Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-10
De,,ved Augmentation Bills.

4 glance at the last days proceedings
Of the Senate, as they appear in the Con-
7-sssiogqI Record. shows that the ap-
nronriation bills were rushed through
without much debate, and that items
were added and others stricken out with
out much consideration. The Senate had
no time to consider the bills. They were
nearly all sent from the House at the
very end of the session, and they had to be
acted on quickly.
Ii is plain that legislation of that sort
is liable to very great abuse. A Senator
can offer an amendment and cOerce the
Senate into adopting it by threatening 10
defeat the bill or to force an extra session
by talking until the hour of adjournment
Amendments are offered, Of course, TO all
the Appropriation bills in the Senate, and
some of them are Of very great impor-
tancc. They cannot be considered as
carefully as they deserve to be, because
there isn't time. The Senate is forced TO
trust 10 the honesty of a Senator that he
will not urge an amendment or object to
an item from any other than pure mo-
tive. The rules OF the Senate are very
different from those of the House. In the
House there IS 8 ready way TO cut of de-
bate. A Senator can speak as long and
as often rs he pleases.
Mr. Randall congratulated himself in
getting aIthe appropriation bills through,
thus avoiding an extra session. The
country owes him no thanks. 1t would
have felt grateful to him perhaps if he
had sent the appropriation bills to the
Senate two weeks before he did. Why
did he fail to report them 10 the House
until towards the end OF the session? II
was said several weeks ago that he did
not want to give the House and the Senate
time to change them. There is not prob
| ably much truth in that statement. 1t is
more than probable that the members Of
/ the Committee on Appropriations refused
/ 70 go to work in earnest until the session
/ was we'll advanced. Mr.. Randall, as
/ Chairman of the committee, should have
insisted on a prompt and full attendance
almost as soon as Congress met. 1t Il
| plain that there is plenty Of room for re
/ form in legislation relative to appropria
| ton bills.
Mr.. Willis, the Chairman Of the River
/ and Harbor Committee, lost whatever
reputation he had made as a member o
! Congress. lie DELAYED the river and harbOl
/ bill just as Mr.. Randall delayed the ap
prOpriatiOn bills, but he did not have
| Randalrs ability and skill to get his bill
| through against a strong opposition. HI
was forced to abandon his bill in The
House, and ACCEPT a small lump appro
| priation. and tie bill containing thii
| small appropriation was beaten in The
! Senate for want of time to consider it.
! Ii is probable that if the sections G
| country which have rivers and harbors t
/ improve were consulted, no member o
| the River and Har5or Committee Of tho
last House would be elected to Congress
| again.
! The Secretary Of War has $9,O0O,COO o
last years appropriation, but that money
can only he applied TO the works to which
it is expressly appropriated. 1t is proba
bic that work on the Savannah river vii
have to stop long before the next Congress
| passes a liver and barbor bill. But who
can estimate the damage which the i'm
| provement will suffer between the time
that work is stopped and resumed: The
| practice Of holding back the bills that are
necessary to carry on the government and
the public works until the end of the SEES
sion ought to be so generally and vigOr
! Ously condemned that it would be aban
| doncl