Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-30
NOW THE SENATE.
VOORHEES, BILL REPORTED AS SUB
STlTUTE FOR WILSON MEASURE.
The House Ruies-Discussion Of the Auto
cratic Methods OF Ex-Czsr Reed
Crisp on tho Floor.
lBy Telegraph to The Rich mond Dispatch.l


notice that he should ask the Senate to
take II up Immediately after morning
business from this time on until hnal ac-
tion Ia taken. when he called II up Mr..
Teller objected 10 It's Immediate consldera-
ton, and It goes over until tomorrow.
The Stewart resolution, inquiring into
the condition OF the Treasury, was then
considered.
The resolution was referred to the
finance committee. and Mr.. Cor
don addressed the Senate In ad,
vocacv Of the unconditional repeal
OF the Sherman act. lie declared that he
could not vote for any measure that IN
volved delay, and that he was, therefore,
opposed 10 the substitute reported today.
Mr.. Teller addressed the Senate in an
argument TO prove that the Sherman law
r. not responsible for the financial
troubles OF the country. Mt 4:3O, with
out concluding his remarks, he yielded
for motion TO proceed to executive
business. and afterwards. at $40, the
Senate adjourned until tomorrow.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
There was a great falling off in the at
tendance Of both members and audience
this morning and the House resumed us
routine appearance.
Mr.. Aitkin (Mlch.) offered n resolution
providing for a special committee OF hVe
members TO investigate the Ford's Theater
disaster. and to determine what action
should he taken for the relief Of the fami-
lies Of the victims. Referred to the COM
mittee on rules.
MIR. Catchings CMiss) then called up the
report Of the committee on rules, report
ing the rules for the present House. After
the reading OF the proposed rules dis-
cussion of the time TO be devoted to de-
bate was participated in. Mr.. Catchlngs
wanted the paragraphs Of the rules to be
read seriatim and to be debated under the
1ve-minute rule; and Mr.. Reed (Me) de-
manded a general discussion. Mr.. Reed
said that he had never heard of such a
proposition as was now made to the House
If the House wished to cut off the debate
there was nothing that could prevent IT,
and there was nothing that should pre-
vent it.
The outcome Of the controversy was
that Mr.. Catchings conceded that there
should be "A general debate, and briefly he
explained the changes made in the rules.
When speaking in favor OF the rules max
ing a quorum of the committee Of the
whole 100 members he was interrupted by
Mr.. Kilgore CTeXas) with the inquiry
whether a quorum OF the committee Of the
whole should not be the same as a
quorum of the House. In reply Mr.. Catch
ines said that the adoption Of this rule by
the Fifty-hrst Congress was good and
beneficial. Applause)
Ex-Speaker Reed made one OF his char
acteristic speeches, criticising the rules,
and Speaker Crisp took the floor and re-
piled.
The Speaker said there were provisions
in this code which were taken substan-
TALLY from the rules of the Fifty First
Congress. Neither himself nor any mem
Der Of the committee on rules would re-
frain from reporting rules simply be-
cause they were part Of the rules of the
Fifty First Congress Very much or
those rules was to be commended; very
much OF those rules had been by the
country absolutely condemned
When the charges were made against
the Fifty First Congress, let no one for
get that, without authority OF the house,
without the authority of the committee
on rules, the Speaker had exercised n
power that had never been granted to
him. (Applause)
He had assumed TO himself the power to
appoint quorum.The question had gone
to the Supreme Court of the United
He had assumed to himself the power to
ar1uoint n quorum Tho question had
gone TO the Supreme Court Of the Unit
cd States and the gentleman from
Maine had never been justified. lie had
heard the gentleman from Maine seN-
eral times say that the supreme CouIt
had justified his course. The supreme
Co.,rt had not touched the question. The
Supreme Court had said that the ilouse
bod RIGHT to make the rules Tor us
M IL
rrovisions for the ascertainment OF the
rroeence OF a quorum, but II had never
ga that the Speaker should make the
rules (applause) a., ,,o,vor
n.y. gentleman had referred to the power
1odced in the Committee on Rules Let
mir, oCrisp) call the gentlemans attehIloll
to the distinction that existed betWee"
the no'icv of the gentleman from MalHe
or1 the policv OF the present commute
on Rules. The gentleman from Name
believed that power should he lodged III
the Sneaker absolutely to decide Wha'
was a dultory motion. Under the system
nronosed bv the Committee on Rules, II
was left to the House TO decide Whether
the motion was dilitory or not.
The system adopted by the Fifty-secohd
Congress and now re-adOpted by the CoiI-
rnittee on Rules was to maintain not tn'
individual judgment OF the chalT' put IHe
judgement of the majority of the House.
The Speaker was not granted the aVtior'
itv TO control legislation; the Committee
on Rules was not granted such authority;
the authority rested in the majority OF
the House. Under the rules proposed oil
atory motions would be avoided, for the
House had due power to reach that result
bv a report from the Committee on Rules
The power lodged in that committee was
simply to report a proposition. The com
mittee could not adopt closure. IL could
not fix the order OF business without the
consent of the House.
Whenever, of recent years. the Repub-
licans had come into power in this House
their lease of power had been one term.
Mr. Keifer had been speaker one term,
and then he and his party had been re-
pudiated. (applause)
He Crisp preferred the approval OF the
people that he represented, TO the appro-
etaoi etaoin etaoinetstao taoin halntaol
val of a man that believed that he had the
right to exercise all power and claimed
all power forsooth. that in doing So ht
had permitted I he majority TO rule.
against
The gentleman from Maine had stated by
arrogant assertion that the Fifty First
Congress should be regarded as an example
that should be followed by all congress
men. Against that proposition he CRISP
desired 20 enter his protest He felt' as
the people of the country feel. that The
Fifty First Congress was an unsurpatioi
that ought to be repudated, and, with th'
with the people, ne repudiated 1t, here anC
now. (Applause)
The debate was continued by Messrs
Springer, Boatner. Hooker, Of Mississippi
who contended that the membership o
the committee on rules should be increas
ed: Pickler, Republican, who agreed
with Hooker on this point; Cummings
Hepburn. of Iowa. and Bryan.
Then the subject was dropped ana Mr.
Springer introduced bill to provide 10
coinage of the seignorage SILVER III III
Treasury Referred. ,,..a
The house. then, at DID, aulourneu'