New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-24
A LEGISLATIVE BOTCH.
WRETCHED MISMANAGEMENT OF THE
QUARANTINE BILL IN TIE HOUSE.
THE MEASURE is PASSED. BUT TAMNANY REPRE-
sENTATIvE5 ARE IN HIGH FEATHER


n Congress In high feather TO night worse
Legislative botch than the management Of the Quaran
tine bill In the House OF representatives, and te result
thereof, has seldom never been seen. For this
the country will make mistake II |, holds responsible
Mr. Rayner. OF Maryland, and the Tammany represen'
tatves from New-lork acting under the orders Of
" Boss" Crokers Observation-Disclosures health officer OF
the port Of NewYorH. As the matter now stands, the
prospect OF quarantine legislation by this Congress
Is doubtful and precautions than 1t was when
the Senate bill reached the House nearly ii fortnight
ago, and left on the speakers table at the re-
quest OF Mr. Rayner.
1t Is pertinent here briefly b explain why this Is
50. Early In the session NJ. Rayner offered a bill
for National quarantine, which was referred TO the
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Of
which he is a member. The bill was modfcd 10 such
an extent by the committee TO become virtually
new BILL and the ordinary and usual methods oil pro
cedure would have been to report 1t as substitute
for the Rayner bill and other bills on the same sub
ject. which had been referred TO the committee In
this case different and rather extraordinary course
was adopted in Difference 1t Is asserted, TO the over
weening vanity Of Mr. Rayner. WHO was ambitious t.
have the proposed law known as the Hayncr ACT
and his bill was reported back TO the House shorn OF
all its original features the enacng clause ana
with addition OF sections when III form ana SUI
stance closely followed the lines Of the Senate bill
Two days after this bill reported TO the House
tho bill which had been unanimously passed by the
mains II IL had been referred 20 the Committee anu
rcported back with amendments to make II conform 10
the House bill the present unfortunate ana peca'io">
parliamentary condition Of the proposed lesisiauoh
would lave been avoiGed. Leaving on the speaker
table placed 1t in the power of single member 10 pre-
vent Ia Substitution for the House bill uhuer 'he
snllsl order as Mr.. Rayner must have known wheh
he prevented It's reference to his committec-a power
which was promptly eXerted by Amos Cummings ""'n
the former asked unanimous consent 10 SUBSTITUTE "
last Thursday.
The House was therefore compelled to cohsluer ."'
House BILL under the eccentric and ineiceh' Paii'"
mehhry leadership of Mr. Rayner VINO "ppc'neu ~
hatH become a mere puppet In the haids OF bo"'he
Cochran, the Tammany leader In that oouS' iiV "'
so far as openly 10 declare when Vo'e was aoo.'
TO be taken on the jenkins amendment, I''"t iS
rejection would mean the defeat of the bill. IL IS
difficult to believe that Mr. Rayner was lsiicere 4"
his professions In favor OF National Quarantine Ia"
q moro charitable and doubtless a more correct eA-
uanoton is that he weakly yielded to the Duaozihs
threats OF Representatives who obey the ordeis VI
Brotherin-law jenkins
There Is reason TO suppose that MT. i'"S"e'
private opinion I'm regard TO DR.. JENKINS ana HIS
administration Of the quarantine service OF the great
civ OF NewYork Is very different from that eoitori
al,y EXPRESSED In "The Baltimore sun week ago
In an editorial in favor Of National quarantine law
"The SUM-" after referring to the "biuhacrs' par
barities and general incompctency displayed 1T Tue
greatest State 10 the Union. in the treatment OF the
steamship NormahDia ana her passengers last sepem
ber.' said i
Undoubtedly of the arguments for o Ma5U9
oussa1ine. law % be s Tn'en b gs would be- less ike
nhood Of the recurrence Of such spectacle OF ncoi
peeacs na and cruelty to individuals
was furnished in the case Of the Nornanna'
Mr. Rayncr, however. despite his public and private
professions. and despite the severe condemnation OF
~ Mt the
leading Democratic newspaper of his own STATE and |
city, meekly surrendered vital point In the Dill |
after he had first placed the measure In such
predicament that 1t could not be sent TO committee |
OF conference and that yea and nay vote could nOt
be taken in the House the jenkins amendment, as
the Republicans. under the lead Of Mr. Bouelle de-
manded and q score or more Of anu-lammany Demo
Gratis desired.
The result OF Mr.. Rayncr's weakness and mistakes
and the skilin Juggling of Tammany Is that the
House bill will be sent the Senate where 1t will be
REFERRED under the rule to committee to receive con
alteration like any other measure originating In the
House. The bill which passed the Senate by vir-
tuay unanimous vote. has been lost in the shuttle
TO Use phrase which is expressive than elegant
Intellectual apparently well meant efforts TO res
cue II were made today after the House bill had been
reported from the Committee OF the Whole, and the
House soon became involved in tangle which bade
fair TO become ineXticabe every parlam2n,arian
In that body it TO be unnecessary and inexcusa
lie. Even the SPEAKER appeared 10 be netiled and
unable 10 see any way out Of the difficulty, and Mr.
Rayner at last gave up his attempt to bring tie pend
Ing measure into parliamentary relations with the
senate td SO that the matter could be sent TO com
mlttee Of conference. lie demanded the previous
question on the passage OF the BILL and Mr.. Reilly
moved TO recommit IT, with instructions 10 report back
the Senate bill with several amendments.
The motion TO rccommit lost by vote OF 81
yeas to 157 nays, and the bin was then passed by
vote of 1913 to 90 Mr.. Boutelle then suggested to
Bourke Cochran that tne title ought TO be amended so
as TO read a bill to establish a quarantine along
the borders Of every sovereign state against the a
thorty OF the United States" but the suggestion was
not accepted.
or all the amendments offered In the Committee Of
the Whole to-day only four were adopted. One was
by Mr. Tracey and II broadens somewhat and defines
more clrarly the authority OF the secretary OF 'he
Treasury in regard 10 vessels sailing from infected
foreign ports to ports OF the United states another
vides for quarantine along the Canadian ana Mexican
borders; third. by Mr.. Grain Of Texas, provides provides
besides cholera aud yellow fever ana me lonitu py
W Mallory Of Ffrds is Identical WIN SrSSn n ih
proper author's Of State shall surrender 10 the
United states the use Of The buildings ana o th cec
rotary Of the Treasury shall be authorized 10 receive
them and - pay a reasonable compensation 10 inc
Mr. Cummings, Of New-York moved TO strike out
tn third sscS sr III order r 4 ge S %'r1 T board
Health. whose name lie did not give. assailing the
proposed legislation and the officers Of the Marine
Hospital service Mr.. Cummings also declared Win
good deal " heat and emphasis that the penang
bill "overridcs state rights and notice that
hereafter he would give mo quarter" when measures
should be brought forward Which invaded the rights
Of the sovereign states.
: AIR. Covert, OF New-York, offered an amendment
the establishment maintenance OF any
mis- antinc station In a place where 10 would endanger
Inc fife or safety Of people living I'm the vicinity:
lIe referred the destruction OF quarantine hospital
,n Staten Island some wears ago and 10 the estab-
ist5yeat OF q quarantine station on Fire Island last
nh ax examples OF what ought not 10 be allowed 10
Je done. His reference 10 the latter was cnivened
M gomc sharp criticisms Of the action OF Governor
Flower who found a vigorous defender in Ma Bacon.
Mr.. Covert's amendment was rejected by an over
whclmipg majority.
THE fate 81 LEGISLATION This Congress