The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-09
THE HOUSE RULES.
Proposed Changes that will Expedite the
Transaction of Business.

Proposed Changes that Will Expedite the
Transaction of Business.
Special to the Indiana polls Journal.
WASHINGTON, June 8.--Ths failure of the
Forty eighth Congress to accomplish anything of
Importance in the way of legislation was the SUBJ
ject of general remark. The reason for the fail
ure was frequently stated on the floor of the
House as the result of the absurd rules which
govern the mode of procedure. Those rules,
which have been in force for several years, were
so formed as to block all attempts at legislation,
except that sanctioned by tho appropriations
committee. In other words, the appropriations
committee, through its chairman, the Hon. Sam
uel j. Randall, controlled the entire proceedings
of the House for two years. Members who had
measures which were killed by the failure of the
House to act were very much incensed, toward
the closing days of the last session, and there
was very well-defned opposition to further con-
tinuance under these rules on both sides of the
House. Mr. Reed of Maine, announced that un-
less the rules were changed in the next
Congress he proposed to insist that they
be followed to the letter. and
that if any rules were to govern, all rules should
govern the proceedings of the House. If Mr.
Reeds idea should be carried out, it wonld be
simply impossible to do any business whatever,
for strict enforcement Of the ahsur!ties which
constitute the Randall rules would be sufficient
to prevent any action upon any subject. Not
only Mr.. Reed. but numbers of other prominent
men of each party determined that there should
be change, and compact was formed on the
9th of last March between some twenty mem
bers, who stand high with their associates on
each side of the House, by which it was agreed
that the first move in the Forty ninth Congress
should be to secure a set Of rules that would
allow CT the transaction Of public business. Tt
has always been the custom, during the recess of
Congress, to print twenty five hundred copies of
the rules which govern The proceedings of the
House This year no such order was given and
it is learned that Mr.. Carlisle, who is ex officio
chairman of the committee on rules. mas beer
won over by those who desire change
Perhaps the most important action Of the past
month was at meeting IN the Speakers room in
the Capitol. There Mr.. Carlisle and number
of leading Democratic members of the House
agreed that the first thing to be done at the next
Congress was to change the rules The fact that
the Speaker appreciates the necessity of action
in this direction is in itself good sign, for Mr.
Carlisle will in all probability succeed himself iu
the chair and as Speaker will have the control
of the committees, among them the committee
on rules. One great change to he made is to
take away from the appropriations committee
the vast power which it has welded in the past
This will be done in part by transferring the
consideration of numerous appropriation bills to
other committees. The army, and possibly tho
West Point Academy bin will go to the commit
tee on military affairs, the naval appropriation
bill to the naval affairs committee, the Indian
appropriation bill to the committee on Indian at.
fairs, the District of Columbia appropriation bill
to the District committee. aud the consular and