Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-08-30

animated discussion over the rules be-
tween Speaker Crisp and ex.Speaker
Reed enlivened the proceedings OF the
House to-day. At times the debate was
somewhat personal, and each speaker
received the plaudits Of his party
friends.
Mr.. Aiken offered a resolution pro-
viding for a special committee OF five
members to Investigate the Ford Thea
tire disaster, land to determine what
action should be taken for the relief OF
the families OF the victims" Referred
to Committee on Rules.
Mr.. CatchiDgs called up the report OF
the Committee on Rules, reporting the
rules for the present House.
After some discussion Mr.. Catchings
conceded that there should be general
debate, and be briefly explained the
changes made in the rules.
When speaking in favor Of the rule
making a quorum Of the Committee OF
the Whole one hundred members, he
was interrupted by Mr.. Kilgore, with
the inquiry whether quorum OF the
Committee OF the Whole should not be
the same as the quorum Of the House.
In reply Mr.. Catchings said that the
adoption of this rule by the Fifty-frst
Congress was good and beneficial. APP
plause.
Mr.. Reed twitted the Democrats upon
their partial approval Of the rules Of the
Fifty-frSt Congress, but, in humorous
vein, contended that they had not gone
far enough. He then, In more serious
manner, argued in favor Of the rights OF
the majority, which rights had been
firmly maintained in the Fifty y-frst Con-
gress. Why not adopt system of rules
which would give 10 the majority con-
troll and take away from the tiIibuSterer
his opportunity to stop the considera-
tion OF a measure. II was better TO have
Speaker exercise power in the full
light Of public opinion than TO exercise 1t
in the secIusion of the committee room.
MR.. CRISP TAKES THE FLOOR.
Then for the first time, this session,
the Speaker took the floor, having called
Mr.. Richardson, (Tenn.) TO the chair,
and replied to the criticisms Of the gem
tleman from Maine. He said there
were provisions in this code which were
taken substantially from the rules OF
the Fifty-First Congress. Neither him
seSf, nor any member of the Committee
Oh Rules would refrain from reporting
rules simply because they were part OF
the rules of the Fifty-First Congress.
Very much Of those rules was TO be
commended, very much OF those rules
had been by the country absolutely con-
demned.
The first action in the Fifty-frst Con-
gress which was odious to the country
was not an action under any rule; but
IL was the arbitrary high handed action
on the part Of the Speaker without au-
shortly of rules, without authority OF
any one. [Applausel. When the charges
were made against the Fifty-frst Con-
gress, let no one forget that the first
charge was that without authority OF
the House without the authority OF the
Committee on Rules, the Speaker had
exercised a power that had never been
granted to him. Appiausel !.
He had assumed upon himself the
power TO count quorum. The ques-
tion had gone to the Supreme Court OF
the United States and the gentleman
from Maine (Reed) had never been
justified. He had heard the gentleman
from Maine several times say that the
Supreme Court had justified his course.
The Supreme Court had not touched
the question. The gentleman had re-
ferred 10 the power lodged in the Com
mittee on Rules. Let him Crisp call
the gentleman's attention to the dis
tinction that existed between the policy
of the gentleman from Maine and the
policy of the present Committee on
Rules. The gentleman from Maine be-
lieVed that power should be lodged In
the Speaker absolutely to decide what
was dilatory motion. Under the sys-
tenn proposed by the Committee on
Rules, it was left to
THE HOUSE TO DECIDE
whether the motion was dilatorY or not.
The system adopted by the Fifty-second
Congress, and now readopted by the
Committee on Rules, was to maintain,
not the individual judgment OF the
Chair, but the judgment OF the majority
OF the House. The Speaker was not
granted the authority TO control legisla-
tion; the Committee on Rules was not
granted such authority; the authority
rested In the majority Of the House.
Under the rules proposed, dilatory mo-
tions would be avoided for the House
had due power to reach that result by a
report from the Committee on Rules.
The power lodged in that committee
was simply to report proposition. The
committee could not adopt cloture. IL
could not fix the order OF business with
out the consent of the House. Instead
of following the old method, when fill
clustering could not have been stayed,
Instead of following the rules OF the
Fifty-frst Congress, the Fifty-second
Congress had taken a middle course.
To him 1t was a source OF pleasure and
delight that the people endorsed that
course and had returned a large
Democratic majority TO the House. The
people had decided that they did not
believe that any man who was sent here
as their representative should be 1e
their master. Applause. No :
could dictate TO them. Apr
Whenever, OF recent years, Rep
had come into power in this HoY
lease Of power had been one tef
Keller had been Speaker one
then he and his party had be-
ated. lApplause. The gent
Maine (Reedl had stated by
sertion that the Fifty-f
should be regarded as ar
should be followed By