The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-24
MILLS GRIND SLOWLY.
a HEAVY GRIST THAT WILL BE
LOST IN The HOPPB2S.
Committee Lead ers in Despair-How
One Bill was Carried-A Prospect of
Lively Times in the House.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 23--Of the hundreds
Of tn 1usands in -erestedia House legislation,
900 out of every thousand are to be disap-
pointed. The Atm Of March is at hand, and
the hopper is overlooking. The funnel is
clogged ,and. aside from appropri alton lis,
only the most insig idcant measures dribble
out. Legislation is 40 damned that there
is not the slightest chance Of reaching bills
on the calendar in their regular order.
| Everything now depends upon securing
unanimous consent from the House and rec
ignition from the speaker. A slight OBJ
lection or q solitary shout for the regular
order will even then prevent consideration.
The calendar is not only overlaien, but
the load increases instead Of di finishes On
Feb. there we're nearly 800 bills aground
in the committee OF the whole, on the
state of the unionl Nearly $50 were au-
chorel on the House calendar, and there
were over 100 on the private calendar. Ia
| addition to these were IS special orders, and
IS bills in the open roadway of legislation.
| These last had been reported from the pri
vac calendar and the previous question
| ordered. There were also Gig t privileged
reports and items of unfinished business,
and five bills on the union calendar. Ii the
| House did no other bu mess and sat n ght
and day co tinuously until the 4ta of March,
| IL would be impossible to dispose OF bills In
| CON nlttee OF the whole aloue.
| Meantime new bills are introduced on
each NJ uday, and the committees daily in
undate the House with fresh reports SEN
ate bills are dumped in the hopper oy the
! score each day, and privileged conference
reports hourly stir the waters of legislation.
| Chairneu of Important committees beseech
. a. D. 4
| evening for the consideration of bills hatche1
with much care. Many a committee has
not bad an hour since the opening OF the
| BlfJietn congress, and many a one will slip
through the whole two Years without Sc
curing the passage of single measure. The
| com.uittee on rules is OVERLOADED with reso-
buttons setting aside certain days for spe-
cial work TIey report none and thus
avoid a charge of iavoritism. Many a
committee leader is ia de,pair.
Appropriat on bills and contested election
cases have the right OF way after unfi Aished
business. By raising the questi n of con-
slderation they may secure preference over
everything Suspension Monday is practi-
cally dead until six days before ADJOURN
ment. IL covers the first and third Mondays
in each month. Al such dates, after the
cali # the states and territ cries for tue %
troll ction of bills and resolutions, mem
Der may move 10 su pend the rules, and co..
slider a v bill in which Le IS interested. Tue
Sp .ake.'s recognition, however. is necesSa-
ry. If the House by two-Lhird vote sus-
tains the motion, his bill is sub iect to thirty
minutes deba.e After that by whip and
spur it may De driven over the parLamea-
tary course.
The Rev. Mr.. Anderson of Kansas and
Judge Payson OF Illinois have virtually
throUtled suspension Monday. T-ey are
fearful that either he Pacific railroad
fun ling or the copyright bill may be
brought up under its provisions. They are
theref re utilizing the call of ties and
territories. This precedsS all other bust less
on snch days. After this call, motions to
suspend the rules are made. Anders n aad
PaysOn SO maueuvec that the calls on such
days end in adj Jurnmelt. Their operations
are simple, but effective. EItLer one or the
other introduces lolg bills, and demands
heir reading. Any member has the p.ivi-
lege OF introducing bills when his state is
called, and they must DO read upon the de-
mand of any representative. The House
finally wearies under this infliction, and ad-
journs in self defense, without transacting
any business,
Thus instead of facilitating legislation,
Suspension day is actually impeding it, If
1t occurred on any day but Mo day it
would necessitate some other method OF
iibust ring On that day alone the call Of
states and territories for the introduction of
bills aud resolutions is in order. Under the
rules, however, the last six days of the
short session are suspension days. When
these are reached, there will be riglt lively
legislative music. The COMMITTEES on rules
on Jan. 3 reported a resolution to suspend
the call of the states and terrIt rles on sus-
pension VI nday. This led to the first fill
busteri lg Of the session. The opponents of
the Oklahoma, tho Nicaragua, aud the
Pacific railroad bills saw that the resolution
was aimed at the a, and joined hands in
opposing it, Tom Reed championed it, and
for the first time in the history of this con-
gress failed to control his par y. The deadlock
continued until Jan. s, When IG was broken
by the action Of a democratic caucus. The
resolution was recommltted to the com
mit5ee on rules by democ attic votes, and
tna5 was the last of it. Four days we're
then wasted by Gen. Weaver, VINO blocked
| ali business IN an effort to force tine House
to a consideration of the Okla oma bill.
Thus nearly nine days of valuable time
were fritte ed away. The lndGlts Of leg
isiatlon become cnoked, aud the calendar
| greatly overloaded.
Toe election contes are good for four or
five days at leas. and the app opriation
bills will drag along fully as many IN re.
| No one can tell now much time will be con
sImei in the consideration OF conferences
reports upon the dlrec- tax, the Oklahoma,
the territorial aud other important bills now
| swinging between tue two house,, All are
prlvi eyed measures, and ali take preced-
eace over bills on the calendar. those in
terested in other bills eau easily sos how
small are the chances for their passage
| The river and harbor appropriation bill has
dragged itself half through the House, d
may be taken up at any time under a sus-
pc sion of the rules. Two-thirds of the
House seem to favor its passage. Tue Sc
vice pension bill has mauy wa chful
friends who are waiting az opp1r unity to
spring it upol the members. Then there
Is a free ship bill lurGing ia COMMITTEES Of
the whole, aud a host Of bills lrovidi for
the erection Of public buildings. Copy light
pickets are on lie ready to open battle on
behalf of that me lsure Watch Dog Hol-
man has in leash land measures Of great i'm
portance, and be is shrewd enough TO make
break at the first opportunity. The com
miUt on foreig affairs is loaded with tho
Edmunds resolutions, appropriations for
| the centennial celebration, and measures If
evel greater Importance. TIE Judiciary and
the invalid pension committees are BURST
ing with business. Bills are popping from
the committee on war claims Ike balls of
| fire from Roman candle. The committee
on patents has not had a chance to ops its
! Jaw, and John O'Neills labor committee IS
| In hys, cries T le resolution for the repeal
Of the tobacco tax, armed cap-a-y pic may