The Washington times., 1894-08-04
Public Printing Bill Raises a Storm
in the House.
SOME INNOCENT" AMENDMENTS
Concur-He Was Made to Smart for It
Cat Let Out Of the Bag-0pportunity to
Bluff the Civil Service-Sent to Conference.

| Tennessee, described as "immaterial," made
by the Senate to the bill providing for the
public printing and binding and the distribu
tion OF public documents, provoked a very
lively tilt of parliamentary jargon, mixed
with few unpleasant personal references
when the measure was yesterday laid before
the House.
The Joint Committee on Printing was by
one of the amendments given power to con-
troll the appointments of chief clerk OF the
Printing Office and the foremen Of printing
| and binding.
Messrs. Warner and Hopkins were loud in
their denunciation of the attempt to "rail-
| road" the motion through. A motion to non-
concur prevailed. Tho bill was then sent to
conference. Messrs Richardson, McKalg and
Broderick being appointed conferees.
When Mr.. Richardson presented the bill he
moved to concur in the amendments and by
| request of Mr.. Burrows. he also made long
explanation OF it, declaring, in brief, that
among these various amendments there are
| some to which he would not be inclined to
agree, but they are so unimportant as COM
pared with the magnitude of the measure
that he did not feel willing to occupy further
time or delay further the passage of the bill
by raising any question in regard to them.
AN UNwIsE PROPOSITION.
Mr. Hopkins, Of Illinois. interrupted to say
that there is large minority in the House
who believe that the bill itself is an unwise
with Mr.. Richardson as to which OF the two
had the floor. When this was settled in the
latters favor he was then subjected to a run
ming fire OF questions from Messrs. Kilgore
and Coombs
Mr.. Kilgore asserted that the important
| amendments to the bill ought to be printed in
the Record and called up for consideration
tomorrow, or at some other time TO be fixed.
There is no necessity" said he, ''for great
deal Of unnecessary haste in pushing it
through the House. We ought to be able to
understand what it does and what it means.
1t is voluminous measure; covers great
many changes in the matter OF printing and
the distribution of public documents.
Mr.. Richardson replied that there is no
Senate amendment that changes that matter.
1t is just as it passed the House.
He explained then that the bill provides
that the office of superinten dent Of docu-
ments in the Interior Department shall be
abolished, and it provides that there shall be
a superintendent of documents appointed by
the Puolic Printer, who will discharge the
duties of that bureau there, and be paid out
of the funds provided for the public printing.
Mr.. WARSER-Will the gentleman permit
me TO ask him question?
Mr.. RIcHARDsoS-Certainl
Mr.. WARSER-This is a very voluminous
bill. MAY ask him with respect to the
amendments which have been referred to il
there is any objection to let them be printed,
in order that the House may have time TO
consider them and know what they are? /
differ entirely with the gentleman as to
Vh her al
not. do not care TO see put in the hands of
the Senate committee such an amount of
power and such an opportunity to bluff the
civil service Of this government as in this BILL
as | read it, is proposed to be given. 1t
seems to me that this matter might lie over
and might wait until members have time to
consider II.
matter of this importance, which has been
before this House SO many times, and in
which each time there has been so much
question, should not be passed upon in this
summary way. Loud applause.l
USREAsoSABLESEss OF THE STATEMENT.
Mr.. RIcHARDsoN-Now. Mr.. Speaker, to
show the utter unreasonableness of the gen.
every solitary amendment in this bill has been
printed for three days in the Record and the
gentleman has not looked at them.
MR. WARSER-No attention has been called
to it until this marning: and venture to say
there are not ten members on the floor of this
House outside OF the gentleman himself who
know what these amendments are. Loud
applause.l
Mr.. HoPKISs-Mr. Speaker, this is not bill
to be railroaded through the House In this
manner. This Is a measure that ordinarily
ought to be considered in Committee of the
Whole, and the gentleman who brought it up
commenced debating it in order to cut of the
House from discussion
Mr.. RIoHARDsoN-Mr. Speaker. call the
gentleman to order. l have done nothing of
the kind. l demand the previous question.
The Speaker-The gentleman from Tennes-
see (AIr. Riehardson) demands the previous
question
Mr.. HoPKISs-Then l trust the House will
vote it down. This bill is being rail-
roaded--
The Speaker-The House will be in order.
Mr.. Richardson, somewhat nettled, then de-
manded the previous question upon the mo-
ton to concur with that amendment.
Mr.. WARNEn-Now that the gentleman from
Tennessee has let the cat out OF the meal bag.
would he not give us reasonable time to look
up the kittens? Laughter and applausel.
Mr.. CUMMiSGs-There is more than one cat
in this meal. [Laughterl.
The question being put, vote was taken,
division asked, and the tellers finally re-
pOEttu-dytS VI, uOtS ll0. 80 Tie
question was not ordered.
THOSE INNOCENT AMENDMENTS.
Mr.. Hopkins took the floor and stated:
"Since the bill went to the Senate large
number of amendments have been added
which the gentleman from Tennessee has
stated are immaterial amendments. One of
these amendments makes section 45 of the
bill read as follows:
"'Section [44l 45. There shall be appointed
by the Public Printer. with the approval of
the Joint Committee on Printing, chief
clerk. who shall be a practical printer and
versed in the art of bookbinding, whose sal
airy shall be q, 400 per annum, and foreman
of printing and foreman of binding, who
quainted with their respective trades, who
shall each receive a salary of S2,IOO per
annum. The employees herein named shall
be subject to removal only upon the approval
of the Joint Committee on Printing
Another of these innocent amendments is
found on page 80 OF the bill and reads as fol-
lows:
1.-THE Joint Committee on Printing shall
designate to the Public Printer competent
person, to be appointed by him, as superin-
tendent of documents and shall fix and regu-
late the compensation to be paid by the Pub
lie Printer to the person so designated and
appointed
Now, here are two OF the innocent amend
ments which the gentleman from Tennessee
says are purely formal. These amendments
give to the Committee on Printing absolute
power. They take from the President of the
United States, if the offices were high enough,
or from the Secretary of the Interior or from