Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-01-19

| the substitute was not germane to the origin
| al proposition, because the substitute applied
to the next House and not this, and because
/ ii embraced matter not in the original prop
! osition-
The discussion of the point oil order hay
| ing proceeded for about an hour, being par
| ticipated in by Messrs. Robson, Orth,
| Springer and Holman, was interrupted
| by a question OF order raised by Mr.
Belford [CoLl, that by rule IA no
member is permitted to speak more than
| once on the same question until every
member wishing to speak had spoken. The
| gentlemen from New Jersey and Kansas
/ [Robeson and HaskeiIl had spoken half a
dozen times on the subject laughter and
! applause on the Democratic sidel, and he
wanted to know whether the privileges Of
| the House were congregated in the hands OF
two or three members, or whether other
members had j right to be heard on ques-
| tions affecting the organization OF the House.
! The Speaker-The gentleman himself had
not been seeking the floor to be heard on the
| point of order.
| Mr.. Belford-I have been seeking the floor
| for two days. and have failed because | do
not belong to the sacred circle which assumes
domination Of the privileges. Renewed
! laughter and applause ON the Democratic
| side. 1t is the common complaint when
say that young members of the House sp-
pear to share no rights in it. l desire to dis
cuss the whole question.
The Speaker-The pending question is out
of order On the substitute.
Mr.. Belford-That is what want to speak
| about. / desire to discuss it it was dis
cussed yesterday by the gentleman from
cussed to-day by the gentleman from New
Jersey Robesoul That is, by discussing
the entire question about the amendment Of
| the rules.
Speaker-Tne Chair thinks the point of
| order had better be disposed of fret.
The discussion of the point Of order was
! resumed, and further participated in by
Messrs. Calkins, Hooker, Bayne, Burrows
hfisL.1, Mill, Scales, HAn4--~-.s-teis.i, uIri
Page.
At last the discussion was brought to
close, and the Speaker proceeded to state his
opinion on the point OF order. The substi-
tute, he said, proposed to amend the report
made by the Committee on Rules, but it was,
in fact, substantative proposition to change
the rules. 1t was not in any respect kindred
to enlarging the committees; STILL on account
of the peculiar relations of the chair to the
proposed amendment, he would avail himself
of his right to submit the point of order to
the House for its decision.
The question was put TO the House and the
point of order taken against the substitute
was sustained-yeas 1G3, nays 74-so the
substitute was ruled out of order
Mr.. King offered an amendment relating
to the committee on the improvement of the
Mississippi river, providing that it shall
have the same privileges in reporting APP
preparations for the improvement of that
river as are accorded to appropriation COM
mittees in reporting mineral appropriation
bills. He spoke in support of the amend
ment as bearing on the question of cheap
transportation.
Mr.. Dunn opposed the amendment, argu-
ing that the question of improving the Mis-
sissippi river belonged TO the Committee on
Commerce.
Mr.. Thomas advocated the amendment,
and said there was no reason why the Com
mittee on Commerce should have charge of
the question, unless the object was TO make
appropriations for the Mississippi carry
through the House the river and harbor ap-
preparation bill. He said the commerce OF
the Mississippi was twenty five times greater
than the whole foreign commerce of the
United States now, and by the projected i'm
provement transportation would be cheap
ened thirty-three per cent.
Mr.. Thompson opposed the amendment
Mr.. Springer advocated the amendment,
and appealed to the eastern members to give
to the interests OF the great Mississippi val
ley the special committee provided for in
the amendment.
Mr.. Turner also advocated the amend
ment, and suggested that the committee
should also have jurisdiction of the Ohio
and other navigable tributaries of the Mis-
sissippi.
Mr.. Kenna asked Mr.. Turner whether he
had ever voted for an appropriation for any
river.
Mr.. Turner retorted: The gentleman
[Kenna when a member of the Committee
on Commercs, seemed to regard no interest
except that of West Virginia, and he
[Kenna] voted for appropriations for streams
that should have been macadamized"
Laughter.
Mr.. Van Horn spoke of the anomaly of
the proposition TO improve only that part OF
the Mississippi river which least needs i'm
provement, and leaving untouched three
thousand miles up the river, the navigation
OF which supplied ninety per cent. of the
commerce of the lower end of the river.
Mr.. Horn thought the proposition to allow
the committee on the improvement of the
Mississippi river to report appropriations for
that purpose would be fraught with danger
to the improvement of the navigation Of that
river. The next thing would be the appoint
ment of committee on the Improvement of
the Atlantic coast, and the next one on the
Improvement of the Kesteminetas. The
House would go on portioning out the work
until the commerce of the country would be
destroyed. He was opposed TO the action of
the Committee on Rules. He had en-
deavored to discover where the neces-
sity for that action originated, but
had failed. Whence this trouble about
committees? He would Just as soon
endeavor to find out "who struck Billy Pat
terson." The next question was a 'plaster
proposed large enough to cover us ALL" There
were ten men in the House. each of whom
thought if he were OH the Ways and Means
Committee it would be complete, but only
places could be made for two. What would
the other eight do? The old sore would only
be torn open. The next thing. proud flesh
death. ILaughter.l This whole bust
meas looked To him like bows play.
He criticised Mr.. Orth's proposition, claiming
that under it committee membership would
be selected according to length of service;
that gentlemen had been here for thirteen
years and had never discovered the tyranny
of the one-man power until week ago; was
there anything in that tyranny that he could
not see until he got black eye? Laugh
ter Over one-fifth of the time OF the pres
ent session had passed and gone, and the
question occurred to him, "Whst have we
donep There were many important ques-
tions pressing upon Congress for attention,
and the House had frittered away one fifth
of the entire. session talking about little
technical questions Of order and trying to
patch committees which the Speaker had ap-
pointed with excellent decision. Let the
House show the country that the Speaker had
made no mistake, and not waste time in de-
batting who should sit at this or that COM
mittee table. The House ought to drop that |
question and take up something that would
be of practical use to the nation. [Applausel |
Mr.. Willis moved the amendment OF
Mr.. Pages amendment, so as to give the com
mittee on the improvement of the MISS
sippi river jurisdiction also over the priLci-
cipal tributaries.
The matter then went over for the day, |
Mr.. Robson stating that he would call tile
previous question tomorrow.
Mr.. Davis presented the resolutions OF tbs !
Chicago Board of Trade relative to traIspor-
talon between the Mississippi river and The. |
Lakes. Referred. Adjourned.
THE ASHLAND MURDERERS. |
Ellis Closely CrOss-Examinee, but His |
Testimony Remains Uashakee.