National Republican., 1885-12-16

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trihutirc tho appropriation bills pointing out
the danger which would result therefrotn, aud
quoting from remarks made by Mr. Garfield
nnd others TO support his opinion. lie pre-
dictcd that II the distribution took place great
coninsion would ensue, while much tmo
would he wasted In the contests Of the various
appropriation committees.
Mr.. Singleton, of Mississippi former mem.
Der OF the appropriations committee, bore tes-
timony TO the statement TINT that committee
was overburdencd with labor and he asked
members no longer to sit like dummies and
listen TO what legislation the members of that
committee brought ill., but to vote for the re.
vision orihc rules and distribute the work and
RESPONSIBILITIES the House.
Mr Reagan, OF Texas, and Mr.. Willis, of
Kentucky, after giving n hearty approval TO
the proposed revision, earnestly defended the
committees on commerce and rivers aud hnr.
Eors from the charge Of extravaganza in the
matter matt 3t internal Improvements, pg & ,t and dwft
the pnst and would accrue In the future from
liberal appropriations for tho improvement Of
the waterways Of the country.
Mr.. Scott, of Pennsylvania, though fnvorlng
nny change In the rules which would expedite
the business of the House. vigorously opposed
ihe proposed distribution OF the appropriation
Mr.. Gibson, OF West Virginia. said that un-
der the present rules nlne.tcnths Of the con.
stituency OF the country wero practically dis
fIanchised In the House, while two or three
men set themselves mp or were set up ms the
only men who could be trusted on account OF
their capacity or their honesty. lie favored q
distribution Oftbc appropriation bills. lie did
not believe In this pretcnson OF honesty that
some gentlemen set up. lie had yet to dis
cover that the gentleman from Pcnnsylvania
(Mr. RandalD and the gentleman from Indiana
(Mr. Holman) had ever objected to appropriu-
tlOns for their own states.
=, Mr.; Randall; The gentleman is mistaken as
MIR. Gibson. I'll am, the gcntleman's obioc-
tions have been so slight and so inirequent that
they have not made him ns historically proml-
neDt as his other actions. Laughter aud ap.
Mr.. Gibson contendcd that the appropriations
committee had no business to hold back tho
appropriation bills and TO stillo the voice OF
members Of the House. While the country had
been demanding general bankruptcy bill,
while the mercantile interests OF the west had
been demanding cheap transit, nothing could
had chosen to thrust itself on the House and
prevent other members from doing n solitary
thing. Why was II that the gentleman from
Pennsylvania and the gentleman nom Indiana
were the only members who could DO trusted
with the appropriation bills2 They were
potent now TO stop legislation for free trans
porlntlon, but they, had had no power when
Mr.. Randall never voted q dollar nor an
acre Of land for any railroad. .,..
Mr.. Gibson. did not ask how the gentleman
voted. II Is well known that while he has had
charge OF these matters he has controlled lesis-
Mr., Randall Not in the lcast But / am
unanimously as did.
Mr.. Gibson. 1t Is not n question Of how the
gentleman voted or how he did not.
Mr.. Randall. thought II was.
Mr.. Gibson. II is because the gentleman
thrusts himself in here and makes himself u
personal feature In this discussion that he Is
discussed l!aughissry We want to SnIS amend nd
hurt the gentleman from Pennsylvania. There
is not member of this House but knows that
millions Of money and thousands of acres of
the public lands have been given TO private
corporations to enable them to lay n Ia on the
traffic Of the country, where one dollar has
been expended In free navigation. The voice
OF the railroad Is heard not only In the press,
but in these halls, and every attempt to secure
free navigation Is attacked, and the committee
making the attack Is charged. by innuendo,
with steals. challenge the appropriations
committee to compare their bills with the
river and harbor bills and sec which have the
most Jobs In them.
MIR. Randall thought that in view of the re-
marks Of the gentleman from West Virginia
as TO land grants and subsidy, II was proper
for him to say that since the House had been
under Democratic control there had not been
an acre OF land or q dollar of subsidy appro.
priatcd. AS to his thrusting himself forward
here, every member ought to know that he
had done Just the reverse. lie did not deal In
personalities In the House, and If anybody
wanted TO deal with him personally he ought
not to do II here.
Mr. Cannon, of Illinois, made strong argu-
ment In opposition to the distribution Of tho
appropriation bills, and attributed the dissatis.
faction which was felt wththe appropriations
committee TO the bad working of the rule
which permitted that committee to tack legls.
lntion on their bills IL II in any way reduced
expenditures. The true remedy for the evil
which had grown UP In delaying the reporting
ofapproprintion bills was TO let the Committee
on appropriations make all the appropriations
and 10 take from It the power of originating
legislation. Then It would become what II
should always have been-a mere auditing
committee. Froma mere temporary aud parti-
san standpoint he would prefer that the rules
should be amended as proposed because he be-
levcd that II would lead TO increased expendl-
lures. lie did not believe that the different
| committees would be dishonest.
Mr.. Reed. of Maine, spoke In favor OF the
proposed revision. For the last three Con-
gresses the representatives fthc people OF rhe
| United States had been in irons They had
been allowed to transact no public business eX-
| ccpt Mt the dictation and by the permission of
| small coterie of gentlemen, who, while they
rest of the members, did not possess all the
wisdom of this, world [I.aughter,l He, for
| one, believed that the safety of tile country
was not In the hands of any one man or any one
set of men. but IN the virtue of The representa-
| tives of the people. backed and watched by
| the people. His experience was that the eN-
penditures of the United States and the laws of
the United States were made in obedience, to
| the wishes of the people, and he be.
lieyed that the largest publicity and
widest discussion should be :. given
| W uil tiluJ
was TO place the examination of the accounts
| of the country ON the broadest possible basis.
| He gave "a description of the method pursued
by the appropriations committee in drafting
the various bills, stating that each bill was re.
ferred to a subcommittee for preparation, and
| that the other members of the committee gavo
| 1t but n cursory examination. Thus the com
mittee on appropriations did the very thing
| which they thought the House could not be
| trusted TO do, namely, the parccing out OF the
! bills TO the various committees
| hA ly frf frrait
| on was that II had at last secured a unanimous
| voice in favor of transactlng some other busl-
| ness than the noble and LOFTY business of the
| committee on appropriations, Since the forty
| sixth Congress that was the only business which
! the House had been allowed to transact.
| Mr. Morrison gave notice that he would ell
| deavor TO close general debate this afternoon,
and then (at 43O) the House adjourned.