Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-25

Gin on the 1st DAY of January.
Mr. Crein-Very we'll; then you ought |
not to stand by the amendment Of the |
judiciary committee. 1 think an amend |
ment ought to be submitted which would
embrace the two propositions. em not,
l repeat, making Sny contest, against that
proposition which is embodied in the ,
present amendment to extend the inau-
guration dsy, and wish
That 70 be distinctly understood here
and now; but thAt part Of the res
olution which we are now considering,
that simply extends the term OF the mem
bers OF the House of Representatives for
sixty days, is the point Of my attack. rs
effect is simply to do this-Without RENE
dying single evil now cemplslned Oft
pays the members of this House two
months extra salsry.
II you vote tor this amendment you
simply vote In favor q giving TO your
selves two months extra salary, that is,
for the time between rhe 4;h day OF
March, when the term expires, and the
SOsa dSy of April. to which you propose
to extend it. But SO far as it affects the
short session OF the House it does MOTH
ing but extend the time that much, name
ly, two months.
Noa, Mr.. Speaker, we ell know thst
when the Speakers esvel fails at II
O'Clock On the 4:h day Of Msrch the SEES
sion If Congress terminates. Under
the emeGdment which 1 propose there
would be 10 determination OF
the House until the 3lst Gay
& December Of the second
YEAR after it's election, unless both Houses
shall otherwise determine. II it were
fouud that deficiency bill, for instance,
wss in the hands Of conference CON-
mitteg and there was not time 10 COZ.
slider 1t aud the day for adjournment vas
liked by both Houses, then the resolution
or motion fixing the day OF adj oUrument
could be changed TO meet the difficulty.
As it is now you can not charge it.
When the hour OF u O'Clock comes what
do you do?
You have either to set the clock back,
as has been done, or afford the President
an opportunity of saying that he has not
| hsd sufficient time to consider an i'm
portant bill, because Of the adjournment
OF the House Of representatives. before
he hsz had SUCH time. This is precisely
what was done in reference to the river
and harbor bill in the last Congress-.
| Thet bill WAs lost here because the Gey
aud the hour for the adj lurnmen. OF the
House being iIrevoCably fixed, when IL
o'clock came the gGvel OF the Speaker &C.
scended, and al legislation terminated,
and the President sisted that he could
not return the river and harbor bill be-
cause he had not had time to consider it.
Why, Mr.. Speaker, one Of the first bills
! which we passed at this very session ot
! Congress was deficiency bill that had
passed both houses Of Congress in the last
session but had failed to become q lsw,
and Why2 Because at the hour OF II
o'clock on the Atm day of March the ex-
istence of the Forty-ntnth Congress teI-
minated. This state Of things ought not
continue.
So far SIS the question OF inauguration
Day is concerned l believe that Congress
ought TO be in session when the President
| is inaUgurated. It's en anomalous co =
dition Of affairs in our system Of govern
ment to fad that st II o'clock on the 4cb
Of Msrch, when new President is inaug-
urated, Congress dissolves, sud l remem-
Der we'll that when Mr.. Cleveland wes
inaugurated the gentleman from Texas
(sfr. Mills), who is now the distinguished
chairman of the committee on ways and
means of this House, objected to the
House of Representatives going in pro
cessioG, because, fOrsootb, il wss moi
given an appropriate place, and for the
reason that it IVES no lorger in existence
II this amendment should prevail
namely, to have Congress begin its tern
on the lst day of January, and its tsrn
expire on the 31st day OF December o.
the second year following, and to have
Congress meet in session on the frs
MONDAY in January Of each year, ssy i
that amendment were adopted We would
have Congress in session ct the inaugura'
ton, snd the President Of the United
States, instead of delivering his inaugura
message from the steps or front OF TIT
capitol, would send in written message
to the Congress then in existence. II
other words, il stead Of the Pr, siden
delivs ring an inaugural message he woulC
send 20 the Co gress in actusl eXistenc'
written message On the condition o
the Union.
Another feature OF the amendment
propose which should commend 1t t
favorable consideration, is that the Hous
elected in November would count th'
presidential vote. The Electoral Colleg
having met, the report OF its ectlol
would be forwarded 10 the capital epdl n
House elected at the same time with tn
President would count the electoral vote
There is yet another feature which com
? mends it, Ia my humble j1dgment, to thu
. favorable consideration Of the House. an
+ that is, tnSt c man elected in Novembe
would be at work here inside OF sixt.
deys after his election. He would b
3 legislating upon questions submitted 4
the pgople 81 the time of his election
How is this st present?
( Issues which agitate the people tror
T Maine to Texas during the csnvsss ma
t be dead or may have been settled by 6
adverse Congress before he comes to tn
e capital and begins the actual discharge
his duties. All these evils which l hEv
0 suggested, sir, ore covered by the resolu
ton which introduced and which, wi!
e one single exception, comes with tn
5 unanimous approval of the committee
the election OF President, Vic
Y President, and representatives
d Congress. think the Hous
y ought to vote down this resolution, en-
d il it DE the will of the House that the II
n suguration day should be changed, az
e also the will Of the HLuse that the tin
IS Of the commencement and termination
e tie official term of the House OF R'prt
g sentatiyes should be changed, then sui
II stitute should be preeente0-Rhich coul