Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-24
SENATORIAL 0NSLAUGHTS
VEST ATTACKS STHEPRINTING OF
UNDELIVERED SPEECHES.


The Custom LumberioE up the "COn-
sressiOnaI Record" and Causing a Pub
lie Scandal-Hale's Naval Bill Passed
and an Adjournment to be Taken To-
Day to Jan. 8.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-The Chair laid
before the Senate to-day the memorial of
the American Association for the Ad-
Vancement of Science, urging an exten-
sion of the coast and geodetic survey to
all States.
Mr.. Jonas presented the memorial of the
JOINT commercial associations of New Orleans
protesting against the ratification Of the
spanish treaty.
Mr. vest submitted a concurrent resolution
providing that Congressional speeches shall
De printed as delivered, with the execution of
verbal amendments, and when speeches are
Withheld for revision for more than one week
the speech shall be pri nted as delivered
Mr. Vest said that he wished the resolution
referred TO the Committee on Printing and
1t was so referred.
MR.. VESTS ATTACK ON THE EVIL,
In the debate on the resolution Mr..
vest SAID that he had no idea that any
such resolution would pass both houses but
perhaps occasional reminders on its subject
matter would have some effect. The Senate,
ne SAID, had already passed asuch a provision
IN the 1orm OF an amendment to an ap-
preparation bill, but it was struck out
I'M IN the conference committee. The
grown to such an extent as to becOmee a yeri
table scandal In a country In which public
opinion largely Influenced public business, it
was Of the greatest Importance that the
manner in which the laws were passed sbould
be correctly set forth in the record 1t was
due not only to those who represented the
people themselves, but as we'll to the truth of
history That what purpOrted to be truthful
record OF what was said and done in Congress
Shouiu De "hat II purpOrled to be. instead of
being the ca feature that it was to-day. The
effect OF the untruthful REPRESENTATIONS
now made could not but have the most
injurious effect, especially on the Young
men OF the cOuntry when they learned that
instead of speech being delivered to the full
mouse, ana IN the presence of crowded gal
leries, and loud applause, and immense
bouquets TO reward the orator, that the orator
dld not deliver the speech at all but at the
tlme OF supposed delivery was taking a
lelsurely luncheon in the Congressional res
taurant or placidly smoking in a cloak room,
INSTANCES OF THE ABUSE.
Ihls was becoming so well understood that
1t was touching the sense of public humOr
and the opinion of the country was getting To
be that Congress was nothing but q variety
SHOW. where there was nothing real extent
the pay. He cited as abuses of the printing
privilege the case of a member of Congress
who delivered ten lines of remarks and then
printed, as part of his speech, "A complete COPY
of the constitution of the United States and
another who printed as part of his remarks a
and dedicated to Congress. But even a more
scandalous abuse than this was shown at the
49, session. when member. after delivering
lew sentences of a sDeech suDnlemeuted
lem with all the chapters ol the tariff con-
Dned IN BlaIne's book, and had them thus
pted at the public expense. Copies of that
-, MIR. vest said, were sold by tine cam
committee at ten cents thousand
distributed under frank through the
Another instance cited by
est was where identically the same
appeared printed as having been de-
d by two members Some member of
erary lobby had sold the copy of a speech
different men.
Hawley remarked that any copies of
hes sent out by campaign committees
VI paid for.
Vest asked whether it wa not true that
II were franked through the mails
Hawley replied that he believed 1t was
the custom of both political parties in dis
tributmg copies of Congressional speeches to
frank them.
A BULKY RECORD.
Mr.. sherman said that the Congressional
Record had come to be altogether too bulky
by printing in it all sorts OF documents that
happened to have any bearing on the subject
under discussion. He thought that the
RecOrd would oe immensely more convenient
and able if 1t were less bulky.
Mr. tt said that, iuasmuch as there was
no ru the Senate giving Leave to print"
the dl Blty did not arise there.
Mr.. thought that there was something
10 be sa ~ excuse for the House of Repre-
sentative Under the rules of that body it
was very% AdOm that member was allowed
more than ten minutes in debate. The most
important discussions there were under the
fve-minute rule, anu under no rule could
member have more than one hour. In the
Senate, on the other ahs6Vd, a gentleman
may at any ti the whole
business of the bod Mmself with
books five feet high hour to
ten hours. The res .z ed
THE NAVAf
Mr.. Hale called mn INA .,ria tior