Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-15
RANDALL'S BITTER FIGHT
HE STILL EXPECTS TO DEFEAT
THE MAJORITY.

IAE MAJOklIX.
The Hennepin Canal Clique Seeking q
OOmbinstiOn-A Probability that the
New Rules win be Adopted by n Con-
siderable Majority-The Report of the
Committee.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14.-Mr. Randall is
credited with belief that he will yet be
able TO defeat the majority of the Commit
tee on Rules in the House. He has been
working hard on both sides of the House
for days in the endeavOr to win votes
enough to prevent the adoption of the
Morrison rules, and is tonight reported to
be confident that be will succeed in his
purpose. He claims large accessions
from the Republicans. His latest bargain
is said to have been with the Hennepin
canal men, who are ''free traders" in re-
spect to legislation.
ALWAYS READY TO COMBINE.
They will combine with anybody to do
anything if the Hennepin canal scheme
can be benefited by the bargain. They
went to the leaders of the men who are
in favor of the Morrison rules and asked
them whether, if the new rules should re-
ceiVe their support and be adopted, the
Hennepin canal would be placed on par
with the Mississippi river IN the prepara-
tion of the river and harbOr bill. The
men they approached would
make 40 such promises. There
upon they are SAID to have
made terms tonight with MIR. Randall.
Speaker Carlisle and Mr.. Morrison think
that the new rules will be adopted by
very considerable majority. This seems
probable, but AIr. Randall will exhaust
every means to prevent it. He considers
delay favorable to his purpose, and will
do all that he can to secure it. He held
back his minority report until this even
ing to that end. The struggle will be
hard fought.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
The House Committee ON Rules in sub
hitting the proposed new code Of rules for
the House, accompanies il with a report
explanatory of its provisions. 1t in
creases the membership of the various
committees from II to 13. The committee
was OF the opinion that in view Of other
changes proposed, especially that Of dis
tributing certain Of the appropriation bills
among the committees having jurisdiction
Of their subject matter, and those chang
ing the order of business, so that there
might be daily call of the committees,if
the House so desired, for consideration
committees of either house or on the union
calendar; that certain committees should
be increased so as to correspond with
their increased Importance, and others
for the purpose of securing greater uni
formity of committee membership.
POWERS OF THE COMMITTEES.
After naming the general appropriation
bills that would, under rule eleven as
amended, be referred to committees other
than the Committee on Appropriations,
the report states that there would then be
left with the Committee on ApprOpIia-
tions the legislative, executive and ju-
dicial, sundry civil deficiency, fortifica-
tiOns, pension and District of Columbia
appropriation bills. The bills include
more than half the annual appropriations
for carrying on the government.
HOW THE MONEY is DIVIDED.
The total appropriations for the fiscal
year 1SS5JS6 are $215,5ll ,595, of which
sum STA, 1874, 465 was appropriated in bills,
that it is proposed to leave with the Com
mittee on Appropriations. The commit
tee presents a table showing the dates OF
the submission and adoption Of the con-
ference reports on the various approprla-
tion bills since the FOrty-fOurth Congress,
a careful examination Of which shows
that nearly all were submitted and
the closing hours OF the various sessions
cited.
SOME OF THE ADVANTAGES.
The committee is OF the opinion that the
distribution proposed will enable all these
bills to he reported at earlier periods in
the session, will permit more careful and
thorough consideration of each bill by the
committee having jurisdiction of it, and
also by the House, resulting in more con-
siderate and economic legislation, and
will ObViate the necessity for the passage
of any of these bills under a suspenion of
the rules, which has been so frequently
done in late years.
THE GENERAL BILL.
The committee is OF the opinion that
the general appropriation bill should be
confined strictly TO items and matters Of
appropriation authorized by the existing
law, TO a continuation of the apprOpria-
tiOn for such public works as are already
in progress, and for contingencies for
CARRYING on the several departments Of
the government, and TO this end recon-
mended t1e' restoration OF the cd rule
adopted by the Twenty-tifth Congress,
and which stood without amendment
until the FOrty-iOurth Congress, a period
of nearly forty years. and was further
amended in the Forty-siXth Congress.
THE HOLMAN AMENDMENT.
The committee reaches this result by
recommending the striking out Of the
clause known as the Holman amendment,
permitting general legislation on appro-
preparation bills provided they retrench
public expenditures. The committee be-
leyes that the distribution of the appr0-
priatioD bills and prohibition OF general
legislation thereon will more evenly dis
tribute the burden and responsibility OF
committee work, and will avoid
heated controversies and prolonged con-
ferences between the independent
branches OF the government as TO legisla-
tiOn on general appropriation bills.
suor man nv HIs SON