The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-14
THE RESULT PROVES THEIR VALUE
How Congress Has Done Its Work
Under the New Rules.
Legislation Aided by the Speakers
Parliamentary Revolution"
Business Farther Advanced Than
When the Democrats Controlled.
Especial TO the Press.l

WASHINGTON, April 12.-CongrsSs is now
well started with the fifth month of its ses-
sion, and the introduction of the tariff bill in
the House of Representatives will mark the
beginning of the final work. So far, this
Congress, so far as theiHcuse is concerned
and the House always sets the pace-has
been one of unusual diligence. Mr.. Reed
as Speaker, has shown wonderful capacity
for getting work done; and he has been as
sisted by lieutenants as earnest as himself
that an adjournment shall be Preached early.
But large measure of the credit for the de-
spatch of business belongs to the new rules.
No reform was ever better justified by re-
suits than the Speakers parliamentary rev.
olution." Mr.. Mills and other Democratic
leaders boasted that the small Republican
majority should do no legislation. What
has been done discloses how signally the
Democratic leaders have been met and
worsted. The tariff bill is not reported
much, If any earlier, than was the Mills bill
in the last Congress; but the general busi-
ness of the House is much farther along
than it was at the corresponding time in the
last Congress. The appropriation bills are
very good indications of the state of busi-
ness. These great bills, about dozen in all.
are the necessary measures for which Con-
gress meets. Their discussion calls forth a
large part of the debate of the session. ana
involves more close study probably than any
other branch of legislation. unless the tariff
be possible exception. All the great
branches Of government depend upon these
bills. In the last Congress, at this time,
there had been reported from committees six
appropriation bills, the District of Columbia
bill, the Indian bill, the Diplomatic and Con
sular bill, the Military Academy bill, the
Pension bill and the Rivers and Harbors
bills. This does not include two of those
bills passed for temporary supplies, and
called deficiency bills. OF these six bills
that had been reported, but a single one had
been passed when the session of the last
Congress was as far advanced as is this ses-
sion. This House, on the other hand, has
already passed five large appropriation bills,
the Army, District of Columbia, Navy, For
tifcations and Pensions; and of the deficien-
cy bills two have been passed, the same
number passed by the last House in the cor
responding period of time. In other words,
this Congress has passed as many appropria-
tion bills, within one, as the last House had
gotten out of committee at this time in the
session. And nearly all the remaining ap
preparation bills will be reported in this
House in a short time, while in the last
House some OF them were delayed in COM
mittee until June or July.
Besides all this work, bills to admit to the
Union two new states have been passed by
the House; and the II contested election
cases have been heard and large proportion
OF them decided more promptly than in the
last Congress.
So, although the tariff bill is not reported
earlier this Congress than last, the way has
been cleared for it by getting out of the way
the appropriation bills and other regular leg
isiatlon, nearly all Of which, in the last Con-
came into. the house. The debate on the
Mills bill began on April 18th, and the bill
was not passed until July 21st 1t is safe to
say that no such length of time will be re-
other legislation of this session will proba-
bly, be out of the way in time to allow an ad-
Io9rnment in June; The last Congress, it |
will be remembered, did not get out of Wash |
ngton until about September 1sr.
This creditable progress made by this |
House has not been done easily, nor did the |
great battle for the new rules at the first of |
the session enable it all to be done. After |
Gratis ceased to be armed robbers of the time |
Of the House, but they have continued to be |
pilferers and sneak thieves. They have not |
obstructed openly. and dehantly, because
Cney could not; but every little device by
which moments could by wasted has been
put in practice.
The credit of this despatch of public bus
iness belongs to the whole body of the Re-
publicans of the House. They have, on the
floor and in committee, attended to business
with diligence such as is remembered of
few other houses But they never could
have done what they have done without the
brilliant and courageous leadership of one
man, and he is the man in the Speakers
chair. If ever Speaker of the House could
look with satisfaction upon the results of
the first four months of his work that Speak
er is Mr.. Reed.