Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-05-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
7 E'F0m our Regular C0uespOndenI-I
Washington, May Il, 1886

The present session Of Congress is
far advanced and thousands Of meas
uTss have been presented that cannot
have a chance OF being passed or even
considered. Still new bills pour in
every week, and others viii coutinue TO
come until the session expires. Among
the latest new entries is one for impOs-
ing a fine OF 500 on our Lawmakers
for absence a. roll call without leave.
1t has been suggested also that the
fund thus acruing from Congressional
derilictiOns shall be appropriated to
defray the expense OF Congressional
funerals.
1t was Representative Beach, of New
York, " no proposed this penalty for
absence. 1t was also he, who, some
weeks ago, introduced a resolution TO
have the rules of the House so amended
that all eulogies Of deceased members
should be delivered IN the House on
SUNDAYS. and that on such occasions
the public shall be admitted to the floor
of the House as we'll as to the galleries.
This is to provide an audience for the
eulOgist, One of the features of the
present plan is, that as soon as the
memorial services begin, The Congress
men nearly all desert their seats and
leave the orators to talk ia an empty
hall.
Speaking Of bills reminds me that up
to this date 8, 74O measures, besides II !
resolutions have been introduced in the
House Of Representative alone this
session. OF these the House has pass
ed ia public, and $50 private bills.
This seems to be very slow work, but
a frequenter of the galleries who knows
that almost every unimpOrtant question
gives ri-e to a prOtracted debate does
not wonder that legislation lags.
The bills already introduced exceed
by several hundred the whole number
presented during both sessions of the
last Congress. And do you know what
a bill goes through? L mean the routine
through which each one of these thous-
ands of bills passes? The experience
Of a House bill is varied. Some of
them have come to be old veterans by
sci wing in many Congresses, and are
sailOwed and shreyiled by age.
After a bill is introduced it is read by
title at the clerks desk. 1t then has
numerous hIerOglyphies put in blue
pencil upon its back to show where it
is to be consigned. Then it is number
ed and registered in q book and print
ed. The most active part of its exist
encs is being printed. If it has q fun
run it is printed six times, 1t is print
ed when first introduced, when it is
reported from the committee it is print
ed, when it Is passed by the House if
it ever is 1t is again printed. Then
the Senate prints il. When it is report
ed by the Senate committee 1t is again
printed, and again when it becomes q
law. After that it haste be printed in
the statute books. Meanwhile it has
been slowed away in the document
tho Iar7aar4 of fha
mite, has been discussed and probably
abused and cut to pieces; has been OBJ
iected to and thTea. ened in the House,
and solemnly sat upon in the Senate.
This is the experience Of the simplest
and most unimpOrtant bill. The APP
preparation bills suffer more at the
hands of the printer than this They
are first printed as estimates, then as
unofficial forms of the bill, then the bill
as adopted by the committee IS printed.
When It passes the House it is printed,
and again when it reaches the Senate.
1t is next printed as it passes the Sen
ate. When it comes out Of conference
if it gees to cOnfereuce-it Is printed
as an act, and after that it is printed in
the statue books.
A bill that has never been in Con
gress before and is fresh aud new has
generally come in the pocket of mem
Der as fresh and new as ITSELF or mas
been written by some iusinuating per
son outside and introduced by.r6quest.
The ave age member of Congress al
though he delights in introducing as
many bills as possible, does not like to
write them. He viii frequently take q
bill that has done service in many diff
fereut causes, and viii chop and slash
and interline 1t, and patch it together
as a new bill Many of the private
bills have done service through many
Congresses and for many persons.
merely the name in it being changed
every time it was introduced. 1t has
been suggested as a means of prevent
ing the House beng flooded with so
many bills. that every bill introduced
must be in the handwriting Of the man
who offers it.