Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-22


mors of week before we're unconfrmed
some hundreds of American citizens in
China might be put in great peril should
the Scott bill pass; or the treaty might be
ratified, in which case to approve the re-
striction bill would be to insult the Chi
nese Empire and invoke serious complica-
tions-the bill must therefore be stayed in
the Senate and the Presidents candidacy
be preserved from harm. But though some
objections to its final passage were inter
posed in the Senate, that body took the
Administration at its word, passed the bill
and sent it back to the House 1t was now
the duty of the Enrolling Committee to
enroll it and send it forthwith to the Pres
ident.
But the President, caught in political
trap, had committed himself to a most
dangerous precedent; having relied upon
the ability of his party to delay the meas
ure in the Senate until the fate of the
Chinese treaty could be ascertained, while
he and his party in the meantime reaped
supposed political advantage by this newly
born solicitude to respond to the demand
OF the Pacific coast; he was now placed in
delicate. not to say perilons, position.
Nothing remained therefore but to secure
tactical advantage in order to gain time,
while the cables about the world to China
fairly missed with messages seeking informa-
ton as to the fate of the treaty. In this
dilemma the Chairman of the House Com
mittee ON Enrolment announced that he
would withhold the bill from the Execu-
tive "out of courtesy to the Senate" where
a resolution-by Senator who believed
the introduction and passage of the bill
pending ratification of the treaty to be bad
legislation-to stay the bill in its course
was pending. But the Senate tabled that
resolution, and there was nothing for it
but to pocket the bill and brazen out the
revolutionary movement, as Mr.. Kilgore
has done.
So we have the novel situation pre-
sented, of the very men who denied the
Pacific coast delegation so much as a
minute of time in which to examine the
bill; who rushed it through in hot haste
and with pretended solicitude to extin-
guish the Chinese evil with one sweeping
stroke of the legislative sabre, whipping
about, and themselves seeking to delay, if
not defeat, the very measure they had but
just railroaded through. Mistaken in
their calculation that the bill would
catch upon legal briars and thorns in the
Senate, and stick fast in that body be-
tween the rocks of old-time prejudices
and international etiquette, they were now
found begging for precisely that they had
few hours before denied to others.
We say that aside from all the partisan
issues; distinct from the political clap-trap
and trickery hedging it about, this question
of the action of the Enrolment Commit
tee is of utmost importance in the history
of American legislation, and of the most
vital interest to the Liberties of the people.
As Representative Morrow well said, if the
Chairman of the Committee on Enrolment,
may, in the exercise Of his discretion, delay
sending bill to the President day, he
may withhold it for several days, for a
week, a month or a year, and until the
House peremptorily commands him to de-
liver it. If the measure involved the fate
of battle the committee would not dare to
turn the tide against our arms by such
action, yet its position is that It has the
power to do so. Strong enough on party
vote to secure approval from the House,
the committee deliberately SAYS to the
people: You may make the laws, but
we will see to it that they shall not become
operative until our pleasure moves u.s."
The President may veto bill, but here is
a legislative committee exercising greater
power, and absolutely stopping The wa
between the Executive and the houses of
legislation.
This is perilous position to take; that
the committee has the approval of the
President does not one particle excuse it
On the contrary it is cause of aggravation.
1t puts it in the power of a committee
# single house of Congress,
by partisan majority, to
,ay just what passed bills shall and
Nllat shall not become laws it erects over
he law censorship that is nothing short
If despotism and may be made the motor
IF fraud and corruption; it is thrust at
he system of legislation from which if ac-
,epted as rulable precedent it cannot
EASILY recover and which will be more than
likely to break it down. If it is to be
approved III practice it erects shield be- |
hind which President of the United |
States can shelter himself from all touch |
oy Congress so long as he can secure a bare
majority to prevent the issuance of a per-
emptory order to deliver passed bills. No
political party can afford to defend such
IN innovation-that the Democratic party
has availed of it even to the extent it has,
is to its eternal discredit Had the Re
publican party been guilty of like conduct
it would deserve equally severe censure.
Out of this dangerous assumption of
power by the committee of the House on
enrolled bills, has come some good, since
Senator Stewart has introduced bill re-
luiring such committees hereafter to trans
nit bills to the President Immediately |
upon enrolment. The bill cannot meet
with any opposition based upon reason,
and it may therefore be expected to pass
# not at this at the next session of Con-
yress. Mr.. Stewards accompanying reso- |
luton recites that the committee has fre
luently withheld bills for days, and in
some cases for weeks, thus asserting to it.
self more than legislative powers.
Since the foregoing was ready for the
press, the news comes of the presentation