National Republican., 1885-12-16

The long.looked.for debate OIL the proposed
revision OF the rules OF tho House opened In
great Style After Mr.. Morrison had offered
concurrent resolution providing for q holiday
recess from Tuesday, Dec. %, TO Tuesday, Jan,
r, and 1t had been laid over for day, he
called up the report of the committee on rules.
After 1t had been partly read, the reading
was suspended by unanimous consent, and
Mr.. Morrison at once opened the debate. lie
began by explaining that of the forty.six rules
that constituted the code of the fOrty.eighth
Congress- the report proposes TO amend but
seven, and those he took up serintum and
gave careful analysis of the meaning and
effect of each proposed amendment. His
most careful and elaborate argument was in
defense of the proposed parceling out
Of tho appropriation bills He said that
ton of the appropriations committee
bills aggregating in amount one-half of the ex'
penditurcs of the government, and that bills
Involving such an amount of money would
''requirc all the efforts, all the INDUSTRY, and
all the intelligence that could be found In any
one committee OF the House" He gave Mr..
Randall hard rub when, In referring TO the
claim Of the l1tters Minority report, that the
distribution of appropriation bills would lead
TO increased expenditures, he said II would
only do so II 'the members who should consti-
less honest, less vigilant, and less capable OF
performing the duties devolved upon them
Than the members of the committee on uppro-
close attention throughout, and the opinlon
was freely expressed ut the close of his argu.
ment that he had made one of tbs
best efforts of his congressional career. lie
was followed in order by Messrs Randall,
Hammond. Singleton, Reagan, Wills, Scott
Gibson of West Virginia, Cannon, nnd Reed,
the two latter being the only Republicans who
took part in the debate.
Mr.. Randall said that he had not intended
10 take part in the debate NJ this time, but no
was unwilling to pass over some views en-
pressed by Mr.. Morrison. The gentleman
from Illinois had seen fit to allude to his views
as expressed In the minority report. In that
report there was not word which reelected
on human being. lie had studiously, in
and out of this hall, endeayorod to
GisCuss and argue the question from
higher level than an individual level,
He had said with delibcration that the ton
dCney Of division of the work of the commit.
tee ON appropriations was to increase the
public expenditures of the government, and
he believed that he was In possession of facts
which would substantiate what he had said.
He iustunced the river and harhOr bill, and
Jresentcd II table to show that while that bill
had been IN the possession OF tho approprla'
tiOnS committee the average annual approprin-
tiCn for internal improvements had bcea
$4,000 and that since tho bill had been
CCnfded 10 the commerce and river and harbOr
commit, es the average annual appropriation
had jumped up to slS50l 900. This statement
he thought wonld bear him out IN the assertion
that q. teroIntion of the appropriation bills
would largely increase expenditures.
MIR. Hammond OF Georgia, submitted strong
alignment In anlagonlsm to the sohme of dis.