The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-12-09
THE HOUSE RULES.
Hon. T. 3. Reed Explains the Way in
Which Legislation is obstructed in
fha A0uSe

the house.
Congressman Reed, the newly chosen lead
er of the Republican minority in the House,
is sanguine in his belief that a modification
of the House Rules will be effected during
the present session. In an interview Mon
day, he said:
The present code of rules is systematic
outrage upon government by the majority.
As you know, proposed radical changes in
the 47th Congress, which were only defeated
by filibustering. | proposed the same changes
in the last Congress, and they failed OF pas
sage by only eleven votes, in a House with
seventy Democratic majority. Since then
there were in the last Congress many oppor-
tunities to point out the practical workings
of the rules, and those opportunities were
not neglected. A practical appreciation of
the nature of the rules, as Illustrated by eX-
amples, has led to the present strong demand
for revision. In the last two Congresses,
the only way to do business inside the rules
was to suspend the rules.
As to the history of the present "how-not-
to-do-it'' regulations, Mr.. Reed said
It has been the tendency of this govern
ment, from the very beginning, to hamper
the House of Representatives by rules in
tended not to facilitate but to retard bust
ness. During the old slavery period, it was,
of course. the policy of the slave power and
its allies to prevent the House of Represent
atiyes in anyway trenching on State rights.
But still the old system left some methods
through which the majority could express
their sentiments and work out their wishes.
The aim of members at that time was rather
to prevent discussion than to obstruct action,
because the majority was then sufficient to
control action, although not sufficient, with
out rules, to throttle debate.
During Mr.. Blaine's Speakership, the sys-
tenn of transacting business of the House of
Representatives was to allow the committees
to report during what was called the morn
ing hour, bills and resolutions for immediate
action. The committees were called in turn,
and each one of them had two days in which
to introduce such bills as had passed it, and
had received its appreciation, and to call up
on the House for action upon them. If at
disposed of the committee still had the right
of way until conclusion was reached but
it was not permitted to introduce any fur
Their bills afterward. The next committee
then took its turn. Under that plan the
House was at liberty to extend the morning
hour beyond the sixty minutes, whenever it
so desired.
When Mr. Randall became Speaker this
hour was restricted by one of his rulings, if
| am correctly informed, to GO minutes of alb
solute time. The result of this restriction
was to render deadlock entirely possible.
If the minority objected to the further con-
sideration of a bill, it was in its power to use
up the 60 minutes in dilatory motions, until
the House would be weary OF such contin-
ual waste of time and lay the whole question
aside. One notable instance of such action
occurred when Mr.. Ewing of Ohio under
took to pass the repeal Of the Resumption
act during the morning hour. In the 4th
Congress the present system OF rules was de-
vised. More extensive opportunities for de
lay by dilatory motions were given. The
right OF committees to report for immediate
action was taken away, and the bills were
all sent to the different calendars to be taken
up and discussed in their turn. In order to
lay aside a bill, to pass to the next, it was
necessary to have objection made in the COM
mittee OF the whole House. and to have the
House pass upon the question whether the
bill should be laid aside. Consequently. it
was easy to prevent any bill beyond the first
page Of the calendar being ever reached, as
the House never transacts more than or 10
per cent of the business brought before it.
1t will be seen at once that taking up the
business in the order in which it was put
upon the calendar gave preference to such
matters as got through the committee first
matters which required no particular consid-
Grafton, and which were consequently, of no
particular Importance. A great many such
bills accommodating on the first pages of the
respective calendars operated as an effec-
tive block to prevent the House from APP
preaching even the consideration of import
ant measures presented and reported later.
The only method of getting up such meas
ures was by two-thirds vote under sus-
DtuSIOU
only the theoretical situation, but the prac-
teal fact. So that, we went to the calendars
in the regular course of business so seldom
that | should hazard only small percentage
of inaccuracy If l were to say we never went
to them at all.
Hence the House came to be governed in
its serious action by two-thirds instead OF
majority. As to the passage OF bills OF minor
Importance very bad practice asking unan-
imous consent to take up and consider them
has, under this system, will not say grown
up, but has very much increased Unani-
nous consent is continuously being asked on
bills about which nobody knows anything
very often in the absence, carefully calcu-
lated of those who do know something about
them. Parties present are unwilling to object
on matters that they do not understand, be-
cause they in turn are under the necessity of
asking unanimous consent for legislation
which affects their own constituents, land they
are unwilling to disoblige gentlemen who
hold the same veto power which they do. 1t ..
will be seen at once how much this increases
the power of those who are familiar with the
rules, and makes them to a very great extent
dlctators, having veto power such as we
have. been very reluctant to grant to the
President Of the United States
The true principle which ought to govern
change in the rules of the House is this:
The majority of the House ought to have
the right to pass such legislation as seems to
it wise and just. Having the power the
majority will then have the responsibility
which legitimately belongs to it. 1t is true
that some gentlemen who regard themselves
having. perhaps, fee simple in that line of
patriotic endeayor, are very much afraid that
If they do not have abnormal powers extra
yagance will run riot. If that is the case
our system of government by majorities, our
confidence in the sound sense and wisdom OF