The sun., 1892-02-07
THE DEBATE ON THE RULES.
rur MACHINERY OF THE HOUSE IN
,pnrR AND THE WHEELS IN NOTION

ORDER AND THE WHEELS IN NOTION
a. ,,.,aht Into tho RuIes-A Wide Lati.
,,de in Discussiou-siiver Pops Up aud
u.tre..es tho Members - Tom Reeds
..rc,.m and .Joe Nick enna's wit-,yerry
s,mp.on Breaks . Lance-IiveIy Times.
v,su,SeTos. D. c., Feb. 6.-The House has
formulated its rules and Is now really at busi
noss The rules were reported from the COM
,i,,ee on Jan. II. Tho members Of the COM
mittee are Speaker Crisp. Benton McMillin OF
Tcnnessee. James c. Catchings Of Mississippi.
sy. y.speaker Reed. and Julius Cesar Burrows.
The rules we're drawn up by Messrs. Crisp.
McNlin and Catchings. Then they were
rcad 10 the two Republican members. who OF
course. disagreed with them. They wanted
rom Reeds old rules Tho report Of the ma
ior,v OF tho committee has beon sustained
throughout by tho action OF tho House. The
rules, with two exceptions are substantially
thosc Of the Fiftieth Congress. A clause has
been inserted which. it is thought. will sup
nross the individual fllibuster. That clause
is as follows:
,nai always he in order TO call up for consideration
n -.nor, from tho Committee on Rules and pending
con.dera ion the speaker may entertain ono motion
tat tho House adjourn: but after the result Is
nonc.d he shall not entertain any dilatory motion till
the said report shall have been fully disposed OF.
There was considerable opposition to this
clause among the Democrats. Indeed. 1t
gained such strength that caucus was
called to consider it. Some Democrats seemed
to be afraid that 1t would utterly destroy what
they called the rights OF the minority. Speaker
Crisp, though suffering from illness. made an
elaborate explanation Of the reasons for the
= La f,.A ~
caucus that the adoption Of this clause was
absolutely necessary. Under this provision
it would be possible for majority OF the
House to change the rules at any time.
In the Fiftieth Congress It was impos-
sibs to do this without practically unani-
nous consent When a change was attempted.
the individual llibuster. by motions to ad-
journ. to adjourn over to take recess. and
supplementary motions, amendments. and
other means. would block the way OF legisla-
tion till he forced compromise that for
warded tho interests he championed. The
House in the Fiftieth Congress lost sixteen
legislative days once upon q simple motion
that tho House resolve itself into committee
Of the whole House. There were seventy five
roll calls. and the process Of fllibustering
might have been continued to the close OF the
session but for compromise. Tho Demo-
Gratis fancy that by the passage Of the new
clause they have 1t in their power to stop the
hbusterng. even Of united minority. when
the House Is sick Of it. The Republicans.
however. deny this. To ascertain who Is right
the rules must be put into practical operation.
Then Tom Reed and Mr. Burrows can make
the experiment and see how it turns out
THE HOLMAN AMENDMENT.
The other main amendment to the rules Of
the Fiftieth Congress was the following:
No appropriation shall be reported in any general ap-
rropriaton BILL or be in order amendment there
to- for any expenditure not previously authorized by
law unless in continuation Of appropriations for such
public works and objects arc already in progress
Nor shall any provision in any such bill amendment
thereto. changing existing law be in order. except
such being Rermane to the subject matter of the
bill shall reTench by the reduction Of the
number and salary OF the oihesrs 81 ShsHutsS
bv the reduction OF the compensation of any person
paid out Of the Treasury of the United States tho
reduction OF amounts of money covered by the bill:
Potdd That shall be in order further to amend such
h upon the report OF the committee having jurisdic-
"n Of the subject matter of such amendment, which
amendment. being gernans to the subject matter Of
tie b'i., shall retrench expenditures
twill be seen that this is a further step in the
government Of the House by the committees
1t is taken ostensibly in the interest of re-
trenchment. In other words. it ties the hands
of the House and leaves the Senate free to in
crease the appropriation bills They are then
thrown into conference committees. where the
Senate will have tho same power as the House.
Many Democrats voted for this clause with
considerable apprehension. Their scruples
were overcome by tho argument that while
the Repul can Senate. to encompass its OBJ
Iert. might hold the House in session for
months. the country would hold it responsible
lor Its action and for the increased appropria-
hons. These men will undoubtedly watch the
conference reports closely. Every agreement
Fil be thoroughly analysed. and no confer
tnce report 80 allowed to slip through the
House wit hout being read and thoroughly
Understood.
GEN. CATCHINGs OPENS THE DEBATE.
The discussion over the rules has been long
ana exhaustive. EXtrancouS matters have
neen introduced. and there has been consid-
cradle amusement 1t began on JAN 20. when
,cnsra debate Was limited t" 's seven @ uas hours.
~ was agreed that Gen. Catchings should con-
ar"i r We r' t,ec hours allowed to the Democrats
Republicans. The Alliance members were to
have th" extra hour.
,ha Ger; =! Satrhings IN opening the debate said
which prevailed in the Tiftieth Congress. The
lrst amendment. he acknowledged. was bor
gross II was designed to put an end to the
annuaI dispute between the Committee on APP
tnVfiatloliH ana tho COMMITTEE on Military
.;;ialrs al to which had jurisdiction over coast
ueicnces. 1t gave the Committee on ApIro-
rraiions jurisdiction. Gen. Catchngs also
stated that the effect OF the amendment given
above for the suppression OF the Individual
n,ibl.trr. ii adopted. would be to, place the
reports from tho Committee on Rules in the
sanlr l category with motions to suspend the
rules For It was provided. as In the tiftieth
nongfeis. ,onS that. pending q motion 70 sus-
Sme motion to adjourn. but after the result
u"reon is announced lie shall not entertain
any other dilatnry motion till the vote Is TAX en-
"n,iassp "n ,isusspensIon.' This rule has always pre-
The next amendment was tho Holman
amendment Gen. Catchings stated that it
aTule cas a rule Of the House from the Forty fourth
.i2hhgress .i,hgess down to and including the Forty.
s,sh,h Congress. The language used was the
ahhct ahi language found in the rule Of the Forty
clghth Congress- Its effect was to give to any
ttiTnliIee tinn m authorized to report an appropria-
v,Hn MOI blll the, right to change existing law
where wmere such change would be germane to tho
proposition before that committee. and at tho
f"ahe mg un" would have the effect OF retrench-
,,li,h ihe next amendment to the rules OF the Fif-
tietn congress limited to one hour the call of
tne States on what are known as suspension
naysthths mnnth p M first and third Mondays q each
tinath tiinnth. IN the Fifteth Congress the flibusters
h,.,ea nn suspension day by demanding the read