New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-18
UNwIELpY HOUSE COMMITTEES.

THE PROPOSED INCREASE NOT FAVORED By
SOME EXPERIENCED REPRESENTATIVES
Washington, Aug. II (SpeciaD.-The pressure ior
the appointment of the committees is SO strohS
and the anxiety Of many of the members 10 Kno"
where they are to be placed is so great that the
House may be asked to authorize Speaker crisp 10
act in the matter before the general code OF rules
Is reported for adoption meeting Of the Com
mittee on Rules held this morning, and certain
notifications that had been agreed upon by the
Democratic members Of the committee were laiu
before the Republican members, but no action was
taken and another meeting will be held Tomorrow
Speaker Crisp and other members of the commit
tee were exceedingly reticent in regard to the
changes that under consideration one OF which
is the proposition to increase the NUMBER OF mei-
bers Of half a dozen or more OF the leading COM
mittees from fifteen to seventeen each IL Is I'M
derstood that this change II adopted will affect the
Committee on Ways and Means. Appropriations
Ranking and Currency Coinage. Agriculture, Rivers
and Harbors and probably several OF the other
committees mentioned In these dispatches several
days ago.
Some Of the older and more experienced members
of the House arr opposed TO the proposed increase
the effect of which they think would not be 10
facilitate legislation In conversation with Trib-
une correspondent to-day Representative OF long
and varied experience said: Il think that some OF
the committees already too large. com
mittee large enough to deal with the business 10
before II, and TO allow a Ialr representation
of the different parties and phases of sentiment In
the House is better than a larger one. AS COM
mittees increase in size, does the tendency
toward partisan caucus legislation. The members
of the majority consult together and frame "A
measure to which they can all agree without con-
sutine the views of the members of the minority.
and the bill is then brought into the committee
and adopted as a whole, with little or no discus
sion or consideration Of the details. ! regard that
method as vicious in the extreme and bar TO
intelligent legislative action. and II Is method
which large membership OF committees invites
and fosters. There are other objections which
might be urged against large committees but the
one mentioned l regard perhaps the most
serious
1t Is only necessary to recall the manner in which
the Dark Lantern" tariff bill OF 1883 was framed
to show that this objection is sound. although the
Committee on Ways and Means. which 1t is now
proposed to increase 10 seventeen. then consisted
OF only thirteen members, eight of whom were
Democrats After the eight Democrats had framed
that famous measure and agreed upon It, subse-
quent committee consideration the meiest
fornlalty, not to say farce; for argument that
the Republican members could offer. no facts
which they could submit changed the bill iota
i'm any particular. Sprnger's 'pop-gun' tariff bills
manner by Democrats. ana the silver bills
now pending in the House of Representatives. UNI
an amendment by any Republican member were
framed by self-constituted and irregular partisan
committees representing the hostile factions into
which the Democratic majority Is divided. This
proceeding, barring the fact OF the iilcgitimate
Constitution of the two Silver committees. is
analogous to the proceedings which many Repub.
Iicans expect to be had after the membership OF
the regularly authorized committees nave
been increased. as now proposed