the sake o
making a few remarks.
The reading of the bill, the movin,
of amendments and the voting continu,
until the members are tired, when tn
motion is made that the committe
''rise." When this is carried tn
chairman" leaves the chair, tn
, Speaker of the House takes it, and thu
the House resumes its session. Th
, Chairman then says to the House tina
, the committee has come to no resolu
+ tion, and asks leave to sit again.
Sometimes, however, it happens tina
a long time is wasted in talk and in re
peated amendments to the same clause
4 As the Committee of the Whole have n
1 power to stop the debate, the object
! accomplished in this way:
The member who has charge of tn
G bill first moves that the committee rise
4 When this is carried, and the Speake
\ has taken the chair, and the Chairma
a has reported, as we have stated above
4 a motion is made that when the CON
. mittee resumes its session, all debate o
;. the pending clause shall be closed
e one minute, or in five minutes. Th
o motion having been adopted, the Hous
+ Immediately goes into Committee of tn
It Whole again.
s When the consideration of a bill he
o been finished the committee rises. Th
e Chairman then reports the measure an
!. amendments to the House, which {
v once votes on the amendments, eithC
Il separately or as a whole, and then vote
}, on the passage of the bill.
l. In the Senate bills are considered "i
Il in Committee Of tie Whole" but witt
o out so many formalities. = Youths Con
,, pdRioR.