New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-08
ONE SHEET OF THE REPORT 'Lool.
STRIKING INDICATION or sLPsioD METHODS
IN THE HOUSE.


STRIKING INDICATION or sLIPsHoD METHODS
IN THE HOUSE.
Washington. Aug 1speciaD.-The fact that the
House of Representatives was compelled Yesterday
TO recall from the Senate the conference report
upcn the River and Harbor bill because part OF the
report had mysteriously disappeared directs a''eh
ton In a rather startling fashion to the loose ana
slipshol manner In which the business OF the HOUSE.
* hcna done Errors which creep into engrossed
bills through the careless work OF copystS are ire
quent enough and prove source OF much annoy
once I'm the last hours Of an expiring Congress
As a rule however they are corrected In Time ana
rarely involve large amounts OF money b"' 'i'c
abstraction Of an entire sheet In a conference re-
port as was the case yesterday, demoiSrates inc
possibility OF defeating In the easiest manner I'M
aginabe valuable and important legislation III ''o
cosng hours OF a Congress
According TO the statement Of Mr. Catchings' VINO
had the conference report in charge IL WAS h'S'
prepared In the room Of the Committee on COM
mcrcc Of the Senate by the clerk OF that committee
II was then copied by the clerk OF the Committee
on Rivers and Harbors.
After that had been done" Mr.. Catchings ex-
pained to the House II sat down myself and took
one copy In my hand and the clerk took the other
I'm his hand. and we made "A careful ana accurate
comparison and found It TO be entirely correct
But lest there might have been some error theSe
,ro renorts were again carefully compared on the
Rivers and Harbors Of the House and the clerk OF
the senate Committee on Commerce ana were
again found to be absolutely correct
These amendments. gentlemen know are on
separate sheets Of paper. They were tneh taken
and put carefully together and rubber pahd put
around them and brought straight from IN" sen
ute Committee on Commerce and handed IN by me
from my seat here. Now. gentlemen can FORM some
sort Of an opinion to whether there was any
possibility OF that sheet containing one o, the
amendments. being lost by me under the e'rcuih-
stances As the House had agreed 10 the
conferenc" report said to one Of me s?I"s sbeI
II 10 be carried AT once to the Senate 50 thdt th"y
could act upon It that afternoon and inys.n
saw him out with Tin his mana ',o'ie ~, IN
siderable time after that the gent,ina rom III
gon Mr. hermann came TO M ana sau ''a' w ss,
bin had not gone 20 the senate 6ut tha' ~ t Va
then out in the clerks office. and being fumpled
and handled and hauled about by nat' o
Of gentlemen. went out and myself saw tlSmi -,
ten gentlemen standing there pulling ana hau'"s
In reply 10 a question by Colonel Grosvenor. Mr.
Cachngs admitted that thess gentlemSh ",rg no,
their names Presumably taey were peopr mr. n.y.,
est,I IN one way another IN the appropriations
which the biz contained Possibly they were mem
Aucr Major Towle. the clerk OF the House. had
such a condition OF aHairs TO exist IN his ONO, ne
ovcrhanl,d hts subof !nat"s ani the DliI ~as 80
sheet OF ~. report missing II contained an
Amendment reducing the appropriation Tor Botton
~ \
Nr Cn,chings says II simply piece Of care
lessne-s" This Is 4 rather astounding We" 70
TAKE u the matter. suppose that In IN" dm futufs
an agreement on the farm IN. should be reported
and by some unexplained hOcus pocus as In the
present Instance the sheet containing the amend
n cnt to place sugar on the free list should be
lost. that would also be most likely simply
MEG. of rAr.lt 81 Mr.. Reed pointed On'.
IN ". are liable - have things occur merely
bv accident s, leaves open a tremendous chance
10 do something ~ IN" sam" sort by design Ana
In these days when the .ohhy swarms with the
represennv.s Of the Sugar Trust this u precisely
what iF likely 10 occur.
Win the lesson taught In this instance before
them (; ~ strange that not one ~ the Democratic
leaders In the House. no; even the Speaker, has
though, u taking the necessary steps % prevent
IN. recurrence Of such a scandal