Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-02

D0SSlDI6 Ll2L Tue case dI4sS III
which the action of the clerk in perform
ing this duty would determine the politi-
cal complexion of the house. Such
case, IN fact, actually occurred in the
Twenty-sixth congress. There was a
question as to the seats of the four New
ersey members, and the clerk, when
the house came together, refused to call
their names. The effect of his refusal,
which was in reality an ASSUMPTION Of
power and a decision as to the validity of
of the certificates, would have been TO
throw the control of the house into the
hands of bis own party and to continue
him in Office. The clerk also declared
| that he had no power to put any motion
OF Go anything but call the roll, and
| for three days he thus was able
to shut the house up to an
apparent choice between being helpless
unorgRniZed mob and permitting him to
read the list as ne chose and omit the
New Jersey members. At last John
Quincy Adams arose and, after indulg-
ing in little suitable inveotive upon the
clerk moved that the names of the New
Jersey members be called. The same cry
which had been heard over and over
again at once resounded from all parts
of the hall, "Who will put the motlon?"
said the old man without an instant's
hesitation. The knot was cut, he was
himself chosen chairman, and the house
was organized. One would have thought
that after this lesson some better means
would have been devised for ascertaining
the membership of a new house of repre-
sentatives, but the same arrangement
practically still subsIsts, with the same
dangers and the same temptation to
man whose position is dependant on the
will of the house to make up list to
suit himself.
When the new congress comes to-
gether, therefore, as has been saio, the
clerk, assuming that he intends, as is
almost always the case, to perform his
duties honestly, calls the roll and the
members answer to their names. He
then calls the roll second time and in
vites the members as their names are
called to state their choice for speaker.
When this second Toll-call is finished the
clerk announces: E'The Hon. Thomas
B Reed, a representative from Maine, -
or ''the Hon. John g. Carlisle, a repre-
sentative from Kentucky as the case
may be, 'has been elected speaker, -
for the two great parties have already
decided on their candidates in caucus,
and the candidate of the majority party
is elected as a matter Of course. When
the choice of the house has been an
nOunced, the oldest member of the house
administers the oath of Office to the
speaker. and the speaker in turn admin
listers the oath Of office to all his fellow
members. The house next proceeds to
elect q clerk, a sergeant-at-arms, a
door-keeper, and chaplain, and then,
being fully organized, notifies the senate
and the president that the house OF rep
reSentatives has made choice of q speaker
and clerk, and is ready to proceed to
business.
This done, the next thing is to provide
the machinery for transactlng the bust
ness which comes before the house, and
this is accomplished by forming commit
tees, which are of two kinds, the regular
or standing committees, which have
jurisdiction overlarge classes of subjects,
and select committees, which are raised
usually for the consideration of q single
topic or for purposes of investigation.
The task of appointing these committees
devolves wholly upon the speaker. In
their formation he is able by his selection
Of members to give shape ana direction
to almost all the legislation of the coun-
try, for every bill and resolution goes to
some committee for consideration and
report, and this vast power, added to the
necessarily great influence of the speaker
ship, makes him, next to the president,
the most powerful and important officer
of the government.
With the formation of the committees
and the Introduction of bills and resolu-
tons covering every conceivable subject
of legislation the work of the house be-
gins. To person coming for the first
time into what Professor Bryce calls the
"great gray hall" of the house of rep
resentatfves, the effect is one of utter
confusion. To the continual buzz and
murmur of talk in the galleries is added
the ceaseless noise of conversation and of
movement on the floor. It seems as if it
were impossible that auy body of men
could transact any business whatever in
the midst of such confusion, and yet the
business of the house is going on steadily
all the time, and the members know
pretty well what is being done. Those
who are particularly interested in what
Is up are following the business of
the house, and those who have no
special interest in the matter then under
discussion are we'll aware that they will
be warned It it should suddenly change
or take wider turn. When any ques-
ton of really great Importance is before
the house, especially if it seems likely to
affect the fate of parties, the attention of
the members is always close. A good
deal also depends on the person who is
talking. The party leaders on both sides
command attention and the house Will
always listen to a man who has something
to say and who never addresses them ex-
cept under that condition. But al
though business Is watched in the
house and attention can be OBJ
tanned when it is essential
the normal confusion, disorder and noise
of the house of representatives are very
undesirable. They retard business weary
the house, and often lead to hasty action.
The house is itself of course largely to
blame in not seoonding better the efforts
which its speaker always makes to main
tain order on the floor, but 1t is not the
only offender. The talk in the galleries
which it seems almost impossible to con-
troll, makes a continuous undercurrent
of noise and disturbance which adds
greatly to the difficulty OF debate and the
transaction of business.
The lack of perfect order in the house,
however, although something to be re-
GREETED, plays but trifilng part IN pro-
Qucing the iQaotiOQ and the inability TO