The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-23
FAVOR|TE CHA|RMEN.
The Men Chosen by Speaker Reed
to Preside in Committee
..- of the Whole. ~.
Mr. Cummings Gives a Few Pen
Pictures Of Bright and Pop
ular congressman.
Judge Payson's Courtesy and General
Grosvenors Tattoo Accompaniment
Allen and O'Donnell

Allen and O'Donnell.
Especial Correspondence of The INpEpENpENrl
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 19.-The other
day Speaker Reed called Watchdog Hol-
man to the chair. It was the first time that
a democrat had occupied the speakers seat
since the 4th of March, 1889. Mr.. Carlisle
rarely, if ever, extended this courtesy to
republican. Democratic speakers pro tenn
pore occasionally did SO, however. julius
Cesar Burrows was thus honored in the
last session of congress, and he honored
the chair.
The speaker always selects the chairman
of the committee of the whole. Mr.. Car
Isle haA his favorites, and Speaker Reed
seems to have his. In the Fiftieth congress
the prominent chairmen in committee of
the whole were Hon. Benton McMillin, of
Tennessee, james Fl. Blount and Charles
Frederick Crisp, of Georgia, and Alex
ander Monroe Dockery, of Missouri. In
this congress the favorites thus far are
Judge Payson. of Illinois, Julius Cesar
Burrows, Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor and
Hon. Edward P. Allen, of Michigan. Ben
Butterworth, Hon. Thomas j. Henderson,
Hon. Bishop w. Perkins, of Kansas and
others have also occupied the chair.
ex-speaker shall be called to the chair.
Samuel J. Randall never presided in COM
nlittee of the whole in the Fiftieth con-
gress, nor has Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks
filled the chair in this congress. Roger Q.
Mills never wields the gavel. It is under
stood that he does not fancy the honor.
Major Mckinley is never called to the
chair, As the leader of his party his place
is upon the floor.
Judge Lewis E. Payson was chosen to
preside in committee of the whole during
the debate on the Mckinley bill. He is a
man of commanding presence and of un-
failing courtesy. He gained the confidence
of the honse at the outset, and had very
little difficulty in maintaining order. The
judge has "a forid face fringed with whisk-
ets tinged with gray. and resembles pre-
siding elder. He was born in Providence,
r. l., and is nearly fifty years old. He was
once judge OF county court, and is now
serving his fifth term in congress. 1t is no
easy matter to preside in committee of the
whole. Points or order are frequently
made involving delicate questions of par
liamentary law. The Judge listens patient
ly while such points are being discussed,
anl decides them with commSndable
promptness. He has the rules of the
mand, and gives his reasons for his deci-
sions concisely and clearly. While the tar
iff bill was under consideration he was
taken sick, and General Grosvenor took his
place as chairman of the committee of the
whole on the state of the union.
The general is an aggressive man upon the
floor. When in the chair he loses this aggres-
siveness. If anything, he is disposed to be
too fair. This involves him into difficult
ties, and accounts for much of the con-
fusion that prevailed during the discussion of
the Mckinley bill. The general was presiding
when the Bayne- Bynum episode occurred.
If he had been little sterner and quicker
the trouble would probably have been
and a flowing snowy beard. When the
house is in an uproar he beats soft tattoo
with his gavel and pleads for order. At one
time he began to state question, and alb
sent-mindedly kept up tattoo while he was
speaking. This made it impossible to hear
what he said. The members locked at him
in some astonishment, and finally burst
into laughter. The general in turn regard
ed the house in astonishment. He was evil
IDENTIFY unaware of the cause of their merri-
ment. He then stopped the tattoo and
plead with the house to come to order. He
distributes his recognitions i,npartially and
is a general favorite.
One Of the finest of presiding officers is
Hon: Julius Caesar Burrows. During Mr..
Reeds absence, owing to the death of his
mother, Mr. Burrows was unanimously
elected speaker pro tenn. He looks every
inch speaker. He presides with the ut
most dignity and with charming courtesy.
He thoroughly understands the rules of the
house and general parliamentary, law, and
has no difficulty in preserving order. His
decisions are prompt and clear. He seems
to take particular delight in quoting demo
cratic precedents for his rulings. This
dlsarms opposition and gives him clear
Held. He can state question or elucidate
a knotty point of parliamentary law as
clearly as any man in the house. Burrows
has blue eyes, straight brown hair and we'll
trimmed whiskers. He is the chairman of
the committee on levees and Improvements
Of the Mississippi river, and is second on
the ways and means committee.
Mr.. Allen, of Michigan, is another inter
esting presiding officer. He was chairman
of the committee of the whole during the
consideration of the Southern claims bill
some weeks ago. The bin came up in the
morning hour. This gave two days for its
consideration. A point of order arose as to
certain of the claims. It was asserted
that they were not properly in the bill.
Allen allowed the discussion of the point of
order to occupy the most of the time allot-
ted for the consideration of the bill. His
action aroused Mr.. Enloe, of Tennessee,
who is member of the committee on war
claims. He became indignant because the
chairman of the committee of the whole
allowed the debate to continue instead of
rendering a decision. Finally, he arose one
night and gave notice that he would oppose
all pension claims unless decision upon
the point of order was promptly made, and
a fair show given to the bill. The matter
was finally compromised, and Enloe was
satisfied. Mr.. Allen comes from Ypsilanti.
He is LAWYER, fifty years old, and is serv-
ing his second term.
An exceedingly clever presiding officer is
Hon. James O'Donnell, of Michigan. His
face is the personifcation of good nature.
Business moves slowly but firmly when he
holds the gavel, and he gives universal sat
isfactlon. ODonnell is printer and the
editor of the jackson Citizen. He is an
especial favorite with the new members,
who secure recognition without difficulty
while be is in the chair. This is his third
term in congress. O'Donnell is chairman
Of the committee on education.
Ben ButterwOrth is another man of bust
ness. The same ability and versatility that
distinguish him upon the floor of the house
are apparent when he takes thegavel. He
does business expeditiously and gets more
fun ont of it than Thomas B. Reed himself
His eyes twinkle as he elucidates point of
order and his gayel dances at the least sign
of confusion. Ben is an eyer-howino
well of information and intellectual de-
light. IL a member can't understand
the question after Butterworth has ex-
plained it. he may as we'll shut up his desk
and travel howewards. The general is also
the handsomest of all presiding officers
He has the sorn of an Apollo Belvidere. is
as witty and versatile as John Van Buren,.
and a. imperious IN his ruling an Henry