The herald., 1893-08-30
house PhooEEDINas.

Rood and Crisp Have . Tilt on the
Question of Rules.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29.-In the house
today Aitken offered resolution provid-
ing for a special committee to investi-
gate the Ford's theater disaster, and to
determine what action should be taken
for the relief OF the, families OF the vic
tins. Referred to the committee on
rules.
Catchings called up the report of the
committee on rules and debate followed.
An animated discussion over the rlles
was had between Speaker Crisp and ex-
Speaker Reed, the latter criticising the
report. For the first tima this session
the speaker took the floor, having called
Richardson of Tennessee to the chair,
and replied to the criticisms of the gen.
tleman from Maine. At times the de-
bate was somewhat personal, and each
speaker received the plaudits OF his
party friends.
Reed argued in favor Of the rights Of
the majority as firmly maintained in
the Fifty-frst congress. He criticised
the provision OF the rules which he
claimed vested the committee on rules
with authority which should be vested
in the speaker. Why not adopt rules
giving the majority control, and taking
away from the filibusterer the opportu-
nifty to stop consideration OF measure.
Crisp said many Of the rules OF the
Fifty-first congress were to be commend.
ed many others had been condemned
by the country. Among the actions In
the Fifty-first congress which were odi-
ous to the country was the arbitrary,
high-handed action on the part OF the
speaker, without authority OF rules
or anything else. The speaker
assumed power to count quo
rum and he (Reed) had claimed
| that the supreme court justified his
course. This was not so; the supreme
court said the house had q right to make
| its own rules. but 1t never said the
| speaker should make them. The sys-
ten adopted BY ths Eiitg,sscoqRyd .s ss!eas. con-
Z Lfai.- not ti1e iuyi1vIuual Judgment OF the
chair but the Judgment Of the majority
OF the house. Dilatory motions would
! be avoided, for the house had due power
to reach that result by report from the
committee on rules. He (Crisp) pre-
ferred the approval of man who be-
lieved he had right to exercise all
the power, and claimed that in so doing
he permitted the majority to rule. The
gentleman from Maine (Reed) AFRO
gantly asserted that the Fifty-frst con-
Rress should be regarded as an example
that should be followed by allcongresses
He (Crisp) felt as the people Of the coun-
try felt, that the Fifty-frat Congress wac
usurpation that ought to be repudi-
ated.
Reed, in reply, regretted that the
speaker left his position to take part in
discussion on the floor and introduce in
to the debate partizanship. This was a
public question. He believed the policy
of the Fifty-frst congress had received
the approval of the supreme court. He
regretted that the Democrats merely
adopted half of the rules of the Fifty
first congress, but thought they were
on the road to adopting them ali.
Debate was continued by Messrs.
Springer, Boatner, Hooker. Pickler,
Cummings, Hepburn and Bryan.
Then the subject was dropped and
Springer introduced bill to provide
for the coinage of the seignorage silver
in the treasury. Referred. Adjourned.