Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-12-24
Wilmington. IhursdaY. Dec "a. 1895



Congressman Morrison and Randall |
marshaled their forces in the House Of |
Representative Friday, for the de-
gliding contest over the adoption of the
new code Of rules, mud Mr.. Randall was
tloored, on the preliminary test vote, by
the heavy majority of 22e to 20. The
minority was made up Of so Republicans,
80 Democrats and Mr.. Randall. The
main fentures of the innovation are the
added facilities for the consideration of
general legislation and the abolition of
obnoxious riders TO appropriation bills
which wore forced through in the closing
hours Of Congress, the pressing ne
cessity of passing the appropriation
bills operating to coerce congressman
into voting for the Objectionable legisla-
ton with which they were loaded, which
had really no business there and which
members were often not given time to
examine or discuss. Then followed the
rushing of these appropriation bills and
their riders TO the executive mansion for
the President's signature and the hasty
signing of the same without opportunity
70 glance at their contents while the
hands of the clocks in the Houses of
Congress were sometimes turned back a
quarter or half hour to preserve the
fiction thnt the moment for the dissolu-
ton of the houses had not arrived in adj
vance of the return of the bills with the
executive endorsement.
In this manner President Arthur was
required within few moments of the end
of his term to sign bills appropriating
and distributing nearly 800, 100000 of
the peoples money, without even reading
the titles of the same. But President
Cleveland had given Congressman to
understand that he would not follow this
blindfold way of doing things and that he
would not append his signature to any
measure until he had made himself
acquainted with its contents.
The good features of the new code of
rules were quite clearly set forth by Con-
gresham Lore, whose speech during the
debate of Thursday, fully reported nthe
Congressional Record, twill be read with
interest by his Delaware constituents. He
showed that under the operation of the
old rules less than 500 of the $3.50 bills
which came under the supervision of the
House in the Forty-eighth Congress
were finally acted upon. There
was very little general legis-
lation of nature that affected our
people to any marked extent that was
not rushed through in the shape of riders
on appropriation bills. Otherwise it was
session of Legislative ps-alysis- And
these riderss-wefe rushed through in a
number of cases under a suspension Of
the rules, with no opportunity for fair
and full consideration of their contents.
Yet from one end of this land to the
other there was demand for legisla-
ton. The great commercial interests
of the country demanded regulation Of
transportation on our great commercial
highways; the country demanded actor
on the Presidential succession, the build
ing up of a navy, the fertilization of om
coasts, "and might continued Mr.
Lore, 'enumernte measures that wer,
demanded by public interests until the,
we're piled up to en- appalling hight.
''The rules operated in this way" he sale
farther on, "your bills were placed upo,
these calendars and then, unless by unani
nous consent, you could never reacl
them"
AS to the appropriation bills them
selves, Mr.. Lore very pertinently sal
that, under the new order of business
they will be carefully matured by mel
who can give their time to that work
they will come in in the ordinary mthodi
cal course of business and, stripped o
their riders, there will be no necessity 70
struggling. There will be no reason, a
heretofore, for holding them in abeyanc
until the last moment.
Mr.. Lore's speech was trenchant an
meaty throughout and will well repa
perusal.