National Republican., 1883-02-27

steamship Republic" within few days
past, held an immigrant under arrest until
they sent for a British consul, and held q pre-
tended trial before the British consul, within
the territory Of the United States, before
allowing said immigrant TO land.
Also joint resolution "for the relief Of
England, the benefit of Ireland, and the glory
of the United States" Laughter.
IL recites at length the present condition of
Ireland, declares that her people are painting
| for republicanism, asserts that Ireland Is more
necessary to the United States than much Of
her present territory and would rival the
great State of Now York in wealth, intelli-
gcnco and culture; and requests the Presi-
| dent to open communication with the govern
| ment of Great Britain TO obtain its consent for
the annexation of Ireland to the United States
| by purchase or otherwise.
| Notwithstanding the fact that this was the
| last Monday in the session there were ninety
four measures introduced under the call Of
states.
REEDS RULE.
Under the special order two unimportant
bills were passed, and the speaker then rec
oguized Mr.. Reed, of Maine, who called up
| the resolution reported by him Saturday from
| the committee on rules.
Mr. Blackburn raised n point of order
| against il, Mr.. Carlisle raised the question of
consideration, and Mr.. Randall demanded the
| yeas aud nays.
Tho house cdetermined-yeas 13i, nays 1876
| to consider the resolution.
This was u party vote, except that Messrs.
Bayne, Brumm, Darrell, Miller, Jorgcnscn,
| Prescott and Scranton voted in the negative
| with the democrats.
! Before the announcement Messrs. Campbell,
! Fisher, Urncr, and Robinson, of Ohio, who
had voted in the negative and Mr.. Harden
! bcrgh, who had voted in the affirmative,
| changed their votes.
| Mr.. Fucker also changed his vote to the
affirmative for the purpose of moving re;
consideration. These changes made the total
as above stated.
| Mr.. Reed moved to lay the motion TO re-
consider on the table, and the yeas and nays
/ were ordered.
Pending which Mr.. King, of Louisiana,
moved to adjourn.
| Tho motion to adjourn was lost-ycas 81,
| nays 174-and the question rccurrcd on tab
| ling the motion to reconsider the vote by
| which the house determined to consider the
Reed rule. The motion was tabled-yeas l36,
nays 121.
| Mr., Reed demanded the previous question.
! Mr.. Blackburn raised point of order
! against the resolution aud promised his argu-
mont with disclaimer of addressing his re-
marks in futile effort to describe and fifty
characterize the effort which the committee
on rules had embodied in this resolution in
order to escape the strait into which the ma
jority had been driven. That question would
come up if the majority saw fit in its oft EN-
| ployed magnanimity to allow discussion of
q proposition as radical and revolutionary as
the one now presented. At that time he
would ask to be heard on the merit (if merit
| there was) of the arbitrary proposition.
The first paragraph of the proposition had
the effect of suspcndng the rules by n bare
majority vote. 1t was proposition to take
| away from the house the power of suspending
the rules by two-thirds vote. 1t was pro-
posed that majority vote should suspend the
rules for the purpose of taking up one bill
and limiting tho action on that bill TO one
motion-a motion to disagree to the senate
amendments. 1t gave the power to ask for
conference. On a bill not one sentence, one
line, or one syllable of which had ever been in
the house before, the majority was un-
willing to trust to count, which Uf COM
mon rumor was to bo credited) had been
carefully made-a count made ON q
written agreement, signed by members.
Though the rumor was that the majority
had marshaled its forces, lyet it dare not
allow u vote to he taken on u motion to con-
cur in the senate amendments. He denied
that the proposition could be considered, con-
strued, or denominated rule. If it were
adopted, what happenedp 1t went into the
manual as q standing rule, to become, in all
probability, functus oicio within thirty
minutes after its enactment. 1t was an alb
suidity on its face. Was ii rule of the
house of representatives, or did 1t not practi-
cally constitute legislation itself? Could any
| one tell him the difference between the prop
ostion submitted and a motion made by any
member of the house when he asked unani-
nous consent to take up and pass certain
bill? Or TO make the analogy closer and al
most identical, could any one state the differ
ence between this proposition and that Of u
member of n committee who, under authority
| from that committee, moved to suspend the
rules and pass u measure indicated by him
This was simply an order from the committee
on rules.
Mr.. House inquired whether, under the
| pending resolution, motion to non-concur
might be made. Suppose that one member of
| the house voted to non-concur and two hun
dred voted against it, did the gentleman mean
to say that that one man could overrule the
| two hundred2
Mr.. Blackburn. do mean to say Just that, and
| nothing more nor less. mean to say that when
not single man 20 vote for It, and II 293 members
vote against It, their vote Is not counted, simply
| TO allow the bill TO be considered. 1t is what
| Blackstone has denominated not rule, not o
| law, butt sentence pronounced, and that without
a hearing Continuing he said that he did not
know that he had any authority, or even the SEM
blance of authority, TO express an opinion as to
OF the house. except himself; but, sincerely, he
declared that he had 10 purpose OF offering any
Guilty in the pathway Of tie house il i meant to
make an effort toward tariff legislation. He
did not want TO make any threats, for he had no
purpose of putting them into execution but he
came to ask that the house, If 1t was
10 be stripped Of its constitutional peroga,ives to
originate tariff legislation, should at least have
the privilege OF concurring IN what the senate
had originated, II II commended itself to good
| Judgment. IL partisan prejudices could be laid
| aside, he could not believe but that the unbiased
| judgment of every intelligent man would force
| him TO the conclusion that this proposition was
| makeslhft TO meet party exigencies and could
not be fairly incorporated into the system Of rules
| of the house. II the proposition were agreed to-
| the majority would have adopted a process of in
| and would have reached legislation which II
could not have reached inside OF the Limitations
| OF the law,
The speaker said that he had nothing to do
at present with tho question of the constitu-
| tiOnal prerogatives of the house in the matter
of originating tariff bills. That question did
| not enter into decision of the point of order
made by the gentleman from kentucky. That
gentleman rested his point solely ON the claim
that this resolution, if adopted, would not be
II rule. 1t would be rather early for the chair
to decide what IL was. 1t was reported as a
rule and was before the house. But, passing
that, IL was perfectly competent for the house,
when the subject was properly before IL, to
change every rule and all the rules which
| had been adopted, Early in the session reso-
luton had beon adopted authorizing the COM
mitteo on rules to report at any time any
| change of rules or new rule. That right of the
committee had been exercised perhaps in this
case and this rule had been reported as a sub
stituto for various propositions referred to 1t.
| Its effect, il the chair could look TO that,
! MIGHT he In this axcAntinnal cnge IN nut aeida