Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-09
PRO AND CON.
The New Code of House
Rules Reviewed.
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST.
The Majority's Lame Excuse for
Stealing Power-The MinOrity's
Vigorous Protest.
Associated Press Dispatches to THE HERALD


majority and minority reports upon tn,
new code of rules have been filed will
thu journal clerk and ordered printed
In regard to the rule authorizing th'
Speaker to count quorum, the msjorit,
report says: "The process of ascertain
ing the presence of quorum to do busi
ness under the Constitution would ordi
narily be under the control of tht
Speaker, who would derive his inforrna
ton from his own senses or by the aid o
the clerk, or IN any way which would
satisfy his mind as to the accuracy O
the count. Under our system of roll
calls, it has been deemed more con.
venient to ascertain and announce the
votes Of members and the presence o
those who refuse to vote at the came
time and by the same MEANS"
Discussing the new clause to Rule 26
that no dilatory motion shall be enter
tanned by the Speaker, the report says
This clause is merely declaratory OF par
liam entary law. There are no words which
can be framed which will limit mem
pers 10 the proper use of proper motions.
In the early days such prostitution of
Legitimate motions, caused by anger,
wilfullness and party zeal, was not 80
much as named among legislators TODAY
the abuse has grown to such proportion
that the parliamentary law which gov
erns American assemblies has found it
necessary to keep pace with the evil and
enable the majority, by the intervention
OF the presiding officer, to meet by ex-
traordinsry means the extraordinary
abuse of power on the part, sometimes,
OF q very few members"
1t is argued that this does not confer
dangerous power on the Speaker, as he
will not dare TO ECU in the face of the ma
jority against him.
Considering the question of providing
that one hundred members shall consti-
tute quorum in committee of the
whole, the report states that this change
is made necessary by members refusing
to vote when the roll is called, and points
out the fact that everything done in the
committee has to be reported. to the
House, and that nothing done by the
committee is in any way final.
THE MINORITY REPORT.
The minority report, signed by Carlisle
and Randall, reviews the proposed code
and criticises many OF its features. The
minority says under Clause of Rule "a,
no bill on the House calendar can be
reached for consideration unless called
up by the committee that reported it,
and under Clause of the same rule, no
Individual member can make an original
motion for the purpose OF considering
any particular bill in committee of the
whole. When, however, motion has
been made by direction of the commit.
tee to 90 into committee of the whole to
consider a particular bill, an individual
member may move to amend it by desig-
mating another bill. This is the extent
of his right under the proposed rule, and
it is evident that he will be placed at
great disadvantage. The only reasonable
explanation for this discrimination is
the policy under the proposed rules, to
suppress individual members of the
House as far as possible, and increase
the powers of committees. Ia fact, un-
der the proposed rules an individual
lnem Der will scarcely have the power to
make motion of any kind, except when
he acts as the representative OF COM
mittee and by its direction.
AN UNwIsE INNOVATION.
Relative to the change in rules govern
ing the committee of the whole, the
minority says: "It always has been 30
universally conceded that the COMMITTEES
of the whole is simply the House itself
that it never has been considered neces-
eary to prescribe in the rules what num-
her of members is necessary to con-
etitute a quorum. The Constitution re-
quires majority of all the members
elect to constitute quorum to do bust
ness in the House, and without any rule
on the subject the same number has al
ways been recognized necessary in com
mittee of the whole. In ad-
dition to this proposition to re-
duce the number necessary tc
constitute quorum, it is also proposed
by the modification of old Rule 23, to con
fer upon the committee of the whole the
power to close all debate on any section
or paragraph of bill under considera
ton. Such power has never been here
tofore given to committees, but has al
ways been exercised by the House, ant
in our opinion it will be unwise to maxi
change in this respect, especially if on
hundred members are to constitute
quorum in the committee"
THE MOST DANGEROUS CHANGE OF ALL.
On the subject of permitting tn
Speaker to count quorum, the minor
ity says: "This most radical, and in ou
opinion the most dangerous innovation
proposed by the majority, if agreed tc
will now only overthrow the construct
uniformly given the Constitution fo
more than century, but will enable les
than majority of the representatives {
the people to pass most important law
affecting the interests of the whole cour
try. Personal and property rights of ci
izens protected heretofore by laws Ell
acted by the votes of the mi
iority may be impaired or destroyed b
the votes of mere fraction OF the men
bers of Congress; for if less than nj
jority may constitutionally pass mea
ures in the House. of course til
same thing may be done
the Senate; in the same wa
enormous sums Of money may be a.
propriated from the public treasury Il
tha most unconstitutional purposes, ar
the interests of the taxpayers will
completely subordinated to the selfis
demands Of private individuals and co
porations. Without entering here IN
q discussion of the constitutional que
ton involved in this proposition,
earnestly protest against it as measu
of the most dangerous and revolutlona
character. !,
''The proposed clause allowing Il
Speaker to ignore any motion which