Telegram-herald., 1890-06-01
WASHINGTON ECHOES
TIE Lower House" Feels sc Big zs
ths Upper House"
lyD NHInyS IT'S EQUALITY TOO
Al EKefastssness mas Dossn't AiSAys
ExcIads- A. rs'ssn ta.Iisss Lave - 90
- ths senate g. Drink aad
60 fsmala-


WAsEIssr0s. Nay 3l-lf you want
q make the average number of Con
srsss mad. al you have y 90 = %
talk about The senate As being the
'lpper house" ConUessmen don
regard the senate as being Ia any way
superior D. their branch of the Govern
ment aud as a matter Of fact, 70 . not.
They are coordinate branches IN the
eyes ~ che Constitution, and ln reality
the House ought 81 be regarded as Ine
higher body ot -ae two, as 70 ls elected
directly by Ehe people, and 20 alone has
che power o- raising revenue hnd .m-
posing taxaron. But the senate being
a .maller body. elected for longer
terms and having tAe power 0f con-
hrmauon, j. generally considered the
higher branch of the law making
power. and a great many members OF
the Cabinet have tns daa n their
beads. and are rather apt to .gnore the
House when they want money. IccA-
u.calY che senate can not DO several
things which are inherent 70 the House,
blt ths difficulty s overcome
by the House passing blil, lor
instance. and the Senate making
practically a new measure ONT OF it
ey amending t. THIS was done with
the aat act os lss3, and 10 IS done
almost every day. When a bli which
has passed one body IS amended by the
other. tle differences between the two
houses have to be arranged in a confer
ence committee. an equal number Of
members beng appointed by both
houses. The House members always
have 90 20 over % tle Senate side. The
Senator'S never return the courtesy. 10
lsa practice in wh ca there Is no ylria-
t.0u There - no written rule for this;
10 ~ simply one OF the customs which
has grown Up and has now become one
ot lne laws governing legislative inter
course. some OF the Representatives
who are as Jealous about the rights OF
tho House rs the Senators are about
their senatorial prerOgauves, are afraid
tina. " Lh.s practice 5 allowed 20 20 un-
checked. in time 70 WI be taken 20
show that the House j. really subordin-
ate % tle senate. 10 has been suggest
Ell that when the Supreme Court IS
gwen building OF ITS own. the court
rooui- which IS n the center of the
Capitol between the two wings, bc used
as the conference room, SO that the two
houses can meet on neutral ground.
Tins VIII probably be done.
This jealousy between House and
senate has sted almost since the
foundation of the Government. Dur
lnr the early sessions Of the senate an
effort was made t0 induce the members
Of the Uouse t0 agree o. tine senate
rule which required bills passed n the
House of Lords to 1o sent t0 the House
hv hrud0f the ~eultc's secretary. while
bills passed .n tne House were tO be
scrt t1 the senate oy a committee of
keurrsc0 0tat.yos. who were % make
tnelr appearance before the wee -prcsI-
DENTS desk n 1I due humUeuess.
Th,s WIS a Itt.e bt o, glordcauon OF
che senate. 3uj setting OF % above
enc popular branch 0t Congress, which
tne members ot tne latter body did not
ata.I ~, and they were not slow IN
Swing s0. The result was tnlt lu b short
tur tHe Objectionable ruIe was 1oc.-
s.l 1rI ever since h.I.s passed by the
Il.us. av lren sent to The senate uy
tr. .au1 ~ enc CorS of Che House,
vhr received u tne senate chamber
o.fn .rac.se'r t.a ssr.c form and honor
trr r.. .I-. -...lI u-..rr. fra -atrl. ~ .-t- of