Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-24
House Of Representatives.

in the Senate, are now on the Speaker
tablo-to-wit, the Blair educational bill
and many others-and that these bills
are in violation of the privileges of the
House to exclusively originate bills fol
raising revenue, and directing the Judi.
ciary Committee to inquire into the
power of the Senate to originate bills
appropriating revenue, and report to the
House at any time.
Mr.. Hammond inquired whether i
the resolution was adopted the House
could still consider the Blair bill in its
regular order?
The Speaker answered in the aiiirma
tive.
Mr.. Hurd said that for many year:
he had viewed with apprehension the
increasing number of appropriation
bills originating in the Senate. Wher
confined to matters of personal and To-
cal interest he had not seen fit to inter.
pose an objection, but when the Senate
originated bill approprlating hun
bred million dollars and affecting a great
public purpose, the time had arrived
when the question should be determined
whether the Senate possessed the power
which it claimed to exercise.
Mr.. Herbert, of Alabama, inquired
where in the Constitution any distinc-
ton could be found between the power
of the Senate to originate bills appro-
priating a specific sum for specific OBJ
ject and bills appropriating a specific
sum for a general purpose, as in the
case of the Blair bill?
Mr.. IIurd denied the power of the
Senate to originate either character OF
bills. He believed that the adoption OF
the doctrine contended for by the SEN
ate would be utterly destructive Of the
object sought by the founders of the
Government, which object was to give
to the representatives the power over
the peoples money. This power was
the most patent Of instruments against
the encroachments of the executive
power. Liberty could only be pre-
served by preserving its muniments,
and of all those he knew Of none
greater than that of the power over the
peoples money by the peoples repre-
sentatives. lApplause.l
Mr.. Hammond, of Georgia, called at
tention to the fact that in the Forty
sixth Congress similar point had been
raised against the right Of the Senate
to originate the bill for the purchase of
additional ground for the Bureau OF
Engraving and Printing. The question
had been referred to the Judiciary Com
mittce. and of the fifteen members of
that committee ten had decided that the
Senate had the right to originate that
bill and all bills of like character. II
the Judiciary Committee Of to-day were
pOlled on the floor he ventured the
assertion that two thirds Of its mem
bcrs would say that the Senate could
originate an appropriation bill. He
argued that an appropriation bill was
not bill raising the revenue. Raising
the revenue was bringing up money
from the pockets of the people to the
eXchequer Of the Government, and the
Constitutional Convention had limited
the prerogative Of the House to that
and not to appropriations.
Mr.. Dibble, of South Carolina, made
a constitutional argument in support Of
the power Of the Senate, and pointed
out that in the rules of the House a dis
tinction was made between bills raising
revenue and bills appropiating money.
Mr.. Herbert, of Alabama, viewing
the question in the light of the action
of the Constitutional Convention, con-
tended that the exclusive power to
originate revenue bills did not include
the power to originate appropriation
bills
Mr.. j. S. Wise, Of Virginia, thought
that if the propositions advanced by the
gentleman from Ohio were correct.
which he denied, it would emasculate
the Senate utterly, and ridiculed the
doctrine that money did not become
money until it had been collected and
spent. The great danger which threat
ened the Government was the ignorance
of people, and to say that the Senate
could not pass measure to avert dan
ger was TO say that the Senate was not
a coordinate power of the Government.
This privileged question was direct
attack upon what he conceived to be
the most important measure before
Congress.
Mr.. Cox, Of North Carolina, while
maintaining the right Of the Senate to
originate appropriation bills, spoke a
good word for the Blair educational
bill.
Mr.. Willis regarded the resolution as
an unusual and extraordinary one.
The aim it had in view was TO call in
question the constitutionality Of the
educational bill. The point would have
been better made against some bill less
worthy than this. From month to
month he had been trying to get action
on this bill, which, under the infamous
system of the House rules, was buried
on the Speakers table. Mr.. Willis
moved to lay the motion on the table.
Agreed to--yeas, l27 nays, l23.
Before the announcement Of the vote
Mr. Warner, of Ohio, changed his vote
from the negative to the affirmative for
the purpose of moving reconsidcra-
ton. The motion to reconsider was
tablcd--yeas, l4l; nays, ll3.
Dir. Valentine offered resolutio !
providing that on and after Monday