Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-02-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From u regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Fen. 2. 1SSl.

To return to the ''impressiven
House, something concerning its
methods may he of interest to the
general reader. Most people suppose
that a member of the body can take
the floor whenever he feels inclined
either TO speak or to make Il motion:
aid even those who have passed days
in The galleries looking at the pano-
rama below, know little of the laws
o. code of rules by which IFS proceed
inGs are governed. Writers FOR the
press have often referred TO the
House as the ''bear garden, - and not
without some reason, for il appears
sometimes as much like pandrinoni-
nm as anything | ever saw. During
the recent debate on the proposit ion
to increase the membership of the
committees the fact was made appa-
rent that TO tie minds of the more
experienced and rejecting members
has come the conviction that the
House is by means of its rules inca
pable of performing any Sc ious work
of legislation. The most that X
Speaker Randall could ,'aim 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
holing i'm committees and death from
s%uffocation in the House. 1t is an
idle farce for members to waste time
in perfecting measures which are
never heard of after they are report
ed. Mr.. Dunnell, of Minnesota,
characterized the rules as the most
infamous governing any legislative
body in the world. Mr.. Williamson
Wisconsin, prayed for a new Chris
TOPPER Columbus to discover a path
way through the boundless sea of
legislation. Mr.. Robinson, of Mas
sachusettS, one of the most clear
beaded men in the House, gave ex-
preston to his despair, and at the
same time rebuked the Speaker for
his utter failure to maintain order.
And Mr.. Bedford, of Colorado, sug-
| gested, in ridicule, that all commit
tees should be abolished except two
the Ways and Means and the ApprO-
priations-that all the members
should be assigned to these two CON-
miltees in alphabetical order and
that every member 'iould be furnish
I'd with n clerk and two boot
blacks. Notwithstanding the gro
tesqueness of the Bedford PROPOSE
ton, it really contains "a germ of
good sense and an indication of the
only possible remedy Tor the disorder
and incapacity of Congress.
The experience of new members
who enter upon t.eir duties without
a due appreciation of the patient
study and %persevering practice ne
cessary to become parliamentarians
and obtain a foothold is sometimes
pathetic. Many a new member with
"a budget of bills and resolutions
which he firmly believes is TO reveal
to the country its future great states
man has entered the ball of the
House in undoubted faith that he
has passed the portals of a brilliant
career. He rises in his place and adj
dresses the chair. He is sure he was
up rs soon as any one, but the speak
er seems unaware of his existence.
He is IA little daZed by the fact that a
dozen more are doing the same thing,
and that the loud talking, the clap
ping of hands for the pages, and the
total Inconsistencies of the body
that he is trying 10 gain an audience,
making a combination of untoward
circumstances very like trying to
address the people in the omnibusses
from a curbstOne in Broadway, and
he takes his seat a little Mustered,
thinking he will watch the course Of
things a little and try it again. The
next time he determines he will not
be foiled by modesty, and shouts,
"Mr. Speaker" so loudly that, as
much to be rid of him as for any
thing else, he is recognized by the
chair. 81 desire to present a resolu-
ton and ask its adoption" sit can
only be done at this time by unani-
/. nous consent" the speaker replies,
and 81 object" is heard from several
members at once. Some one else is
/ given the floor, and u friend sub
.nno FINE GROUND PLAs1
OlkNA Nh MI