Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-15
CHANGING THE RULES.
The Housc Committee's Proposed New Code
In Relation 10 the Appropriation Bills.
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In Relation 20 the Appropriation Btfiss
(By telegraph to the Dispstrh.l
WASHINGTON. d. c., December Ii.
The House Committee on Rules, in SUBJ
mitting the proposed new code Of rules
for the House, accompanies 1t with a
report explanatory Of its provisions.
In increasing the membership OF the
various committees from eleven to thir-
teen, the committee was of opinion that
in view Of other changes proposed,
especially that Of distributing certain
of the appropriation bills among the
committees having jurisdiction Of their
subiect-matter, and those changing the
order of business so that there might
be daily call Of the committees, if the
House so desired, for the consideration
of business Heretofore reported by
committees in either house, or the union
of the calendar, that certain committees
should be increased so as to correspond
with their increased importance and
others for the purpose of securing
greater uniformity Of committee men,
bership.
After naming the general appropria-
tion bills that would, under Rule XI.
as amended, be referred to committee
other than the Committee on Appro-
priations, the report states that there
would then be left with the Committee
or Appropriations the legislative, exc
cutiye, and judicial the sundry civil,
the deficiency, the fortifcation, the
pension. and the District of Columbia
appropriation bills. The bills include
more than half the annual appropria-
tions for carrying on the Government.
The total appropriations for the
fiscal year lSSj-'S6 are s2l5,jll,-
sos, of which sum sll4, ,S24, ,465
was appropriated in bills that it is pro-
posed to leave with the Committee on
Appropriations. The committee pre-
sents table showing the dates of sub
mission and adoption of conference re-
ports on the various appropriation bills
since the Forty-fourth Congress, care
full examination of which shows that
nearly all were submitted and adopted
within week, and many during the
closing hours of the various sessions
cited. The committee is of opinion
that the distribution proposed will
enable all these bills to be re-
ported at earlier periods in the session ;
will permit a more careful and thorough
consideration of each bill by the CON-
mittee having jurisdiction of it, and
also by the House, resulting in more
consideIate and economic legislation
and will obviate the necessity for the
passage of any of these bills under a
suspension of the rules, which has been
so frequently done in late years.
The committee is of the opinion thai
general appropriation bills should be
confined strictly to items and matters
of appropriations authorized by exist
ing laws; to the continuation of appro
priations for such public works as are
already in progress, and for contingen
cies for carry ing on the several depart,
ments of the Government and to this
end recommend restoration of the old
rule adopted by the Twenty-fifth Con
gress, and which stood without amend
ment until the FOrty-lourth Congress-
a period of nearly forty years-anC
was further amended in the Forty-sixtf
Congress.
The committee reaches this result by
/ recommending the striking out of The
clause known as the Holman amend
ment, permitting general legislation or
appropriation bills, provided they re
trench the public expenditures. The
committee believes that the distribu
tion of the appropriation bills and the
prohibition of general legislation there
on will more evenly distribute the bur
den and responsibility Of committed
work, and will avoid heated cOntrover
sizes ard prolonged conferences betweer
the Independent branches Of the Gov
eminent as to legislation on general ap
preparation bills.