Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-14
A PLAN TO EXPEDITE LEGISLA.
TlON.
Important Action Taken by tho House
Committee on Rules.
THE EXPERIENCE OF LAST SESSION CHANGES tn
vlEw5 OF THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE.


TIE EXPERIENCE OF LAST SESSION CHANGES THE
vlEw5 OF THE MAJORITY OF THE coMMITrER.
On the last day Of the session of Congress Just
closed the committee on rules took some important
action, which has never yet been made public, and
which Will revolutionize the rules of the House.
With the opening OF the session. Mr. Reed, OF Maine
who was on that committee, began a determined
war upon the rules then in force and afterwards bit
terly opposed the new code adopted by the majority
OF the committee-Messrs. Carlisle, Blackburn and
Randall. He complained that the rules of the House
had always been defective in not giving power
enough to the minority, and characterized those
then under discussion as block to legislation
which would prevent any important business being
done during the session. AS substitute he offered
to take up any bill from the calendar, which it now
takes tWo-thirdS vote TO do, and made various
provisions for the resurrection OF important meas
ures from beneath the mass Of legislative trash
which always gets first the calendar by virtue OF
its inSignncance. His efforts at change were rem
dered unavailing, chiefly through the antagonism
OF MI Randall, VINO was probably the author of
the majority report, Messrs Blackburn and Carlisle
following his lead
WASTED SESSION OF CONGRESS-
Mr. Reeds prediction that nothing would be done
was verified, and the session is recorded as one Of
the most useless and unavail1ng ever held It was
drivelled away In endless disputes upon questions
OF precedence, nearly all important measures being
OF sufficient opposition to prevent or postpone
their consideration. The committee records are
Numbered up with bills upon which no action has
ever been TAKEN and the calendar presents list Of
Ds that the whole OF next session Will not afford
sufficient time to dispose of. Towards the end Of
the session Mr.. Carlisle and his friends began to
1eel that they had made mistake in allowing Mr..
Randall too much latitude in the construction OF
the rules; that by so doing they had placed them
selves IN his power. Most OF their pet schemes had
been defeated and their whole plan for the session
had been broken up by the retention OF the appro-
prlation bills In the committee room. They felt
That something must be done to prevent repeti-
t1on or this thing, and with that In view quorum
or the committee on rules held a meeting on the
morning OF the last day OF the session and decided
upon a plan OF revision, with the understanding
that 1t should be reported to the House on their
assembling next session.
IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE RULES.
The plan Is very complicated, and makes some
important changes with relation to the order OF
business, which will facilitate legislation mater
tally One OF the important provisions is that all
the appropriation billS except the general de-
flcency SHALL on short sessions be reported within
thirty days, and on long sessions, within sixty
days after the meeting OF Congress- Another
makes some important changes with relation to the
morning hour, which will secure the prompt con-
sideratton OF bills on the calendar and render 1t
possible to consider the important In preference to
the less worthy bills which happen to get first on
the calendar; and q new method OF dfspOsing OF
pension bills and matters on the private calendar
Is proposed so as p save the time generally wasted
in disputes over the consideration OF these