The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-16
THE HOUSE RULES.
The Changes PrOpOsed-A Debate in Which
Prominent Members Participate.

The Changes .Proposed-A Debate in Which
Prominent Members Participate.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15-Mr Morrison, of Illi
nois offered concurrent resolution providing
for a holiday recess from Tuesday, Dec. o.
until Tuesday Jan. s. Laid over for one
day, under the rules.
F.. Mr.. Morrison then called up the report of the
committee on rules, which was presented yester-
day. and the proposed new code of rules was
read at length. Mr.. Morrison's suggestion of
the reading of the report itself was dispensed
with and the general debate was opened by Mr.
Morrison with a short explanation of the pro-
posed revision. There was nothing new, he
said in his proposition. He had merely grouped
such of the propositions as had been submitted
to the House from time to time, which were
believed to be essential to the speedy organiza-
ton of the House. to the proper distribution of
its work. and to more conservative and econom-
ical legislation. After touching briefly upon one
or two of the minor changes proposed, he argued
in support of the distribution of the labors of
the appropriations committee. If the revision
was adopted, that committee would be left with
Jurisdiction over bills aggregating in amount
over half the expenditures of the government
and it was believed by the committee on rules
that to give diligent and proper attention to ap-
preparation DlllS lnVoiVlnS sucn an amount OF
money. would require all the efforts,
all the industry, all the intelligence that
could be found in any one committee
of the House. 1t claimed by the minority
# the committee on rules that this would lead
20 increased expenditures. 1t would be only So
sc contended. if the members who shoult con-
sttute other committees were less intelligent,
ess honest, less vigilant and less capable of per
corning the duties that devolved on them than
the members OF the committee on appropriations
II Al
the agricultural ppropriation bill had been trans
ferred to the care of the committee agricult-
ure, the appropriations for the agricultural bu-
reau had largely increased. This he accounted
for by the fact that the duties and
powers of that bureau had largely increased, and
he commented upon the fact that. though the
agricultural interest was the most important in
the country, the last agricultural appropriation
bill carried only one-twelfth of the money
which had been appropriated to erect public
building in Philadelphia to tax industry, and
about the same amount that had been given for
public building in an interior town where one
member OF the appropriations committee re-
sided But this was not the only bill in which
appropriations had been increased. Under the
management of Democratic appropriations
committee the expenditures for the Postofice
Department had grown $4,000, GEO since the
Forty third Congress. He did not complain of
1t. he did not say that it had not properly
grown so. but only pointed to the fact that ap-
whether they made by the committee on
approximations or some other committee. 1t was
not new thing Cor him 70 be in favor of dis
tyibution OF the appropriation bills. He had
voted TO take away the agricultural appropria-
ton bill from the appropriations committee at a
time when that committee presided over by
awarm friend OF his Mr. Atkins. of Tennessee
TO whom the public owed, as much as to any
other man, the diminished expenditures of gov
ernment. The minority report had intro
duced number Of senators as witnesses
against the adyisabihsy of division of
the appropriation bills. They had been sum-
moned to say that the House appropriation bills
should be Kept together in order that the ex-
penditures might DO reduced, and in the Senate
that they should be kept together, in order that
he expenditures might be largely increased. He
{hen passed on to a consideration of the PROPOSE
lion to prohibit the incorporation of general leg
ssiaton on appropriation bills declaring that it
would be in the interest of considerate and
speedy legislation, and answered the suggestion
shat the only way to get decrease of expendi-
ares through the Senate was to permit the Hol-
nan amendment to stand, by remarking that
he Senate would hardly worry inself about in
ereasing appropriations made in the interest of
Democratic officials.
Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvania, said that he had
not intended to speak on the subject to-day, but
some views had been expressed by the gentle
man from Illinois, Mr. Morrison, which he was
unwilling to pass over without notice. He real
ized fully that his past relations to the commit
tee appropriations would seem to indicate, in
the minds of some men, that he was welded to a
particular control in this respect; but he was
sure that those who knew him best would give
him the credit. in this matter of acting from a
proper sense of duty as il related to the public
good. The gentleman from Illinois had alluded
10 his views expressed in the minority report.
in that report there not word which