The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-06
WASHINGTON NEWS.
Little Business Transacted in the
House Yesterday.
SENATOR VEST URGES A CHANGE
OF RULES FOR THE SENATE.

He Says the Present Rules Stif1e the
| Freedom of Debate and Facilitate
Parliamentary BIackmailing-Relief
Proposed for the Widow of General
Banks-InternaI Revenue Clerks to be
Placed in Classified Service.
I Washington, December Sin the SEN
ate resolution was offered by
Mr.. PETER. PopuIist, of Kansas. instruGting
the Judiciary committee to inquire and re-
port whether the act of the Secretary of the
Treaury. in issuing and selling United
States bonds was authorized by any act of
Congress. now in force. This was agreed to
without objection.
The resolution offered by Mr.. PETER call
ing on the President for statement of the
facts and circumstances which made the
presence and usa of the United States
troops necessary in Chicago. July, 1891.
after some discussion was referred to the
judiciary committee. Yeas, 43; mas. 4.
The cloture resolution offered by Mr..
Vest, Democrat of Missouri, yesterday. was
laid before the Senate and modified by Mr..
Vest to make it provide the committee on
rules shall report not later than the 10Th
iunbs q pldu Dl lHulletlioilo an. 10
strictions for kthe termination of debate.
and securing final action at fixed time on
any pending motion, bill or resolution. MI.
Vest addressed the Senate il advocacy OF
the resolution. He said: ''Witnout rule
that can limit debate, without the possiblll-
ty of bringing the measure to inalty until
absolute physical and mental exhaustion In
tervenes, the senators in charge OF meas
ure are compelled to remain silent and are
afraid to defend the measure because such
defence would excite attack and give occa-
sion for debate. The present rules stif1e
freedom of debate, and they coeIce Senators
in charge OF bills into silence, they facili-
tate parliamentary Matchmaking. 1t is said
that these rules are now to be changed to
pass tpopgun bills l shall vote for these
! bills, but / don't believe they could pass
this body if vote was to be taken the next
hour, or next day or next wee k, and so be-
lieving, 1 cannot be Influenced in action to
pass these bills. / have no other object by
action, by desire than to relieve the Senate
from the obloquy into which it has been
brought by tie rules as they now exist. U n
til we teach the people that we are not a
body of obstruct ctionfsts, but willing to take
our responsibility and perform functions
imposed upon us, the Senate will fail to
meet its high mission or expectations of
those who brought it into existence. l will
content myself with simply asking the yeas
and nays on the adoption of the resolution -
When Mr.. Vest fnsished, the morning hour
had run out, and under the rule the resolu-
tion would have gone to the calendar, but
Mr.. Harris. Democrat, of Tennessee, pro-
posed it remain in its place on the table.
subject to the call of the author.
The suggestion was accepted by Mr.. Vest,
but objected to by Nj. Aldrich, Republican
of Rhode Island, and the resolution went to
the calendar.
Mr.. Chandler, Republican of New Hamp-
shire. made Mr.. Vests speech and resolu-
tion the text of some sarcastic remarks as
to the conversion wrought by means of
the recent elections.
Mr.. Vest gave notice that he, would to-
morrow move to take the resolution from
the calendar, and have a vote of the Senate
upon it, and then, after an executive ses-
sion, the Senate adjourned.