The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-08-30

WASHINGTON, Aug. 29.-There was
great falling off in the attendance of
both members and audience this morn
ing and the House resumed it's routine
appearance. Catchings called up the
report Of the committee on rules, re-
porting the rules for the present House.
After the reading of the proposed rules
discussion Of time to be devoted to
debate was precipitated.
The outcome Of the controversy was
that Catchings conceded that there
should be general debate, and briefly
he explained the changes made in the
rules.
When speak ng in favor OF the rule
making quorum of the committee of
the whole one hundred members, he
was interrupted by Kilgore with the
inquiry whether quorum of the COM
mittee of the whole should not be the
same as quorum of the House. In
reply Catching said that the adoption
Of this rule by the Fifty -frst Congress
was good and beneficial (Applause).
Reed twitted the Democrats upon
their partial approval of the rules of the
Fifty first Congress. but in a humorous
vein contended they had not gone far
enough. He then in a more serious
majority, which rights had been firmly
maintained in the Fifty-first Congress.
Now the House was in the habit of
lodging the measures instead of meeting
them.
He criticized the provision Of rules
which, he claimed, vested committees
on rules which authority which should
be vested in the Speaker.
After Reed finished, for the first time
this session the Speaker took the floor,
having called Richardson, Tenn, into
the chair and replied to the crit
icisms of the gentleman from Maine
He said there were provisions in this
code which were taken substantially
from the rules OF the Fifty first Con-
gress. Neither himself nor any mem
ler Of committee on rules would re-
ffain from repeating the rules, simply
because they rare part of the rules Of
the Fifty FIRST Co gress. Very much of
those rules was to be commended, very
much of those rules had been by the
country absolutely condemned.
The gentleman from Maine, when he
stood up before the country and spoke
OF the rules of the Fifty first Congress,
failed to speak of the practices adopted
before the rules were adopted, which
were so odious to the country (applsuse)
The first action of the Fifty first Con-
gress, which was odious to the country,
was not an action under any rule; but it
was arbitrary, high handed action on
the part of the Speaker without author
ity OF rules, without authority of any.
one (applause). When the charges were
made against the Fifty. first Congress
let no one forget that the first charge
was that without the authority of the
House, without the uthority of the CON-
mittee on rules, the Speaker had
exercised u power that had never been
granted him. (Applause). He had
assumed upon himself power to count
quorum. The question had gone to
the Supreme Court Of the United States
and the gentleman from Maine 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 Supreme
Court had said that the House had
right to make its rule for its own gov
ernment and make its own provisions
for the ascertainment of the presence
of quorum, but it had never said
that the Speaker should make rules
lApplause). The gentleman had re.
ferred TO the power lodged in the COM
mittee on rules.
The system adopted by the Fifty
second Congress and now rea iopted by
the com mittee on rules was to maintain
no individual judgment of the chair,
butH Judgment OF the majority of the
House. The speaker was not granted
authority to control legislation The
committee on rules was not granted such
authority; the authority rested in the
majority OF the House.
10 him twas a source OF pleasure and
delight that the people had Endorsed the
middle course taken by the Fifty second
Congress and had returned
large Democratic majority to tt o
House. The people did rot bes
lieve any man who was sent here as
their representative should become
their master (applause). No man could
dictate to them (applause). Whenever
OF recent years the Republicans had
come inlo power in this House their
lease OF power had been one term. He
Crisp preferred the approval OF the
people that he represented to the APP
proval OF man who believed he had
the right to exercise all power claimed
forsooth that in doing 80 he had per.
mitted the majority to rule. He felt
that the Fifty. first Congress was an
usurpation that ought to be repudiated
and with the people ne repudiated here
and now (applause).
Reed, in reply, said that it was an
usual for the presiding officer of this
body to leave his exalted position and
to partake in discussion on the floor; 1t
was even question whether he ought
to do it at all. But of this action he m ade
no question. The gentleman from