Huntsville gazette., 1893-08-05
An IMPORTANT MOVE.
The Next House Will Fortify Against
Minority Control.
A NEW SET OF RULES
General Catchings Thinks That Side Is
sues VIII Be Left Out In the Gem
ing Congress and Prompt
Work VIII BE the Rule.

w ASHlNGION, aug. 4. ING Auios
committee will be announced promptly
after the house has been organized and
will begin work at once on a code of
procedure. The committee will con-
sist of three Democrats and two Repub-
licans, with the Speaks, as chairman
ex-officio. Speaker Crisp, General
Catchings, of Mississippi, and Mr.. Nc
Millin. of Tennessee, composed the ma
iority membership of the committee in
the last house, and it is more than like
" that they will control the committee
in the new house. This will insure ex-
perienced work for the guidance of the
house, and rules that will enable the
majority to do business and at the same
time protect the rights of the minority.
The principal defect in the rules of
the last house was the absence of any
adequate clause providing against fiji
clustering, and there is general feel
Ing that the matter should be remedied
in the new code. The remedy lies in
giving the speaker power over dilatory
motions The question has not as yet
gone beyond informal suggestions, but
those who are to be charged officially
with its settlement are known to be in
favor of a thoroughly business like
method of guaranteeing majority rule.
Speaking to press representatives oD
tho subject, General Catchings said:
"There has been some apprehension
that filibustering would be invoked in
the contest over the silver question, but
l regard that as groundless. Affairs
have reached that stage now when the
country is demanding prompt action on
the part of congress in correcting pass
Injurious fiscal legislation, and neither
side can afford to become merely obstruc
tionists. Reasonable debate is to be
expected and should be provided for.
ThequeStion is of the highestimportance
and will be and should be carefully,
considered. But when that shall have
been done and the house is ready to
vote on the question, then vote will
be taken. Obstruction at such time
for mere distractions sake would not
be tolerated either by the house or by
the country at large.
"The attention of the whole country
the one question under consideration.
There will be no side issues. Congress
will have come together in extra session
for specific purpose, and until that
purpose shall have been executed by
giving the people some relief from un-
wise laws; nothing else will be consid-
cred The estimates for the appropria-
tions will not come In until late, and
even then if the house is not ready for
them, it can lay them aside. There will
be plenty of time at the regular session
for preparing the appropriation bills.
In this way the whole time of the house
can be given to the financial question
and its early settlement made impera-
tive. In my Judgment the filibuster
will not find his opportunity during the
extra session. The stake is too high
and the responsibility too great. The
fact that congress must take action of
some kind on the financial question will
operate to fix and keep the contest
about silver on higher plane than
bushwhacking about technicalities.
''But the question Of rules, said Gen
eral Catchings IN conclusion, 'must be
settled for the regular as well as for the
extra session, and with regard to legis-
lation of every kind The house needs,
and I believe will adopt. rules giving
the majority full control of business.
Tyranny is no part Of such rules. The
minority has its rights, and they should
be well guarded. But they are rights
of debate and amendment, and should
be confined there. They should never
extend to obstruction and control. This
whole question will be carefully consid-
cred both by the committee on rules
and by the house. and the result is
likely to prove satisfactory to and be
indorsed by the country. We have
reached the day of big things and i'm
perative things, and the demand for ac-
tion by congress is so urgent and so
wide extended that the smaller phases
of parliamentary devices, such as fill
clustering and the like, must be dis
pensed with,
A Pension Companion.
WASHINGTON, Aug. At is stated at
the pension Office that an inspection Of
therecords show that during the months
Of January, February and March. 1898,
the last months of General Raum's ad-
ministration of the pension bureau, 81 :