National Republican., 1885-02-06
CAUTIOUS CONGRESSMEN.
ISLANDERS" AND "REFLECTIONs" RE.
SENTED by IRRITATED MEMBERS.
Two Lively TIlts Upon Questions About which
There is Diversity OF Oplpion-D Discussing
Involved and Doctorcd Rulos Which "Tle
the Hands OF the House."

On motion OF Mr. Plumb the senate took up |
the bill to quiet the title Of settlers on the Des
Moncs river lands.
The reading OF the report on the bill con-
sumed the time till o'clock, and was un-
finished at that hour when Il was displaced
by the bill for the redemption Of the trade dol.
lar and suspension of the standard dollar.
Upon this Mr.. Bowen took tho floor. lie
argued that the true policy of the United
States was to develop the resources Of their
own country and leave other nations look out
for themselves. Above all Il was important to
maintain the balance OF trade in our favor,
even If for this purpose Il should become nee
essary to increase tariF duties, and to shut out
all foreign luxirlcs
Mr.. Bayard advocated the suspension Of the
silver coinage act. He would inyor n more
prompt suspension than that provided by the
senate committees amendment under con-
slderation, but II the present measure was the
best that could now be had ho would support
II. In dealing with the subject of money no
experiment should be tried; Just and admitted
laws OF business should be recognized. The
supreme court had said that congress could
destroy every pcGuniary obligation expressed
In lawful money of the United States. But
there was one thing that congress and the SUI
premo court and all tho armies that could be
raised could not do. and that was to create or
maintain value against the belief the per-
son to whom II was rendered.
~ $40 y. m. the senate, on motion OF Mr..
Allison, adjourned.
In the house Mr.. Randall from the commit.
tee on rules, reported an amendment to the
special ten objections rule 80 rs to provide
that the objections shall not be called for until
the ten-minutc debate has proceeded.
Mr.. Reed, of Maine, disclalmcd having taken
any part in the formation OF the amendment
or the original rule.
Mr. McMilen suggested that that spoke well
for both the amendment and the rule.
Mr.. Reed said that he knew that the gentle.
man from Tennessee intended only an i'm.
| pertinence; that was his only object. But he
| did not intend to reply In that vein, because
there were serious questions involved In the
method of neutrality-suspicious. TO which the
| gentleman from Tennessee would address him
self lfprovided he were capable of comprehend
| ing the importance Of them. lie then pro-
Ceoded to attack the system of rules under
| which the house worked, which had tied tho
| hands of the house and made II impossible TO
| transact public business. This special rule
this hybrid aiialr-would not relieve the house.
II was attempting to run niagara through
quill
| Mr. McMillcn said that in response to the
| charge of the representative from Maine, con-
cerniug tho pertinence or impertinence Of his
| remark, he had only to say that the house
| would bear HIM witness that among all of Its
32o members there was not one who had less
cause to crlticise impertinonce on the part of
| others than the representative from Maine.
As to the mngnihcenco of his intellect prOba.
bly, IL would be Tashness ON tho part of any
man to compare himself with what he (Mr.
| Rood) thought he was Laughter and ap-
platse That gentleman had spoken In u
way that was critical about others ON moro
occasions here than he would anywhere else
where tho protection OF the rules did not hang
around him.
Mr.. Reed thought that in that last sentence
the gentleman had struck his natural level.
The other heights to which he had assembled
had been Furnished him by gentlemen who
| surrounded him.
Mr.. McMillen suggested that Mr.. Reed
might improve his remarks by borrowing.
Mr.. Randall, in reply to Mr. Reeds attack
upon the rules, said that they had, In almost
their entire volume, come down from former
| generations, and, rs now framed, they pre-
vented unwarrantcd expenditures of the pub.
Mr.. IIorr, of Michigan, criticised the rules as
putting II In the power of one man to block
the wheels Of business
Mr.. Reed denied that tho rules had come
down from former generations. The majority
OF tho rules were the same as they had been
before Mr.. Randall took them In charge In the
forty sixth congress, but the whole system of
operating business had been changed and up.
rooted. The house was cribbed. conincd, and
confined by the present system Of rules The
veto, power was practically given to every
single member.
The amendment to the rules was adoptcd.
Mr.. Brcckinridgc, OF Arkansas, rising to n
question of privilege, sent to the clerks desk
and had read extracts from speeches made on
1
Hiscock, Of New York, rejecting upon the
committee on rivers and harbors. Al full
meeting OF the committee yesterday morning.
he said 1t had been unanimously agreed that
those remarks should be denounced on the
floOr of the house as a slander upon the COM
mittee. The committee unanimously de.
nounced the imputatlons upon it as utterly
base and groundless The committee had no
desire to have these insOlent remarks taken
from the Record. II was willing TO let them
stand rs evidence OF tho kind OF criticism
that was directed against the action of the
committee. As a member OF congress and as
II gentleman, ho resented the insults which
gentlemen sought to heap upon their asso-
clates.
Mr. Reed said that he felt somewhat pained
TO think that the committee on rivers and har.
bors should not feel that 1t had II sufficient
affair on It's hands already, but should under
take to indlct icllow.membcrs for words
spoken in debate. He had felt that II was
enough that the gentlemen of the committee
sat with closed doors that they absorbed the
general discussion without giving themselves
supervisory power over the utteranccs OF
gentlemen VINO had been Obliged to Condense
important subjects into five minutes lie cN-
pressed his personal sorrow that the gentleman
from Arkansas (Mr. Breckinridgcl CXCmpliiied
in his attack the Objectionable thing which ne
thought he found in what he mr. Reed said.
lie held 1t TO be low and grovelling for u mem
Der TO stand up and inslnuaic dishonorablc
motives as having characterized the action of
any other member. We're he asked to name
members TO whom he would attach the sus-
plcion OF improprioty, he would exhaust the
list long before he had finished the fingers OF
one hand.
Mr.. Breckenridge said that the disclaimer
was entirely satisfactory, aud he had no word
Of criticism to make against the gentleman.
Mr. Reed said that he had, in substance, cx-
pressed ON Wednesday his belief that gentle
men were more interested in the expenditure
of money In their sections than in proper
measures for the navigation Of the Mississippi
river That was u proper statement to bo
made.
MIR. Hunt, OF Louisiana, What do you mean
when you say that representatives are more
Influenced by desire TO secure the eXpendi-
turo of money than by the desire for the true
| Improvement of the navigation OF the Missis-
slppi river? What does that mean?
MIR. Reed. The gentleman can Judge for him
self.
Mr.. Hunt. say that II Is improper, incor-
rect, and absolutely untruc-as shown by the
| R6cOrd-an untrue statement made in an i'm
proper and uncharlIable spirit,
Mr., Reed. simply allow the gentlcmau's
remarks to pass in conjunction with his man
nCr Of making them.
| Mr.. Hunt. II will pass so will YOU.
| Mr.. HiscOck replied to the remarks in which
he was criticised, to the effect that the COM
mittco on rivers and harbors had not been
| sufficiently open with the house. lie did not
make any charge Of lmprOpriety against the
committee, lie would throw over IL the man
tie Of charity, for nothing but charity would
cover It's omissions, He would make no charge
against the committee which was not justified
by the proofs and records, but, being 50 justi
fled, he would continue TO assault IL.
Mr., Bayne, Of Pennsylvania u member Of
the committee on rivers aud harbOrs, said that
while he thought the criticisms were unfair
h0 did not regard them as rejecting improp.
erly on the committee or its individual Inenl-
bers.
The matter was then dropped
The house then proceeded to business under
| the new rule.
Mr.. Jones, Of Texas with bill appropriat-
| ing $4,000 for the erection of public build
ing at Tyler, Texas; Mr., Burleigh, of New
| York, with one for the erection of Il public
building Rt Troy, n. Y, at a limited cost OF
s2OOOOO, and Mr.. Springer, Of Illinois, with u
| senate bill appropriating s25,0OO i6r the pur-
| chase OF additional grounds for tho United
states court house at Springfield, H., were
| fortunate In not having ten objections made