New-York tribune., 1882-03-06
PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE HOUSE RULES

lBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
WASHINGTON. March 5-There will be strong
fight made for the proposed changes IN the iiouso
Rnles as we'll as against them. Mr.. Recd, OF Maine
vbomade the report. urges their advantages suostan
t;oI,v 40 follows: Under the system in the House
4he business is reported by the committees during
tbe morning hour and is then put upon three caien-
dars-tbe private calendar, for private bills; the
calendar of the committee of the whole. for the
,neosnres involving an appropriation OF money; ana
tho Uouse calendar for public bills not involving
appropriations Of money. Under the present sys-
tenn hills are considered in the order IN whch they
are placed on the calendar with the single exception
that revenue and appropriation bills nave
The preference in the Committee of the " hoie-
OF course the effect of the system is that bllls which
reouire the least consideration or which are roauS
at the beginning of the session. are placed al the
head OF the calendars, and after few weeks the
calendars become so full that nobody has any nope
of reaching any business introduced late III the ses
SION The reason is that in order TO reach inc ii
nortant public measures the House has to wade
through the floods which precede them. and each
measure in Its turn must be formally laid aside by
vote, the House going in and out OF conmttee
with each measure The natural consequence Is
that members lose their courage and do not attempt
10 wrestle with the calendars at all. Under
onv system the House can only 40
n section of its business, and the
oncs.ion TO be solved is: How shall that selection
be made'" The proposed change In tho rules is III
tended to give the House the power to makes Its Sc
lection of the business it will transact.
1t is proposed that there shall be morning hour ior
the disposal of the reports of committees The COM
mitees are called in their turn and any committee
which has business to report may have II placed oil
tie House calendar, or having measures upon tho
IN lnye them considered.
the close of the day the measure 50 called up has
not been disposed of. it may be continued on the
NEXT day but the same committee cannot be called
again for new business until its turn comes. Al the
close of the morning hour, sixty minutes the House
may 90 to the Speakers table, where the Senate bls
are or TO the Committee of the Whole on the State
of the Union where the bills involving approprla-
tions of money are found; or at its option it NAV
continue the morning hour rs long as 1t plcases,
even TO the close of the day. The second change
proposed enables the House, when motl0n Is lnade,
10 90 into the Committee OF the Whole ana II snail
be In order TO disregard the order III winch bls may
he placed upon the calendar, and the House may
desiqDato what measure il will take mp, TO winch
propOsition there may be ono amendment. In OtheT
words il may by majority vote, 20 INTO Comuht-
tee of the Whole, and take up any measure IL
chooses The private bill system is left untouched
The Committee considers II especially important
XLVIth Congress did little or no business on ac-
oonnt of the present defective rules and because OF
the discussion to which their establishment gave
rise Hence the XLVllth Congress finds Itself over
whelmed not only with its own proper business, Dut
with the unperlormed work of its predecessor