Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-03-07


can refuse TO entertain any motion which
in his Judgment is dilatOry; and under the
new rules the minority have no rights at
all which they can enforce.
TO state the case briefly, under the new
rules the popular branch Of the National
Legislature is 10 longer popular, or repre-
sentative Of the people; one man Iu1s it
aud his will is it's only law-he is king,
with powers over the deliberations of the
United States HOUSE OF representatives. as
crest Ga those of Prince BISMARCK over
the German Riechstsg.
Srch power it wss never meant that
the Speaker should WELD, and no such
power was eges before conferred upon a
presiding officer in a deliberstiye body.
Arbitrary power, as Mr.. CARLISLE says,
caa exist nowhere il free government,
and If 1t De true, as now claimed, that the
popular branch Of Tire legislative depart
ment hiss been authorized to confer such
power upon any one NAP, no matter what
bis cfficial title may be- it is clear that
there is a defee. in our system rot hereto
fore detected by the mes. careful and IL
tellisent observer. Says Nc. CARLISLE:
at is the duty Of the Speaker 10 obey
TIE commands Of the House, bat the
House can give no commands if he refuses
to put the question on motions made by
members. Tee o5ly way il which the
Houss csn express ia will is By vote,
and il cannot vote il the presiding officer
refuses 70 entertain motions, and gives il
no opportunity to consider and act on
them"
Nov We come probably 10 the worst
point in the new rulss, namely, where the
Speaker is authorized TO count quorum
present and lranssotiug business when a
quorum does not vote. Ny. CARLISLE
SAYS:
''The Constitution provides that ma
ioTity of each House 'shsl! constitute q
quorum to DO business and for more than
hundred years it has been uniformly
held, whenever the question arose, th-t
this required not merely that a majority
should be present, but that suca a ma
iority must actusllY participate 10 the
transaction of business, and that when the
yeas and nays are taken and entered upon
the jOurral, that official record is the con-
elusive and exclusive evidences IS to TIE
number present and acting"
The new rules reverse the Ocr shtuiion
on this point as upoa the other. The
Speaker is authorized 10 count quorum
present aud "doiDg business" whether the
record shows quorum or not. 1t is not
necessary sgsin 10 quote Mr REED upon
his own ruling whee ne wss "a simple
member on the foo, snd his pSIty was in
the minority; nOr ia 1t necessary to quote
Speaker JAMES G. BLAINE S vigorous words
ia refusing 10 20 behind The record. Their
former posiliOns-aud, we believe, their
present honest opinions -srs well known.
REED mas stabilized himself and SET aside
tae rulisg of the acknowledged head Of tie
Republican party. Ga this point Mr.
CARLISLE says, "she prsc,ical effect OF the
rale, for the time being, viii be tina. in q
House consisting, when full, 800 members,
o. whom 166 constitute quorum, the
Speaker may declare the most important
bills passed wtel The record shows that
they were voted for by one member only,
if there are enough others present 10 make
a quorum. Uoless sll previous preceding
officers wsge w.oog, this is a hagrant viola
ton of the Constitution; but whether 80 or
NOT, it is cerssinly most dangerous iAIo-
vation upo1 the settled practice Of the
House, and Instead of being g reform, it is
movement in The direction of Loose, I'M
Just and imDroyident legislation,
As Mr. CARLISLE clearly shows, the ten
dency il recent times is 10 require, by ex-
press constitutional provision, the atiirms-
tive vote of all tie members elected to
legislative essen blieg in order to pass bills
and 10 make it imperative in every Gaze
that the yeaa and rays shall be taken and
entered upon the journal. In some Of the
States this provision applies only to bills
aporep-iating money, or creating public
liabilities, or imposing taxes, while in
Others it applies 10 all matters OF legisla-
tion; but to whatever extent it goes, it In
dicates clearly a growing disposition
among the people to be more careful in the
delegation of power to their representa-
tives, AID 20 require the vote of actual
msjoril:es. TO enact lsws.
A minority cannot pass laws and adhere
to the Constitution whether tha minority
is abseat, or present and silent.
REEDS rule4 however, throw the Con-
stitunon into the ash.bsrrel and provide
for the passage Of laws by one vote al
though the other 800 members of the House
of Representatives are silent.
This sort OF thing cannot 20 on under
our form of government.
CAUGHT BY ENGLISH MILLIONS.
Ship Yard and Dry Dock Passes lnto
British Control.
nf-r r-rr MaYch \ - Information re-