Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-01-20
House of Representatives

House of Representatives
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-The speaker pre-.
sented & letter from the state department trans
hitting two additional volumes of the speeches
of the late NJ Theirs, contributed by the sister
of Nine Theirs for the library of the house.
Mr.. Bayne, from the committee on military
affairs, reported bill for the establishment OF
a home for INDECENT soldiers and sailors, at
Erie, Penn. Referred to the committee of the
| whole.
Mr.. Barrows (NIich), arising to personal
| question, corrected an error in the Detroit
Post and Tribune, attributing TO him the in
PRODUCTION Of bill last Monday to retire ma
| tional bank notes. He would probably have
enough of his own sins to be responsible for,
without being responsible for the sins of
others.
Mr.. Barrows (Mo.) said he would take all
the honor himself of having introduced that
bill.
the report of the committee on rules increas-
ing the membership of various committees.
Mr.. Belford having obtained five minutes
time from Page, who was entitled to the floor,
ridiculed the pending proposition. He wanted
to know why Pennsylvania should not be sat
lsfed with the chairmanships of ways and
means committee, the coinage committee and
|
| departure from the old system in giving the
latter Craftsmanship to his distinguished
friend, Randall, was good one. Then there was
the glorious old state of Wisconsin, which
had got the Craftsmanship of the Pacific Rail
road committee, although there was no Pa
cific railroad within thousand miles of her
border, and the Craftsmanship of the foreign
affairs committee, by which she had control of
| diplomatic matters in Germany, France,
Austria, Hungary, Turkey and all other for
| eign lands. He asked why in the name of
| good conscience Wisconsin was not satisfied
with this. He knew there is so much talent,
intelligence, brain and stalwart energy in the
| house, it was impossible for the speaker
to assign prominent place to every great
man: Uaughter.) He, therefore, suggested
to the gentleman from New Jersey (Robeson)
that all members be assigned alphabetically TO
the committees of ways and means and of APP
preparations, all down to the letter "N'' going
| to the former, and all the rest to The latter,
and then should propose that every member
be allowed One clerk and two boot blacks.
| (Laughter.)
Mr.. McIane opposed the amendment offer
| ed yesterday by King, giving to the commit
tee for improvement of the Mississippi river
the same right to report appropriation bills
| for, that purpose as the committee on appropri-
| ations now has. He said it was bad judgment,
ii not bad taste, for gentleman who repre-
sents the Mississippi valley, to arrogate to the
commerce of that river so much greater i'm
portance than he attached to other commerce
of the country.
Mr.. Dunnell also opposed the amendment
and declared the interests of the Mississippi
river and its tributaries would be best sub
served by leaving them to the committee on
commerce.
Mr. Page spoke to the same effect.
Mr.. Morrison suggested to King that under
the circumstances the amendment should be
withdrawn.
After some further discussion King with
drew the amendment giving warning, how
ever, he would watch the committee on COM
merce, to see how the promises now made
would be kept.
Mr.. Randall stated as a reason why he fav-
ored part of the report of the committee on
rules that the business of the house had
kept abreast with the great increase in popu-
latiOn, in wealth, production and in the gen
eral manufacturing and agricultural interests
of the country. To illustrate that, he gave
the number Of bills introduced in the last sew
en- congresses commencing with 2 ,499 in the
10th congress, and increasing regularly each
| congress until the number at the present con-
| gress would probably exceed 10000, the num-
Der up to date being 3,293. Members would
creased. The committee on ways and means
had already 1879 bills referred to it
at the present session on ten bills
| to each member. The judiciary
committee 1S4 bills, or IL to each member. The
committee on commerce 149, Including river
and harbor bill, which took up three-fourths
of its timel. or 10 to each member. The CON-
mittee on military affairs 316 bills, or 80 to
each member. The committee on public lands
liz bills, or 10 to each member. The COM
mittee on invalid pensions SIS bills, or SO to
each member, (Which would be probably in
creased TO $50 before the close of congress. J
The committee on claims 396 bills, or 26 to
each member. Randall said he had never lost
an opportunity to promote the great interest
of the Mississippi river, because he wanted to
| put that river in such condition of nayiga-
ton that it would be great competing line
to bring railroad combinations to proper and
| honest terms.
| Mr.. Hatch asked Randall whether he thought
the adding of two or three members to the
| agricultural committee would be as beneficial
to the interests of agriculture as raising the
bureau to the rank of department.
| Mr.. Randall replied when that subject came
up he should freely express his sentiments
on it.
| Mr.. Briggs reminded him that IA 900 bills
had been reported in the last congress, and
had died in the house for want of considera-
| ton.
Randall replied that was because under the
I new rules opportunity had been given the
committees for making reports, and that it
| was better to have the bills die in the house
than de in the committees, because in the
house they had at least the right to see the
light of day. Qaughter)
Mr.. Briggs-Will this increase of the CON-
mittees facilitate their passage in the house?
Mr.. Randall-It will secure their being re-
ported
Mr.. Bowman stated, as member of the
committee on claims of the last congress, that
not one of the bills it reported last session and
which had been placed on the calendar had
been passed by the house.
Mr.. Randall suggested that the remedy was
to go to the private calendar regularly every
Friday and consider bills upon it.
Mr.. Briggs asked the opinion of Randall,
as an expert, whether any bills that would be
reported by the committee on claims after the
first of the month could possibly be reached.
| Ii not, it was the merest farce for that COM
mittee to work day after day and report
bills.
Mr.. Randall replied that it was not farce
Tor representative to perform his duty. He
was free to say he deemed public interests of
more importance than private claims. The
great body of such claims should be decided
by the departments or by a competent court.
Mr.. Bowman said the other two calendars
of the last house were in almost as disastrous
a condition as the private calendar.
Mr.. Randall suggested too much discussion
interfered with the discussion of private bills.
Mr.. Robinson, Mass, remarked it did not
make any difference as to the reports from
other committees. 1t was the great commit