St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-02


sion to amend the rules of the senate so
as to, in measure, prevent resort to
dilatory tactics, and to provide for
closing of debate. The delay III the
passage of the silver repeal bill had the
effect incidental to most conflicts of
great length in the senate, arouSlng
number of senators to the Importance of
change which will place in the hands
Of the senate the power TO bring any
issue to close at a definite time, and to
make the majority the judge of the
proper limitation of debate upon
any subject. Senator Blackburn,
chairman of the committee on rules, be-
came so impressed with the Importance
of a reform of this character, that to-
wards the close of the extra session he
asked authority, which was granted, for
his committee to sit for the purpose OF
considering the question with the view
of suggesting a course of acton TO the
senate The committee has held no
meetings during the congressional III
terval, but it is presumed that the SUB
ject Will be taken in hand at an early
date after the convening of congress, as
tentiou of taking up the question at as
early day as practicable. The COM
mittee Will find abundant material TO
work upon when il meets, as there are
| before the committee no fewer than
ulne amendments looking to the accom-
| DliShment of the end in view. Or these
| Senator Hill is the author of four. SEN
ator Platt of two, and Senators Voor-
hees, Hoar and Manderson of one each.
A majority of the resolutions provide
! for the closure OF debate, and the others
look to the determination of a quorum.
| Senator Hill displays greater IN
terest in their object dlring
the special session than others, aud
| he and Mr.. Voorhees, united upon the
| form of an amendment for closure, pro-
viding that majority OF senators can
demand vote upon any bill which has
been under debate in the senate thirty
! days. Others of Mr.. Hill'S amendments
| look to the maintenance OF quorum
one by authorizing the presiding officer
to count senators present who refuse to
respond upon roll call, to determine
the presence of a quorum, and another
by authorizing the counting of senators
paired and present on a vote. for the
purpose of making quorum, also seeks
to prevent recourse 10 another method
of delay by prohibiting senators from
raising the question of lack of a quorum
while another senator is speaking, and
also providing that the question of a
Guoyum shall not under any circum-
stances be raised oftener than once an
hour.
Alr MNnderson's amendment is sim
ply an amendment to MIR. HIPS pro-
posed amendment concerning pairs.
The amendments of Senators Platt and
| Hoar look to the closing Of debate, but
differ in time and method from Mr..
| HIPS suggestion III the same direction
Mr. Platt's amendment provides that
upon the written request OF majority
| of senators, at any stage of debate upon
any bill, the vice president shall tlX a
date for close OF debate five days after
wards; and Mr.. Hoar's that after bill
shall have been under consideration fol
one day any senator may demand the
close, and if he is seconded by major
ity of the senate the debate is to dlScOn
tnue forthwith, and the vote he taken
after such senator shall have had al
| opportunity to speak once, not to exceed
an hour. 1t is presumed that If any
changes should be recommended by the
committee on rules they would be OF
the lines Indicated by these proposed
amendments, as they cover about al
the ground.
With power to count quorum, anC
to prevent the continued recalling O
the role, the vice president would be IL
position to expedite the consideration
of any measure, and with the addltlona
authority to fix the day of voting upor
any given measure, there would prob
ably be no more ground Tor complain
OF delay in that body. Those opposed
to the changes argue that the complain
would be from the opposite direction
: and that the country would soon come
| to have cause To apprehend more serious
consequences from hasty Legislation
than it now has from tardy action.
If the question of change cOntem
plated should be taken into the senate
by the action of the committee, thu
+ country may expect to see one OF TIN
most animated debates ever witnessed
, in that body. 1t io a subject which ha
been frequently before the senate, AM
is one which never fails to arouse tn
' strongest antagonlSmS and many per
L sonal a!luSionS and heated word encoun
V terS between Individuals of the contend
! ing forces. Ii has been so from 1877
{ wien, during the TWenty-Seventh cor
a gress, Henry Clay and Thomas Ii. Ben
= ton locked horns over threat O
closure made by Clay, when BentO
{ denounced the scheme as an effort a
e gag law. The question also came up o
resolutions Introduced by Senator
. Douglass and Underwood, in the Thirty
:, first congress, for the limitation c
). debate. and subsequently by simila
resolutions introduced i'll the Thirty
e seventh congress by Senator Hale;
h the Forty-irst by Senators Hamlin an
= Wilson, and in the special session of til
;. senate in 1878 by Senator Wright. Dul
ing the Fifty-tirSt congress, when tn
. force bill was under consideration, RESI-
lutionS of this character were almost {
I numerous as during the extra session {
1t the present congress.
1t is noticeable that in all the il
If stances the cIotuIe resolutions were pI
: in at a time when the senate was col
- Sidering the subjects upon which tt
~ senate was quite evenly divided, al
: upon which strong feeling was man
J. tested. 1t may also be observed tn;
If from 1927 up to the present time I'll
It various questions have SucceSSivel
! been disposed of, and that after the
:. were out of the way, the interest
~ cloture and resolutions looking TO pr
VISION LOT u nave ullloIlillS 'uIlllliIS he
)t in equal proportion. Whether this wi
W prove the case in the Fifty-third CO.
D. gress is yet to be determined. III
ri senators who have taken an interest
~ the subject say not, and it Is possib
~ that if the subject has not sufficiel
IS vitality to revive itself. there may |
Mt other questions, such as the tariff, Il
I'd federal elections bill. the internal re-
+. enue and silver legislation in differel
" forms to reyitaliZe it.
Df |