The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-08-18
WAYS OF CONGRESSMEN.
How the Various Appropriation
Bills Are Passed.
They Originate In tho House. But Must
Be Endorsed by the Senate Before
They Can Go Into Effect
Legislative Red Tape.

They Originate In the House, But Must
Be Endorsed by the Senate Before
They Can Go Into Effect
Legislative Red Tape.
Especial Washington Letter.
The principal work of congress dur
ing the past few weeks has been the
consideration and completion of the
various regular appropriation bills,
upon the passage of which the execu-
tive branch of the government depends
most largely, but which are also neces-
sary to the legislative and judicial
branches of our system.
The agricultural, army, diplomatic
and consular, District of Columbia, fort
itication, Indian, legislative, executive
and judicial, military academy, naval,
pension, post Office, river and harbor,
and the sundry civil are the regular ap-
preparation bills for the support of the
government, while this year there are
FIVE deficiency bills for items dating
back as far as 1890 and in some cases
prior to that year. All appropriation
bills, under the constitution, originate
In the house of representatives.
The highly ornamental scroll of
parchment which is handed to the pres
ident of the United States for his sig
nature that it may become law is a
very different looking document to the
one originally prepared by Mr.. Courts,
the clerk of the house committee on ap-
preparations. The first step towards
the introduction of one of these bills,
the passage of which is one of the cost
important and necessary works of our
congress, is to formulate a rough esti-
mate of the items for which appropria-
tions are to be made, after showing by
comparison the different appropriations
for the same items for tho FIVE previous
years. This gives an insight into the
changes made in appropriations from
year to year, whether of increase or
decrease, and is of inestimable value in
the formation of a new bill out of raw
material. A subcommittee is chosen,
and, after getting all the light pos
sible on the subject, they sit down and
make up their minds about it. Then,
after much deliberation and compar-
looi, VIC iooAlht, UP Va OlO ICSOlSto 1llO
the holding of many conferences with
members interested in proposed items,
a bill is finally decided upon, the provis-
ions of which shall be acceptable to the
full committee After this subcommittee
has completed it's work, if the entire COM
mittee favors it, one of their number is
deputed to present the bill in the house
and nave it's reference to the commit
tee on appropriations, from whence it
has been introduced. There, in a
pigeon-hole, it sleeps the sleep of the
just until the committee is ready to con-
slider it. Its consideration necessitates
the appointment of another sub-com-
mittee whose business it is to study
carefully all of it's provisions and give
hearings to members of congress inter
ested in the different items. After hav-
ing obtained all the information pos
sible on the matter, the subcommittee
makes its report to the full committee,
which generally concurs in the judgment
of the chosen few. If the majority of
the full committee favors the report
it is adopted and placed in the hands
of Chairman Holman, of Indiana, who
reports it to the house at it's next ses-
sion. 1t then takes it's regular place
on the calendar to come up for consider
alton when ordered by the house. Pdit-
ical leaders generally appear to forget
the existence of these very important
bills until within a short time before
the adjournment of congress. Then
they become aware of the urgency of
these measures and every effort is made
to rush them through, in some cases
without giving proper time for discus
sion and consideration. Over the pas
sage of some of them, however, there
is occasionally a bitter fight; notably
on the river and harbor, Legislative, and
post office bills. When the river and
harbor bill comes up for consideration,
there are always some members who
want large appropriations for improve
ments on comparatively unimportant
streams in their sections. This, of
course, necessitates more or less argu-
ment and a great deal of time is lost in
this manner. 1t is the same way with
the post office appropriation bill. Some
member from the rural districts wants
the privileges of free delivery of mails
extended to it's constituency, and argues
the point at length.
Bitter warfare is always raging
between the members of the SEN
ate and house over the provisions
of the legislative, executive and
judicial bill. One of the principal
items of disagreement is the appropria-
ton for the salaries of the clerks of
senators. The members of that very
select body assert their right to private
secretaries, to be paid out of the
revenues of the government. The rep
resentatives at the other end of the
capitol, while not denying that their
senatorial colleagues should be provided
with secretaries. insist that they should
also enjoy the same privilege. AS there
are over three hundred memb ers of the
lower house, and as their clerks would
each receive six dollars day, that pro-
vision would be rather costly piece of
legislation, especially in long sessions
Of congress This is the way the SEN
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