Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-19


MIR. SHERMAN ADVOCATES A CHANGE OF RULE.
MIR. Sherman called up the proposed amend
ment of the rule requiring resolutions that call
for information from executive departments to
be referred to the appropriate committee. He
said that the adoption of such resolutions,
without inquiry, sometimes involved very large
and unnecessary expense, and that such
change of the rule desirable.
MIR. Voorhees, opposed the change of rule.
He understood that no assent to it had been
given on the democratic side of the chamber.
He called attention to the fact that the govern
ment was within few weeks of closing its
first hundred years of history under the Con-
s<itution, and that during that century of ma
uonal life no such rule as that now proposed
bad ever been found necessary. He could see
no object that it was likely to accomplish ex-
cept
TO sTIFLE INVESTIGATION
and obstruct inquiry into the conduct of any
executive department. He submitted to the
Senator from Ohio and to all Senators on the
other side, whether they could afford, at the
threshold OF new administration, to give
notice to the world that investigation and
inquiry into proceedings of the departments
shall be less free and less untrammeled
than had been the case heretofore.
He was aware that the House of Representa-
tlves had adopted a rule on that subject in the
46th Congress. but that rule required the reso-
within week. The pending proposition had
NO RESURRECTION IN IT.
1t did not require the resolution to be ever
reported back 1t consigned it to the tomb of
the Capulets, if such should be the mind of the
committee to which the resolution went. The
administration of the affairs of the government
was now in new hands and he wished those
hands success and prosperity. He had no desire
to drag down or destroy that administration.
But the majority of the Senate could i'll afford
to let it go forth that it had put up the bars to
the pathways by which wrong doing could be
found out. The proposition, when he first
heard of it, at first startled him.
MR.. SHERMAN ON THE EVIL IT Is PROPOSED TO
REMEDY.
MIR. Sherman Ga member of committee on
rules, from which the proposition had been
Ieported), said that it had been agreed to unani-
mously in that committee. The evil which it was
proposed to remedy was the calling for informa-
ton. at the request of single Senator,
without any inquiry as to the expense involved
or to whether the information not
already printed and available. Such resolu-
tions left no discretion with the heads of de-
partments, who were required to comply with
them although the furnishing of the informa-
ton sometimes neceSsitated the employment of
forty fifty clerks for month or two He knew of
one case where 100 clerks had to be employed
unnecessarily. The committee on rules felt
that some restraint should be made ON the free
passage of such resolutions.
THE COMMITTEE HAD NO DESIRE
to restrain, in the slightest degree. the power
of the Senate to examine into any question
whatever. No one had dreamed of such
thing He knew very well that if any attempt
were made to smother inquiry it would be
necessarily exposed, and that when charge was
made against an executive officer the only way
was to meet it at once by prompt Investigation.
Resolutions of inquiry involving expenses
should not be adopted except for some reason
that could be fairly given to the committee
to which they were referred, and committees
could always be trusted on questions of that
kind. If the committee should think that the
resolution involved an unnecessary copying
and printing of documents, already on the files
of Congress, the resolution could be modified.
There was no injury or abuse in requiring the
reference of such resolutions, for the existing
rule required resolution that involved an out
lay of S5 from the contingent fund to be re-
ferred to the committee on contingent
penses But these resolutions of inquiry which
some times involved thousands and tens of
thousands of dollars, were
ADOPTED WITHOUT EXAMINATION
1t had been suggested that the committee to
which such a resolution was referred should be
required to report it back within three days,
but the objection to that was that the commit
tees usually met but once week, and
of the Senate could ALWAYS. be
trusted; and if a resolution were not reported
back with reasonable promptness the Senator
who had introduced it could call the matter to
the attention OF the Senate. 1t was not posi-
bic to suppose that a body like the Senate sen-
sitive to its honor, would try to smother in
quiry That was not to be supposed. Legis-
lation could not be conducted on that
view. Therefore the committee on rules
had not proposed limit within which a reso-
luton of inquiry should be reported back. But
he had no objection to have the rule so modi-
fed as to require prompt report.
SERIOUS MATTER.
Mr.. Hoar regarded the proposed amendment
to the rule as very serious matter, and one
which ought not to be dealt with with
out careful reflection and understanding.
The difficulty which the Senator from Ohio
had spoken of would not be remedied by
change of the rules; for resolutions of inquiry
could still be adopted Gas now by unanimous
consent. The putting check upon the Senate's
right OF inquiry into proceedings in the execu-
tive departments would be very serious i'm
pairment OF
TIE DIGNITY OF THE SENATE
In the English house of commons every
member of parliament had the right, as a
matter of course, to give notice of an inquiry
of cabinet officer. and that cabinet officer had
to be in attendance at the time fixed to answer
the inquiry on the floor of the house.
1t seemed to him that anything which seriously
impaired the right of state (through its SEN
ator or Representative to put question to the
head of an executive department ought to be
approached by the Senate with the very great
est caution.
THE SACRED RIGHT OF GRUMBLINa.
Mr.. Hawley agreed generally with the views
expressed by Mr.. Hoar. The sacred right of
grumbllng had been inherited from English
ancestors and had been cultivated here.
inquire, to be satisfied. was necessary In order
to carry on republican form of govern
ment. He was willing that the matter
on the other side might direct their
expense could not be avoided in these matters
and at the same time the right TO find fault be
preserved.
MR.. ooRMAN OPPOSED THE NEW RULE
as being an attempt to prevent a minority, or a
single Senator, from getting information as to
the conduct of public business.
Mr.. Hawley remarked that such an idea had
not, he thought, occurred to the mind of a sim
gle Senator on his side. For his own part, he
repudiated any such idea.
Mr. German said that that would be the
effect OF the rule If it were adopted He ad-
mitted that in some few instances the priv
ileges had been to some extent abused. He
proposed to modify the amendment so as to
a ANNff ~vx.Ar - T.