Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-24
A Tardy Congress.

n Ad1uy SOH&IcSSs
THE DELAY IN PUBLIC BUSINESS-BILLS PASSED BY
THE SENATE BURIED IN THE HOUSE.
There is a. good deal of feeling in the Senate be-
cause OF the backward condition OF public business
In the House This feeling Is not confined to repub-
lcans, but democrats severely cr1ticise the House
for its inactivity and its apparent careeSsness as
to public measures. There are over three hundred
bills which have been passed by the Senate now
lying upon the Speakers table that have not even
been referred to committees. Senators are saying
that it is useless for that body to be working dill
gently and passing measures, only to have them
buried In the House: It has been suggested that
each day-1ust long enough to consider and pass
appropriation bills and kindred measures and that
Monday. This will give Senators time to attend
fully to committee duties and department business
and will not it is contended cause any neglect OF
pubic business, as the House cannot now catch up
with the Senate
Democrats are seriously discussing the situation
with the view of facilitating business in the House.
Many admit that the existing rules are In meas
ufe responsible for the trouble and it is also
that the fact1Ona differences In the democratic ma
Jority have something to do with it. Some OF the
old members say they never saw the business of
Congress so backward, and they think that only
such bills as are admitted to be necessary to the
show OF passage. Some suggest that caucus of
democratic representatives should be called at once
TO take into consideration the present status Of
along for the remainder OF the esesson. This seems
to meet with favor, and 1t may be done.
District Government BOOkkeepin1.
NO CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATION, But CLERKS
10 BIZ EMPLOYED TO HELP sTRAIGHTRN UP OLD
ACCOUNTS
District Commissioners West and Edmonds and
Auditor Tichenor were examined before the Hoyse
District committee yesterday concerning the ac-
counts OF the District The examination was con.
Quoted with closed DOORS but it is understood that
nothing was developed that was not creditable 70
the present administration Of financial affairs
The District Commissioners pointed out to the
committee the fact that they had been going over
the accounts as well as was possible with the force
they had, and had stopped only when the money
had been all expended. They then referred them
to page % OF their report, where they ask for am
appropriation for 'temporary clerk hire to enable
the auditor to bring up the books and arrange the
records Of his ONCE and to audit the books Of the
collector OF taxes"
THE NATTER SETTLED THIS MORNING.
The committee held q meeting this morning ana
decided that there had been nothing brought to
their attention to warrant an Investigation, and
all that was necessary was to give the commits
aiOnerS sumclent force to complete the work they
had already begun. The only trouble with the
books was shown to be that the work Of keeping
them up, ana at the same time auditing Old &C
counts, was more than could possibly be performed
with the small force at present employed, and Mr..
Wilson was authorized to make q report to the
House recommending the appropriation already
asked for by the Commissioners Tor the employment
Of assistants IN the auditors ONCE