, 1890-02-13
THE MINouITY REPORT.
a severe Criticism Of the Proposed
New Code.


New Code.
The minority report, siHucdby Mcssrs,
Carlisle and Randall, review, the pro-
posed code and CritiCilcS many Uf its
features.
The minority report says; "l'ndcr
kflauso !, OF rule a, no Till ON the house
Ftaloniar can be- reached for Cousidcra.
tion, unlcs called up 10y the committee
that reported IL, and under clause 3. OF
tho same rule no individual member
can make ala original motion for tho
purpose OF considering any particular
bill In tho committee of the whole.
When, however motion has been
made by the direction Of . committee to
go into committee of the
whole on tho consideration Of a
particular bill, an individual member
may move to amend it by designating
another hill. This is the extent OF his
right under tho proposed rule. Il is
evident thpt he would be placed at q
great disadvantage. The ouly reason.
able explanation for this discrimination
is the policy Of the proposed rules 10
suppress individual members Of thc
house rs far as possible, and increase tlc
powers of the committee. In fact under
the proposed rules, an Individual Nom.
Der will scarcely have the power to make
motion OF any kind, except when lac
acts ns the representative of a committee
and 10y its direction"
Relative to the change OF the rules
governing the committee of the whole
the minority report saysi "lt has
Il uys been 80 universally conceded that
|thu committee Of the whole was simply
the house itself that IL has never been
considered necessary to prescribe In the
rules what number Of members WAS
necessary To- constitute "A quorum in
such committee, The constitution re-
quires a majority oi all the members
elected To constitute a quorum ami dO
business in the house; and, without amy
rule on the subject, tho same
number has always vccn recognized .s
necessary In the committee of the wh ole
In addition 10 this proposition to re-
duCc the numUur necessary to COusti.
iH:S .. Quorum, II also proposes mOdi-
hCation OF the old rule 23 to confer
upon the committee of tho whole the
power to close all debate on any seCtiO n
or paragraph of tie bill under COnsidyr..
ton. Such power has meyer been hereto
fOro given to the committee, but has
always been exercised by the house, and
in our opinion II would bn unwisr to
make a change In this respect especially
If the speaker is to bo permitted TO count
quorum ON the subject,
The report continues: "IhiS is the
most radical and, in our opinion, the
most dangerous innovation proposal 10y
the majority. and II agreed to will not
only overthrow the construction uni.
formly given To the Cunst tuition for moro
than century, but will enable less than
majority OF the REPRESENTATIVES of tho
people to pass most important laws,
affecting the Interests OF tEe whole CUuu.
try, The personal and property rights
|. OF citizens protected heretofore by laws
enacted by the votes OF tlc nHjOrIty
smny be impaired or DESTROYED
eby the votes of mere frNciinn
OF the members of congress for, II less
than majority may cOnsttutiOnully
pass measures IN the house, OF course
the salno thing may he done IN the sCu-.
ate In tho same way enormous sgmu
oi money may ho appropriated from tltu
publlc treasury for the most unCons,ltu-
tionnl purposes, and the interests oi ihe
taxpayers DE completely subor, ,linatcd
10 thc selllsh demands Ut private inui.
Niduals and corporations Without en-
tcfing here inlo u discussion OF the con.
sutuiiohnl questions involved In this
proposition, We earnestly protest against
II rs "A measure OF the most daugcrou,
ana revolutionary character.
"Ihe proposed clause allowing the
speaker to refuse entertaining a motion
which lac mny consider dllatory is absp.
lutcly inconsistent with the other pro-
visions ol the rule, Providing thut nlcm-
bcrs shall have the right to make ser
tain motion, iud Mt the samo time prn,
viding that tlo speaker may reuse t0
entertain them, amt may also refuse To
entertain nm upugal ltau li a dsefgfon
II simply places the whole law OF tie
house, so far ~ parliamentary motion
is concerned, IN the hands oi the prcsid,
Ing olhlur.