The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-02-13
REVENUE & APPROPRIATION BILLS,

the United States reads, "All bill:
for raising revenue shall originate
in the House of Representatives
but the Senate may propose OF
concur with amendments as or
other bills
This is one of the prerogative:
conferred upon the popular branch
of Congress by the Constitution,
and it is one of which the House il
very properly jealous. The Sen.
ate enjoys special privileges like
wise which the House never at
tempts to usurp. In the late his
tory of national legislation, since
the Constitution has lost much OF
its force and is not strictly inter
preted as it was when the Ameri-
can people entertained a higher
authority, the Senate has gradual
ly been encroaching upon the ex-
elusive privileges of the House,
notably in reference to the subject
of the revenue of the government.
In fact, so apparent and so fragrant
has this assumption of right be-
come of late that it has been nee
eSsary to arrest its further exer-
else by some action of the House.
To this end Congressman Frank
Hurd has secured the passage of a
resolution declaring that the Blair
educational bill and others involy-
ing an appropriation, that have
originated in the Senate, are in vi
olation of the Constitution and di-
recting the Judiciary committee of
the House to inquire INTO the right
of the Senate. to exercise this
power.
This resolution of Mr.. Hurd's 5
furnishes the Picdynae with an op-
portunity not to discuss its propri-
ETY. or constitutional merits, but to
assail its author and charge him
with the hcinous crime of being a
free trader. The introduction of
the resolution is attributed to the
defeat Of Mr.. Morrison's 5 revenue
bill of last session and the desire
of Mr.. Hurd, one of its staunchest
supporters, to monopolisc the sub
jecs OF the revenue by denying the
Senate all voice in the matter.
This is very narrow, restricted
and personal view of most inn
portant question involving one of
the dearest rights of the people,
The Constitution very wisely pro-
vides that wncre the public funds,
the money belonging to the peo-
pie, are to be raised by taxation
and appropriated for the use of the
government, the bills for that pur-
pose the bill shall originate in the
House whose members come di-
rectly from the people and to whom
they are directly responsible.
1t is true the Constitution gives
to the Senate the right to propose
but there The author
ity of that body ceases.
This fact, however, seems to be
ignored, as is seen in the Blair ed
acational bill, which originated in
The Senate, and involves a specific
appropriation of many millions Of
dollars of the public money for
he ostensible purpose of educa-
ling the illitcrate class of the va
rious States, and in the ratification
If the Mexican and Spanish treat
cs, involving the loss of nearly the
whole revenue from sugar, and
other revenue measures,
its will may be, by the
House.
The Blair bill, besides its uncon-
'titutionality, because of its enl-
'raeing this appropriation, is
ikewisc tainted with unconstitu-
ionality, because of the appropri-
ltion itself. There is no such pow
n vested in Congress to dispose of
he public money IN any such man.
YER. It is an unequal disposition
# it, and saddles one State with
be burden Of promoting education
y another State.
Notwithstanding, however, these
'ataI constitutional defects of the