Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-07-31
CONGRESS- SLOW 0 R

Judge Kelley's Views Upon the Causes
That Retard Observation-Disclosures
Committees and q Constant Struggle for
Precedence on the Floor--A Remedy
Proposed.
The Father of the House." THE
Judge" are the terms of reverence and
respect by which Philadelphia's distin-
guished son, William ID. Kelley, repre-
sentative of the Fourth congressional
district OF Pennsylvania, is known
among his associates Of the lower
branch OF the national legislature.
Judge Kelley's congressional exper-
fence, writes "A Washington correspond
.ent of the Philadelphia Times, goes
back over a period of "A quarter of a
| century, and during that time he has
, been a conspicuous actor in many Of
the important events which have char
actcrized the proceedings Of the body
of which he is still an honored mem
Der.
Il entered congressional lie" said
Judge Kelley, "with the thirty-seyenth
congress, which was called in extra
session by President Lincoln soon after
his inauguration, ard convened july A.
1861. ! was then sworn in, and have
had an unbroken line Of service ever
since, making thirteen congresses.
Frank Blair, of Missouri, was a
candidate for speaker, but Galusha
Grow, OF Pennsylvania, was elected.
The rebel states had seeded, so the
representation was small. Eleven
states were out, but not Kentucky. OF
that state | remember Charles Wyckliff.
!. John j. Crittenden, and Mr.. jackson.
who left congress TO 90 into the union
army and was killed. William II
Wadsworth was also Il member of the
thirty-seventh and the next congress.
He was a conservative union man.
I'm glad to say, after a lapse of ten
congresses, he is a member of the
present congress as a republican from
the Maysville district, Kentucky, where
he was born siXty-iivc years ago. Justin
). Morrill,, of Vermont, bad been in
congress three terms before | arrived
and remained until the close of the
thirty-ninth, when he went into the
senate. w. b. Allison, of Iowa, en-
tered in the thirty-eighth congress.
John Sherman entered in the thirty
fourth congress. He was Republican
candidate for speaker of the thirty-sixth
nnnrtasG in fl. uinfnr IF 1870 81 II,
was elected to the thirty-sevenih con
gress. but never served, AS he was
elected to the United States senate for
the term beginning March 4, 1861.
Randall and ONeili did not enter con-
gress until the thirty-eighth."
'Was legislative business rs democrat
lied as it is nowP"
mot at all. The house was smaller.
the committees were fewer. and their
numbers less. Nine mem s's was the
largest number OF any committee. The
committee on ways ard means, within
the limit OF my own experience. illus
trates in a practical way just what is
the matter with the business of the
house. In the thirty-sevcnth congress
that committee transacted all the bust
ness pertaining to legislation in regard
to the revenue and finances. 1t also
had charge of all the business now per-
formed by the committees on appropri-
atoms and banking and currency and
largely that of coinage, weights and
measures. Notwithstanding this, the
committee consisted of but nine mem
bers."
lis the business OF the committee
n better transacted nowph
''On the contrary, not S well. The
committee on ways and means was in
creased from nine members to eleven
and then thirteen, its present number.
The divisions Of its labors has been dis
astrous. 1t is difficult to get a quorum,
and, besides, what business has been
,left with the committee is TO- referred
to subcommittee. for the reason that
the committee is too large and difficult
to get together. The business of the
committee is now never done by the
general committee. 1t substantially
simply approves what has been done
and commended by a subcommittee.
1t is a mistake 10 suppose that the in
creased membership Of the house re-
quires an increase of committees and
their personnel. Neglecting the les
son OF experience, | recall during the
~speakership of Gen. Keller an effort to
increase the membership of the COM
mittee IN ways and means. We had a
steering committee then. just rs the
democrats have now, Of which George
NJ. Robson, of New Jersey, was chair
man. That committee proposed TO in
crease the ways and means to fifteen.
against which | protested. After show
ing that the committee was less efficient
then for prompt transaction of bust
mess than when it had but nine men,
bers, the proposition was withdrawn
''Do you recall the number of COM
mitteesP'
"Not exactly; but there are now some
fOrty-spycn standing committees. In