New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-02
SPEAKER REEDS OPINIONS.
REFORMS NEEDED IN THE HOUSE.

OF the House of Representatives were nalteis vi
mere party triumph or party policy thefe "outi
be little occasion ever again TO mention the sub
!ect; for the acquiescencc which as followed me
full expression OF public opinion wouId i'SU
through this Congress without other sanction.
But the changes have been so bcnehcial tlat tncN
ought not to bc subject to any suspicion OF bclnG
open to the charges OF partisanshIp OF nhiairhesS'
or of destroying the liberty OF the individual mem
Der. What has been done ought 10 DC preserved
intact because very much more needs TO be done
before the House becomes dchberatlve body
capable OF satisfactorily doing the business OF
great nation, which becomes every day VlsIbiy
greater
able and iudicous as it is. should be examined in
the light of subsequent events, should he tested
By the experience of three months OF actual work
ing of the rules he deprccates. II would be found
that his objections, all and singular are to those
evils which might have happened but never have.
There is no quarrel 10 be had with his dcscrip-
ton Of the small power actually exercised by the
Speaker of the British House of Commons: but
there always in the Speakers Office the power
10 stop abuses, even of the natural parliamentary
members of the lIome-Rule party for
forty-one hours had exercised their I'M
doubted parliamentary privilege of addressing
the House and making motions, and had for forty
hours stopped the business of the country. the
Speaker refused longer 10 entertain motions I'M
ouestonaby parliamentary, refused even the right
of debate. and summarily broke up the obstruction.
lie did il without the action of the House. with
no precedent in his favor, and nothing TO sustain
him but the common-senSe of the English people
MIR. Carlisle did not state that incident, probably
because his attention had not been called to but
had it been in his mind. he would himself have
felt that if he cited il, he would I've citing paral
81 which reflected severely on friends. If Brit
ish presiding office. having SO little power as he
describes. could OF his motion clear of an OBJ
struction which consisted in the repetition OF
proper parliamentary motions and iii demands for
the sacred privilege of debate, why could not an
American presiding officer without reproach do the
same and why could not the House, also without
reproach. crystalline its approval of such action
into rules?
EQUALITY NOT QUITE DIGESTED.
In fact, the Speaker of the House of Commons
had I'D 10 the incident referred to, exercised little
repTessive power, because little was needed. In
that body. in times gone by. men acted with the
utmost Difference 10 the wishes OF the House
Members RETAINED from making speeches
when they that the House did not want 10
hear them Motions were withdrawn, If the sense
of the House seemed maniicStly against them.
With such Difference on the part of each men,
Der to the wishes of all there was little call fer
repression. To body whose members behaved
in that way TO each other. II was great shock
10 he obliged 10 abridge the right of debate and
use the clOiurc. The Americans had had the
cloture in the shape of the previous question
from time immCmorial. and il seemed 10 al
most absurd 10 have much pother about
stopping discussion. For years, in American as
semblies. when the body harangued had had
enough Of haranguing they put an end 10 IT. ana
nobody had any fecln9 except sense OF rellcI.
How did this happen? How came II that the
oldest parliamentary body IN the world was TIE
last TO enforce the doctrine by its rules that even
81 delerative body has TO act well as de-
lbcratc? 1t was because obstruction. wanton ana
uniustifable. appeared there last. Nobody with
sense exhibits remedy unless there Is a disease
The disease came quickest in America. for liberty
with all its delights, has IFS compensatory dlSad-
vantages. Wherever one man is as good as an
other he is quite likely 10 think lie Is better.
Fouality not quite digcSted is apt 70 give the
sensation Of superiority, and that leads 10 Nllul-
ness and the attempt 10 substitute mlnorltles Tor
maiorities. We Americans early realized tins.
and by the aid of the previous question: soon
made the individual member understand That;
while he was equal any other, he was not equal
70 all others
To commend 10 Us the mild and Intellectual
fashions of England and try 10 transplant the
ways Of the House of Commons 10 the llonSc Of
REPRESENTATIVES,, is 10 forget that manners change
with change Of skies.
Mr. Carlislcs chief complaint AGAINST the nc"
rules is that for the purpose of preventing OBJ
struction they sacrifice the rights ana priVlle-es
OF individual members. Heretofore the Individual
member. of his own sweet Will. has had the rl@ht
10 move 20 adjourn. to move 10 lN daN J."
adjourn 10. to move Tor = recess, and 10 make any
other motion he saw fit He could do il even
70 the extent of stopping public business; ana. II
seconded by one-ifth. or 90 per cent of the mem
hers present he could set in motion the rolcal.
and he and his friends needed 10 rise IN 1hoir
places hut twice in an hour. and the business of
40 600 900 people would be deadlockcd, and four
ffths or so per cent. Of the members must look
on idle, aud useless. ard paralyzed or II. On
hill day he wanted IN out the day. no could
mt in the Revised Statutes for rcenactmcnt and
have them read, and nobody could say him nay
II was the right of the individual member. Saciod
the rights Of all the other members. individually
and collectively and made dctatOrs out OF men
whose only superiority consisted IN wbat we WIZ
call courage. seems not TO move MI carlisle IN
One would think than clear-headed and
canable a man would see that taking this tvran-
ncal power from the member can only bc d0he
nv LODGING n power superior in degree ana hlrher
II, quality with some one else. whom can tHat
power 10 lodged with. except one whom he num-
self both hv quotation and by his own opinion,
shows 10 be the servant of the House? j.
man any the less servant occan.i re mas
tools given him Is the servant any The less a
servant because his master replaces ms scythc
hv a mowing-mach Whatever power is given
20 Speaker of the House IS gwen 70 nm as me
servant Of the House. 10 bc exercised by him IN
i,s interest And the House has always power 10
replace him. II he should 50 misuse ms ,nncuolS
that the rights Of others were uahpled on an
other Speaker could DE at once chosen to take
his place. . ... ,,,.,,
The new rule that no dilatOry motion Shall
he entertained by the Speaker Is no more new
creation of parliamentary law thdh nan inc o'iet
mics are ike them. 1t IL but declaration OF
powcr already existing: in THIS case, OF lic power
which has always resided IN the pIcsIdlh4 oHc'f
as servant Of the House. Notions maze 10 Dipch
business are only species OF disorder more ain
cult 10 deal with, perhaps, because u!cS ha.c to
seuhlance of honest performance, nut tneS arr i.e
disorder in quality ANA substance Inc TshV 70
walk III the street - guaIahteeu 10
everybody. That is what streets are TOR. ilD
ertv OF speech Is birtlrlght YET, II a pul$
of swashbucklcrs should lock, arms. ana with Ioud
and bois,erous talk. even in perfect Silence
should sweep all other passengers OH the siuc-
,rau, boyy long would liberty VI speech and the
r,gbf of every citizen 10 walk the streets protect
iIr band from the police? II Is very bad logic
,yLich leads men infer that, because pro-
ceedinr is generally viTtuous, II can therefore
,ever be vicious member presumably as
free from guile as Nathaniel rises ana moves TO
adiourn The presiding officer refuses 20 entertain
lis nation: absolutely will not let him see If the
House wants 10 30 home. Thcreupon. the member
s,,s he appeals and the chair refuses his appeal.
III. Uouse longing 10 abandon public business,
looks on helpless and powerless This certainly
seems a hard case. II looks, indeed like arbI-
,,aTv mower But, as Mr. Carlisle very truly re-
marks: Arbitrary power can exist nowhere IN
a free government The picture is simply