The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-12-19
HOUSE.

The consideration of the report of the
committee on rules was resumed. pend
ing amendments being offered by
Springer, of Illinois, to abolish the
various committees of expenditures in
the different departments, and to con-
centrate their duties in one committee.
consisting of fifteen members. In adj
vocating the amendment, Springer
stated that during the past ten years
the CLERKS of the committees had been
paying $250.000, while, as far as ne
could remember, but two of them had
made reports-the committee on ex-
penditureS in the War Department in
the FOrty-FOuTth Congress, and the
committee on expenditures in the De-
partment Of Justice in the Forty Eighth
Congress. Morrison thought much
good had resulted from the work done
by these two committees. During the
late campaign he had heard it pro-
claimed everywhere, in Democratic
speeches, that the Democratic party
wanted to see the books. Now that it
had the opportunity, he hoped il would
not close its eyes.
Hope you WON'T" remarked Brown
of Indiana; you will have some books
Herbert, of Alabama, opposed the
amendment, asserting that the House
should always stand ready to investi-
gate the abuse which had grown up in
the administration of the government.
He did not think that the republican
members could afford to vote to abolish
the committees.
Houk, Of Tenn, stated that the Re-
publicans would not vote 10 abolish
them. 1t was true that when the Re-
publicans were IN power there was
little necessity for them, but the pros
pect was that they would be very useful
in the future. (Laughter.)
After further debate the amendment
was rejected.
Hammond, of Georgia. offered as an
amendment, that no appropriation bill.
for any expenditure not previously au
thoTized by law, unless in continuation
of appropriations for such public works
and objects and are already in pro-
gress. Hammond said his object was
to discover whether the House would
retain power TO keep riders on appr0-
priatiOn bills. The amendment was re-
jected without division.
Cannon moved to strike out the para
graph which limited appropriations |
over which the appropriation commit |
tee had jurisdiction.
The House rejected the motion of |
Hammond 10 strike out the clause OF /
the proposed new code OF rules distrib- |
uting the appropriation bills among the |
several committees of the House, by a |
vote Of yeas 60. nays 227..
None of California, Nevada or Oregon |
members voted yea.
On motion of Cobb, of Indiana, an |
amendment was adopted granting the /
committee on public lands leave to
report at any time on the bills for the
forfeiture of land grants TO prevent
speculation In public lands and for the
reservation of public lands for the
benefit OF active and bona fide settlers,
Adams, of Illinois, then offered an
amendment, virtually prohibiting
riders" II was substantially the
same as the one which, before the test
vote on distributing the approximation
bills, had been offered by Hammond /
and been rejected By the House The
amendment was now adopted and the
remainder Of the report was Sgreed to
without objection. Then the report
was adopted Ia toto, so the rules OF the
Forty-eighth Congress as amended by
the report of the Committee on Rules
are re enacted as the rules of the Forty
ninth Congress.
Morrison, of Illinois. then called up
the resolution for the holiday recess,
after having amended it so that the re-
cess shall begin on Monday next, and
end January 5th.