Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-27
WORK FOR THE HOUSE
That Body Will Have Plenty to DO
During the Coming Week.
PROSPECTIVE ROAD BILL FIGHT.
The ApporIionment and Revenue Bills Are
Yet in Hand.
THE FARCE OF COMMITTEE HEARINGS
lFRox A STAFF CORRESPONDENT. :,

FROM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
HARRISBURG, April 26.AThe House has
its hands full for the coming week. The
three sessions day last week, and which
will be continued until adjournment, helped
to clear the calendars, so far as appropria-
ton bills were concerned, but there was not
much accomplished in general legislation.
Almost four entire sessions were consumed
in recalling and reconsideriDg the Brooks.
wholesale license bill, and it is to be hoped
that the Senate will pass it in its present
shape, for should it come back to the House
again there is no telling how much longer it
might delay legislation.
At no time is the deep feeling on the
liquor question in this State so pla ainly evil
denced in the House as when bills touching
the traffic come up. There is no lack of in
terest then. Members who ordinarily take
but little part, and apparently little in
terest, in legislation are on hand then,
anxious to get on the record in accordance
with the sentiments of their sconstituents,
for they know there Is no question upon
which they will be held so strictly account
able for their action as upon the liquor ques-
tion.
Must Go on Record.
The road bill will be reached this week,
and its friends will make big effort to get
it through. 1t is hard to say whether they
will succeed or not. There appears to be
reaction in its favor, but whether it is
strong enough to overcome the oppo.
sition which cropped out in second reading
is not easily foretold.
The apportionment bills are all in now.
1t is possible that special orders will be
made for them, although this may not be
necessary. Bills fixing the several judicial,
Congressional, Senatorial and legislative
districts as they are at present were intro
duced early in the session, reported afirma-
lively and then recommitted, to be arranged
to suit the present conditions. Their being
reported gave them their place on the calen-
dar, and they are thus in fair shape for
early consideration. When they come up
the eloquence will likely break forth, and
valuable time will be worse than wasted un-
less the previous question is called, as it was
on the legislative and Congressional bills in
1887 and debate summarily squelched.
This seems rather tough on the minority,
but. as politics 60 on these questions. the
majority determines what is Just apportion-
ment, and if "twere done when tits done,
'twere well 'twere done quickly"
Their Business in Good Shape.
So many of the Senators will be absent on
the Appropriations Committees trip among
the State institutions, that not much busi-
ness of portanee is likely to be transacted.
However, their calendars are we'll ND, and
there is no danger of the House getting
ahead of them.
The revenue bill still hangs in the Finance
Committee of the Senate, and further dele
cations are TO be heard in opposition to it.
1t Is difficult to conceive greater farces than
are the most Of these hearings before COM
mittees. In majority of instances, they
merely bore the members of the committee
and delay the bills consideration in the
body in which it is pending. And the
greatest of all these farces have been the
hearings on the Taggart revenue bill.
HENRY HALL.