The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-25
SPEAKERS CRISP AND REED.
,.1roNG CONTRAST IN THE LIaRT OF
FAST EVENTS.

r,r.t Extraorsinar Scene II the Fifty
..,-d Congress = The Great Mas from
,,.,,, nj B.y-The DiTerence Be.ween
.,,o u,,dsr tho Rules and Arbitrary
,,pon-I.iveiy Times tn the House.
v,.1,xaroS, Sept. 24-Julius Cesar Bur-
- nl,bustcring craft was brought to on
Tonaav by A shot across the bows. The shot
- from the Committee on Rules Speaker
c.,.n boarded no. and abe surrendered rather
ungraciouslr' .p.,,,,,
.on,rares had impeded business. In what may
w termed q classic parliamentary style. The
po,nerges OF Maine was behind julius. Inc
n.tsnsihle object was to prevent placing upon
A. calendar n report favoring the repeal OF
N. Federal Election laws. In addition to
.h,. Tom Reed took great delight in drawing
contrast between the Democratic and his
a,tocrati, methods o. doing business in the
uouse. In the Reed Congress. It is true. un-
A., similar circumstances there would have
sson no 6Iibustering. The Speaker. with out
.,y r,les whatever. would simply have count
"A ouorum present. but not voting, and have
,i.c.d ANY report he pleased upon the calen-
a.r He might have even counted Democrats
Tho ware not present, as present but not vot-
,,o in order to make a quorum. In this Con-
oress quorum must be present and vote. IL
,sa and nay vote does not disclose quorum
no business can be done.
Enoving that report favorinR the repeal
=, the Federal Election law was about to be
a,..ented Mr.. Burrows. bland and suave.
.vsrv morning moved to dispense with the
..,line OF committees for reports. Upon this
motion he secured the yeas and nays. The
Republicans then refrained from voting. and
no quorum was developed. This made It
necessary for the Democrats to secure voting
quorum before tho House could get to work.
II IA rather humiliatng to say that 1t took q
week to do this. Even then q quorum was
barely developed.
without report from the Committee on
Rules. II was still possible for Mr.. Burrows by
moving that the House take recess till this
time, and that time. and other motions. to
keep tho Clerk calling the yeas and nays and
still impede business. He made his usual mo-
ton to dispenss with the calling OF the COM
mittees on Wednesday. after the reading Of
the journal Before the motion was put, Gen.
Cstchings OF Mississippi. q member Of the
Committee on Rules. arose. stroked his long
auburn beard and said:
Pending that motion. Mr.. Speaker. I pre-
sent report from the Committee on Rules"
Mr. Burrows said that the report was not in
order under the rules OF the House. Clause As
OF rule II provided that all proposed action
touching rules and order Of business should
bereferred to the Committee on Rules. AS no
proposition OF the kind had been made to the
House. nothing had been referred to the Com
mlttee on Rules. and nothing could be reported
from il, for he contended that the Committee on
Rules had no power to originate any measure.
The Speaker said that there were number Of
committees in the House who reported bills.
although such bills had never been referred
to them. The Committee on Appropria-
lions was a striking example. The rule
OF the present House concerning the
power OF the Committee on Rules was
not the same as in the last House. In that
House the rules contained q provision that no
NO rule or standing order should be changed
without one days notice. This clause had
been omitted in the present rules. The pur-
pose Of the omission was to enable tho COM
mittee to submit report without previous no.
tice and without reference. SO that tho House
might determine itself tho daily order OF bust
ness. The Chair overrued the point Of order.
Mr. Burrows appealed from tho decision.
and Mr.. Fitch moved to table the appeal
Pending that" said Mr. Burrows. Il move
that tho House take . recess for an hour"
The Speaker ruled this proposition out Of
order. under the following rule of the House:
IT shall always be In order to call up for
consideration report from the Committee on
Rules. and pending the consideration thereof
me speaker may entertain one motion that
the Bouse adjourn: but after the result is an
nounced he shall not entertain any other dila-
S Iy motion tn the said report shall have been
twill be observed that this rule forbids tho
Speaker to entertain more than one dilatory
md
whether he will entertain even one. Mr.. Bur-
rows protested against the Speakers ruling
upon the ground that there was no report from
the Committee on Rules yet before the House.
The Chair thinks there is" said the
Speaker The gentleman from Mississippi
called 1t up. Before 1t was read the gentleman
rom Michigan raised point on it. which the
Chair overruled"
mr.. BURROWS replied that there WAS nothing
70 call up. MIR. Catchings had simply presented
report to tho House. and he (Mr. Burrows)
MAD OBJECTED to Its reception. raising the point
VI ORDER that the committee had no jurisdic-
uon to make the report. It was idle to talk
ABOUT there being report before the House.
TWAS not In tho possession Of the House till
hhad been read by the Clerk.
To obviate any difficulty Of this sort" said
me Speaker. tho Clerk will read the report"
". ). Houghtaling OF Albany. the reading
cork. In loud voice read the report. Tom
need. MIR. Burrows. Serene Z. Payne. and
oher Republican leaders raised great hubbub
" way OF protest. The Democrats gave free
expression to their delight The report pro-
mded that Immediately upon the adoption OF
inc order the Speaker should In compliance
with the rules. call the committees for report.
ana that the reports then made should be re-
lered to the appropriate calendars. and that
no motion should be entertained or be In order
until this order should have been executed.
lhere was bitter discussion amid the widest
confusion that has been seen In the hall this
session. Tom Reed. In his drawing Yankee
way. gave the "startus OF tho affair."" as he
called 1t. thus:
bo The gentleman from Mississippi a mem
U UeI Of the Committee on Rules. proposed to
present a certain document to the House.
20 10, be acted upon by the House. Prior
ts its reception. as an actual fact. the gem
o aeansa \, from Michigan made the point OF
IL G'a asr that II was not receivable. That them
r. Th .ne question before the House at this time
d ne Speaker recognized 1t to be the pending
question by ruling upon IL. He ruled that the
ssuHHmittee on Rules can originate legislation
ssnu originate action. This is an entirely new