St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-10

asked and received permission of the house
TO appoint the committees on rules, ac-
counts and enrolled bills. Mr. Morrison of
Illinois offered resolution for reference to
the committee on rules when appointed
continuing in force the rules of the Forty
eighth congress with certain notifications,
among them being one for the distribution
of the work Of the appropriations commit
tee among the other standing committees of
the house. This committee is still left with
jurisdiction over the pensions and fOrtifica-
tions, District of Columbia, legislative and
sundry civil bills The well-known rule 81
is proposed to be amended by striking out
the clause which provides that no provision
in any such bill general appropriation) or
amendment thereto changing existing laws
be in order except as being germane to the
subject matter of the bill or shall retrench
expenditures by the reduction of
the number and salary of the
officers of the United States,
by the reduction of the compensation of any
person paid out of the treasury of the
United States or by the reduction of amounts
Of money covered by the bill. The reference
of the resolution was ordered. Mr..
Springer of Illinois then presented for inn
mediate action the code of rules prepared by
him. which has already been published.
Mr.. Herbert of Alabama raised point of
order against the proposition, but withdrew
it for the present to enable Mr.. Springer to
explain his proposed code. Mr.. Hammond
OF Georgia offered resolution calling at
tention to the absolute necessity of having
some
RULE OF PROCEDURE
While the subject of amending the rules
was under consideration. A general dis
cussion then followed, participated in by
Messrs. Herbert, Hscock, Springer, Reed,
Regan, Randall and Burrows, after which
Mr.. Hammond amended his resolution by
providing that the house shall be governed
by Jetferson's manual, as modified
by the parliamentary practice of
the house of representatives., and
as thus amended it was adopted.
During the discussion Mr.. Springer took the
fioo1for brief explanation of objects sought
to be obtained in his revision of the rules.
The first of these Objects according to Mr..
Springer, was practical distribution Of the
labors OF the committee on appropriations,
and he argued in support of the view that
such distribution would result in a more
thorough consideration of and more
speedy action upon the great money bills
which were brought before congress. He
repelled the assertion that the distribution
would result in extravaganza in public ex-
penditured, and regarded as reflection
upon the representatives of the people the
idea that there was favored few and hon
ored few in their midst who could alone be
trusted. He also proposed the abolition of
a number Of useless committees and pointed
out the advantages that would
result from this concentration of
committee membership by enabling
committees to secure quorum for the tran
sactiOn of business, which had heretofore
been difficult, owing to the fact that every
representative was member of two or
more committees. Another object sought
to be obtained by his revised code was to
facilitate the transaction of business by
permitting the passage of bills during the
morning hours. Another proposition,
which he thought would commend itself to
the members, was that of abolishing the in
corporation of general legislation into gen.
eral bills. On motion of Mr.. Springer, the
proposed rules were referred to the commit
tee on rules. The speaker appointed a
committee on rules as follows: The
speaker, Messrs. Randall, Morrison, Reed
and Hiscock. In order to give the commit
tee time to consider the various propositions
referred it, on motion of Mr.. Morrison,
the house adjourned till Saturday.
Rushing the Railroads.
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.-Senator Van
Wyck has introduced a bill compelling rail-
road companies to which land has been
granted to cause the survey of the same
and accept title as soon as the land is
earned by construction of the road and in
cases where lands are now earned to pay
for the survey and accept patents within
sixty days from the passage of the act.
This bill is aimed at the Pacific and other
railroad companies, the terms of whose
grants required that they pay for the survey
of their lands. These companies have
taken advantage of this fact and have
omitted to cause survey, leaving the land
still unpatented to them. and by this means
have avoided payment of taxes to the
amount, the senator says of millions of
dollars. He proposed by this bill to compel
them to accept title to their lands where
earned OF pay taxes on the same or forfeit
them.