Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-15
THE CONTEST OVER THE RULES.
The Committee RepOrt-ReasOus why
They Urge n Changc-Mr. Randall's
Minority Report.

In their report submitted TO the House YES
terday the committee on rules recommends
substantially the Morrison resolution The in
crease of the membership of the various COM
mittees from IL to 10 the committee thinks
necessary on account of the increased work
given them on account OF the distribution o
some of the appropriation bills and the necessi-
ty of prOmptness OF the committees The report
calls attention to the fact that after the dstrl-
button OF the bills contemplated there would be
lett with the committee on appropriations the
legislative, executive, and judicial. the sundry
civil, the deficiency, the fortfication, the PEN
sion, and the District OF Columbia appropria-
ton bills. The bills include more than half the
annual appropriations for carrying on the gov
eminent.
The report says the committee is Of opinion
that the distribution proposed will enable all
these bills to be reported at earlier periods in
the session, will permit a more careful and
thorough consideration of each bill 10y the COM
mitiee having jurisdiction of it, and also by
the House. resulting in more considerable and
economic legislation and will obviate the
cessity for The passage of any of these bills
under a suspension OF the rules. which has
been SO frequently done in late years. The
committee is OF opinion that the general appro-
priatiOn bills should be confined strictly TO
items and matters OF appropriation authorized
by existing law, to continuation of appropria-
tons Tor such public works are already in
progress, and Tor the contingencies for carrying
on the several departments OF the government
and to this end recommend the restoration OF
the old rule, adopted by the Twenty-fifth Con-
gresS, and which stood without amendment
until the Forty-fOurth Congress. a period of
nearly forty years, and was further amended
in the FOrty-SiXth Congress. They recommend
that the Holman clause permitting general
legislation that does not increase expenditures
10 be attached to the bills be stricken out OF the
rules
After a brief review of fhe changes which ares
proposed i'm order to facilitate legislation the
committee concludes as follows: "Recognizing
the necessity tor the early adoption OF such
rules as will enable the House to complete its
organization ana proceed with the public BUSH
ness, the committee has not considered il wise
to attempt at the present time such "A general
revision of the practice as was contemplated by
the several measures reierred to it, but has en-
deavored to confne itself to such recommended
tions as appeared to he essential to the proper
distribution OF the work of the committe and
the promotion of necessary legislation"
The committee asks to be continued so as to
give further consideration to other proposed
changes that have been referred to them.
MIR. RANDALL, IN HIS DISSENTING REPORT,
says that the principal change is the dstribu-
ton of certain appropriation bills. He declares
that such distribution is without example i'm
any enlightened legislative body in this coun-
try or in Europe. Instead of returning to the
old system in vogue before the war, of confer
ring on tile ways and means committee the
Well as she TAX Bills. it is proposed sii Tnrthes
to separate these closely related and inter-de-
pendent subjects.
make 1t impossible to keep any just relations
between receipts and expenditures. Expert
ence and observation demonstrate that such
djStrihut ion leads to continually increasinp an.
preparations. and renders IL more difficult TO
keep expenditures within the limits OF receipts.
"If,' he continues. 1.-THE proposition shall pre-
vail and the work of the appropriations COM
mittee be divided among other committees and
added TO their present duties, the extinction Of
the appropriations committee is not far dista.
and when appropriations shall be withdrawn
from the consideration and control OF one COM
mittee and no longer kept within due order and
subOrdination to each other, and to the burdens
OF taxation imposed upon the people. and those
several committees are launched out into unre-
strained freedom of appropriations, each striv-
ing To surpass the other in greater recognition
and larger appropriations for its special charge,
il will not be difficult to prophesy that the day
of wastetul extravaganza and all its attendant
CORFU ptions is near at hand
He thinks ii not unlikely that after adjourn
ment it will be found that the appropriations
are greater In amount than the revenues. For
this the party i'm power would, he says. be re-
amend rule 21 by striking out the paragraph
permitting general legislation on appropriation
bills IL il looks TO a Ieirenchment of eXpendi-
ture. and regards this clause as having had the
effect TO purify the House from public scandals.
He proposes to submit the following provision
as an amendment to the rule reported by the
majority:
"But provisions or amendments for the d.
rect reduction of the number, salary, and COM
pensation OF officers and employees of the United
States shall be i'm order on a general appropri-
alton bill If germane to the su,,ject-matter of
the bill, and it shall be i'm order furth to
amend such bill upon the report of the commit
tee having jurisdiction of the subject-natter OF
such amendment, which amendment, being
gernane to the Subject-matter Of the bill, shall
retrench expenditures.