The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-03
With Possibility that the Number Will Be
Largely Increased, and that the Stream of
Talk Will Flow Full Six Weeks.
Mr.. Kincade's Sufferings and Sacrifices
in Behalf of His Beloved Land.
Anxiety to Learn What Secretary Manning
Intends Doing When His Health Is Re-
stored-General News from the Capital.
A DREARY PROSPECT.

A Possibility that the Country May Be Given
Six Weeks of Talk.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WARRINGTON, May 1-Speaker Carlisle's
memorandum book shows that nearly eighty
members of the House of Representatives have
expressed desire to speak on the tariff bill.
This measure will not come up under two weeks,
and its consideration may be postponed a few
days beyond that time. If seventy or eighty
men have thus early announced that they will
hundred will deliver set speeches before the
measure is out of the way in event that there is
no limit to debate as is very probable. The
House meets now at IL o'clock every day, ex-
cept Sunday 1t takes twenty-five minutes to
read the journal and to hear prayer Then
about twenty five minutes are consumed in mis-
cellaneous motions and announcements
from She Speakers desk, so that
the real work does not begin until
l o'clock. 1t is proposed, however,
that the House shall meet at IL o'clock, 80 that
actual work will begin by IL o'clock, when the
tariff bill is taken up The average speech of
member of Congress upon question broad
and far-reaching as the tariff is about two hours
at o'clock. Beginning at II o'clock to discuss
the tariff and adjourning at 5, will give but five
hours of actual talk. and it will therefore per-
nit the delivery Of not more than three speeches
each day. This would make one hundred
speeches in thirty three days. At least one day
in each week must be devoted to other matters
than the tariff, even after that measure gets the
right of way, so that there will be but five days
Of discussion in each week, and but fifteen regu-
lar speeches delivered in the same time. That
will make the one hundred speeches run about
six weeks at the lowest estimate.
A good deal has been said upon the outlook for
this long drivel of debate Even the men who
are prepared TO speak upon the tariff dread the
thought of giving up these weeks of valuable
time in the heat of summer, aud many of them
favor some proposition which will cut it off, 1t
is not improbable, therefore, under the circum-
stances, thai it will be concluded best to limit
the debate Eo very few days and then to take
the bit in mouth and strike out the enacting
clause of the bill. There is little doubt that
when the bill comes up for debate the anti-tarlH
reformers will have a majority of at least ten,
and may be fifteen, and they can strike out the
enacting clause almost any time they want to-
thus cutting off debate instantly. There is
serious obstacle, however in the way of such
bitrary action. Chairman Morrison, the author
of the bill, and the head man Of the
ways and means committee, says that there
must be full debate. He is determined
that if his bill is to be defeated it shall figure as
prominently before the country as possible, so
that he may secure due credit for what he has
done. In event the enecting clause is stricken
out peremptorily and for the purpose of short
ening the session of Congress, Mr. Morrison, it
is said, will feel prone to delay the session as
long as it would naturally be delayed by full
discussion of the tariff. When resolution is
offered in the House, where it must originate, to
fix day for the adjournment of the first session
of Congress, it is always referred, under the
rules, to the ways and means committee. Now,
if Mr. Morrison gets in bad humor from any
action of the majority in reference to his tariff
bill, he will, of course, smother all reso-
lutions fixing days for adjournment, and
will set back and defy the House to adjourn till
he gets ready. With this fact staring the House
in the face it may be that it will determine best
to permit full debate, and to keep the tariff re-
formers on the ways and means committee in
as good hunor as possible, so that an adjourn
ment may be reached by the 1st of August In
stead of September The tariff, the navy recon-
struction and interstate commerce bills, it is be-
iieved, will occupy at least eight weeks in de-
bate unless some kind of an understanding can
be reached whereby the talk will be limited
Their it will take week to pass the sundry
civil-servce bill and three or four weeks to pass
the other appropriation bills, which will run the
session up to August if nothing else is consid
cred.