The Penn's Grove record., 1882-02-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.

have passed days in the galleries look
ing ut the panorama below, knew little
of the laws or code OF rules by which
its proceedings are governed. Writers
for the press have Of N referred to the
House as tie ''bear garden" and not
without some reason, for 1t appears
sometimes as much Ike pandmouium
as anything | ever saw. During the
recent debate on the proposition to in
CREASE the membership of this commit.
tees the fact was madc apparent that
to the minds If the more experienced
and rejecting members has come the
conviction that the House il by means
OF its rules incapable Of performing any
serious work Of legislation. The most
that ex-Speaker Randall could claim
was that under the new revision OF the
rules there were greater facilities for
reporting bills from the committees,
but other members could not see the
practical difference between pigeon
boiling in committees and death from
s~uffocaiion in the House. 1t is all Idle
farce for members to waste time in per-
fecting measures which are never heard
Of after they are reported. Mr.. Dun
nell, of Minnesota, characterized tie
rules as the NEST infamous governing
any Legislative body in the world. Mr.
Williams, of Wisconsin. prayed for a
new { christopher Columbus to discover
Il pathway through the boundless sea
of eSislatiun. Mr.. Robinson, of Mas
saclGsetts, m Of the mort clear-headed
lei i'll the House, gave expression 10
his despair, and al the same time re-
buked the Speaker for his utter failure
TO maintain order. And Mr.. Belfard,
Of Colorado, suggested, in rIdicule.
that all committees should be abolished
except two-the Ways end Means and
the Appropriations--that all the MEM
bers of the House should be assigned
10 these two committees in alphabet
cal order and That every member should
be furnished with one clerk and two
bootblacks. Notwithstanding the gro
tesqueness OF the B-lroId proposition,
it really contains a germ of good sens5
and All indication of the only possible
remedy for tie disorder and inc pacity
of Congress.
The experience o. new members who
enter upon their duties without a due
appreciation Of the patient study and
prescrrering practice necessary to be
come parliamentarianS aid obtain q
foothold is sometimes pathetic. Many
a new member with a budget OF bills
aud resolutions which he firmly believes
is 10 reveal to the country its future
great statesman has entered the hall
o. the House in nndoubted faith that
he has passed the portals of a brilliant
career. He rises i'll his place aud ad-.
dres. es the chair. He is sure he was
up q, soon as any one, but the speaker,
seems unaware Of his existence. He is
a little dazed by the fact that a dozen
more are doing the same thing, and
that the loEd talking, the clapping of
hands for the pages. and the total I'M
consciousness of the body that he is
trying to gain an audience, making a
combination of untoward circumstan.
ces very like trying to address the. peo-
pie in the o%nnibusses from a curbstoue
in Broad way, and he takes his seat d
little clustered, thinking he will watch
the course Of things alittle and try 81
again. The next time he determines
he will not be foiled by modesty, q d
shouts 'Mr. Speaker. " SO loudly that,
much IT, rid of him as for anything
else he is recognized by the chair. 81
desire to presents resolution and ask
its adoption" sit can only lie done
at this time by unanimous consent, the
speaker replies. and II obiect'' is b, ard
several members at once. Some
one else Is given the floor, and our
friend subsidies again to reflect again
upon the cruel obstacles in his rath of
glory. BY the help Of dilieent thumb
ing OF the rules, and by curbiIg his
pride so rs to seek some advice of an
old member, he learns tn t the roll of
the States will be called on Monday
and then he will be in order.
He plucks up fresh courage and on
day is on the alert, his State is
he gets The floor, sends his res
10 tire. clerk and clears his
for q speech. A sharp rap Of
the gavel followed by mo debate is in
the resolution can only be re-
ferred to the proper committee" and
he can rightly understand what
ias happened tho current has swept
him, aud he takes his seat with a
sense Of his own importance.
Upon inquiry OF the committee he iads
hat there are fifty other hills before
hem on the same subject and that he
only wait their action. lie waits,
and a month or two after he some morn
.ng catches II few words OF a report
rom that committee which imply that
hey have introduced a bill which is
ordered to be printed. In time he gets
|. copy Of the bill, hnds it at war with
III his ideas, and burma with the
of exposing its fallacies when
he matter comes up, But there are