Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-01-07
THE HOUSE RULES.
Rpeech or Hon. Z. Barksdnle on fhe
Report OF tho Committee on Rules.
Congressional Recod, Dec, 10th ]

Congressional Recod, Dec, 10th.
Mr.. Brrksiale. Mr.. Speaker the
pending paragraph TO distribute the
appropriation bills IL the AarOn's
Rod Of NIL this controversy. i shall
support the majority report just as
II is, AMI trust that IL siricn,ls will
keep their lines unbroken and
adopt II as 1t came from the com
mittee. l submit, sir, that there
has been an infinite amount
Of irrelevant discussion introduced
into the consideration OF tho ques.
ton. Partisan politics, personali-
ties, ordinations and rcrimina.
tons, all tending to inilame the
passions and to prevent judicial
impartlality. II might well be ask.
ed, "What business have they here
ut such an hour rs tlisf"
Now, sir, tho considerations that
properly enter into the discussion
OF this question are these: Will the
distribution of the Committee on
Appropriations tend to salutary,
intelligent, aud economical legisla.
toni Will it secure to this liOnsc
its right 10 supremacy over legisla-
ton which it Is called upon to Ell.
acti Why sir, to state the pr0po
sition is to answer them. A com.
mittee appointed by the Speaker
with rcierenca to tho aptitude and
fitness of its members is presumed
TO be more competent to deal with
the business of the department to
which it pertains, than any other
committee. The physician which
makes % diagnosis OF u disease is
more capable Of prescribing for it
than any amount of skill outside.
Take the Committee on Naval AZ
fairs, for example. As have said,
it is appointed by the Speaker with
direct reference to tho aptitude Of
Its members for that branch Of ser.
vice And will you tell me they
are less competent to deal with the
affairs of the Navy and to prescribe
the amount that is needed to main.
tain it than any other committee,
however ablci And 10 with every
other committee which has to deal
with affairs OF the Government.
Here the hammer fell.
Mr.. Barks,lale. l should like to
DC allowed II few minutets more.
Mr.. Randall. / ask that the
gentleman bc permitted to continue
his remarks for the time he has in.
dicated.
There was no objection.
Mr. Barks,lalc. To devolve upon
the Committee on Appropriations
the duty of reporting every appro.
priation bill is to impose upon ii q
task which it Is not capable Of per.
forming satisfactorily. Tho result
will be, rs it has been heretofore,
that bills will be reported ut the
close of tho session, and members
will bc compelled to choose between
tho alternative of adopting items
which they do not approve or OF
rejecting the whole, and thus fore.
iag an extra session with NIL its at.
tcndant burdens upon the Treasury.
1t has been we'll said that tho
House of Representatives Is the
great master body of the I legislative
department Of the Government.
Its representatives come directly
from tho people. There arc no
middle men between them and the
real sovercigns OF the land. The
clause Of the Constitution which
dcvolves upon 1t the solo power OF
originating revenue bills, attest the
high mission to which il il appoint.
cd by the vencrated trainers Ofthat
instrument. IL is the business of
the Ways and Means Committee to
provide the necessary revenue. 1t
il the business OF the House to dis.
burs, it wisely aud economically
for the maintenance of the Govern.
ment. To vest this power in q
single committee violates the true
theory of the government and
places upon the shoulders Of this
House an Old Man OF the Sea to
fcttcr its energies and obstruct it IN
the performance of its functions.
/ trust 1t will assert its rightful pc.
rogative, and throw of the incubus.