New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-05
WAR CLAIMS BILL KILLED.
TUE DEMOCRATIC TRIUMvIRATE IN THE
HOUSE AGAIN MEETS DISASTER.

uOITSE AGAIN MEElS DioftD' HiN
-rrvpr To FORCE THROUGH IT'S MEASURE
TOR THE BENEFIT OF SOUTHERN CLAIM
ANTS WITHOUT PROPER CoNsIDERA-
TON AND DEBATE THwARTED.
Icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.1
voshineton Feb 4-The power of the Demo-
.,.,ic triumvirate which has ruled the House OF
C...rta,,ves with an iron hand for nearly
~ Gears seems to be waning. Its attempt to take
.nan Judgment the Administrator currency
h,,l several days ago was thwarted' ana to-day IL
rsred a stu more crushing and sisnhcant de-
,.at A special order WAS reported by the MAJORITY
=, .he Committee Rules providing that Dill
,cb carried an appropriation of more than
.,n on for the payment OF Se5 Southern war claims.
90 OF which. carrying appropriations amounting
., &, rer cent 81 the total were Tor the Denent OF
Claimants in seven OF the States whch secedeu
t-om the Union and from which were carefully ex-
,uaed the claims of citizens of Northern states
hill which was not introduced in the House until
January TO- 1895. and not placed in possession
a, the Committee on War Claims to which IL was
,e,erred until four days afterward; Dill which
that committee has now under consideration ana
has not disposed Of. should be taken up by the
tIouse to-day and forced 10 a hnal vote ai'er
,vo hours OF debate. more or less.
7, vas as rash offensive and rank proposition
and one as destructive OF all the rules and prece-
dents OF orderly. safe and honest legislation as
ever was conceived. There was not sentence
or word in explanation or approval OF sihsie
ona ~ the 1876 Items from the committee which
rad jurisdiction OF the subject and TO "hich 'ie
nil, was referred. The bill gave no informauon l"
,egard to any claim-one OF which amounts 10
some $50 co. and many others exceed 'io'v" eaon
.xcept the name OF the proposed benenciarv. inc
amount OF his claim and the county ana S'a,e
q, which the claim originated. Copies OF the Dill
. could not be found Chairman Sayers. or the
.n,ronriations Committee. said In the course OF
the discussion that he had sent to all the uocu
roent-rooms in the Capitol. and had Deen uhao'e W
procure one All the official copies OF the DILL save
a few which were in possession OF rs lrie"us
and OF lobbyists in the outside corridors had oee''
.nrited away in some mysterious manner.
The provisions OF this bill were explained ana
snalyzed in these dispatches to-day and from Inc
columns Of The Tribune many OF the members Oh
the House Of Representatives obtained their hrs'
,nformation not only of the scheme whch was
defea.ed but of the existence OF the bill itself 10
.ry ~ then, II seemed Incredible that an attempt
would he made by the majority or the committee
on Rules to usurp the jurisdiction OF one OF the most
important standing committees OF the fouse'
wrench from Its hands measure when was yet n
matter OF committee consideration, and force IL
through the House without giving an opportunity
Tor members who were opposed 10 1t to expose Its
real character. II seemed even more incredloie' II
possible that such an attempt ~ouio De mdue III
hahaif OF a bill which had been carefully framed 10
exclude the claims OF loyal citizens in loyal states
whose property had been destroyed or carried away
by Confederate military authorities, as wei as tne
French spoa;ion claims which judgments nave
been rendered by the courts under the authority OF
legislation enacted by Congress. and TO ihcuoe Only
the Claims OF loyal citizens in the south whose
property was destroyed or carried away oy Union
military authorities: a BILL moreover. which nau
been framed by the Mississippi member of the Com
mt,ee on Rules. claimants in whose State would
receive more than one-thrd of the total appropra-
ton.
No sooner had General Catchings. OF MISSISSIPPI
obtained the floor to-day, however than ne sent
IN the clerks desk and had read the proposed
special order which provided that his own DILL
a bill offered about three weeks ago. shouiu oe
Immediately taken up and considered ana 'hat
vote on the motion to pass II should be taken AT
4 o'clock this afternoon. Mr.. Mahon. OF PENN
sylvania who Is a member of the Committee on
War Claims Immediately made the point OF oroer
that the Committee on Rules could not originate
legislation and that 1t had no authority. etner OF
rule or precedent. to invade the jurisdiction OF
standing committee Of the House and remove
therefrom q bill under consideration by that COM
nittee and bring II before the House for action
Mr.. Mahons arguments In support OF the point OF
order were forcble and convincing. as were those
OF Mr. Beltzhoover OF Pennsylvania. who is chair
man of the Committee War Claims. MI
Catchngs replied. with the help and prompting
OF Messrs. Richardson and Enloe OF tennessee,
and the Ss Sho oveTaed the
According his decision, II would be competeht
for the three ~ 6S Rules IN m
tomorrow morning an order to consder a Dill IN
bers (or any other member of the House, and
referred to the standing committee having , luris
vote at any hour tomorrow it might choose.
The decision. in other words. is that the majority
only decide what bills which have been considered
by committees shall be acted upon but may force force
Dcsd lra+i IN and arf
never been considered acted upon by any com .
Ie Only on %
otherwise Objectionable action by the majority OF
the House itself Inasmuch as the najorty Of the
Committee on Rules and the majority OF the House
also ar the chairman Of the Committee Rules IS
Speaker Of the House. and Yields Tremendous .,,
be seen how Ineffective and vain appeal TO the
majority Of the House for protection against hasty.
legislation would usually BE- provided the ms5Sr !,
o. the COMMITTEE on Rules shoulds recommHna H.
Crisp's ruling will not commend itself to the best
possible safeguards should be thrown around the
legislative proceedings Of Congress.
sentatiVes today was 's successful The motion for
the . @ on the Of f the by
a majority OF more than thirty yea and nay
vote InTty minutes IS, were erie nen allowed or debate
by Chairman Savers and NJ Dockery. OF the Az;
claims known to be misunderstanding the
French spoation claims-had been arbitrarily
cluded. and also the ground that there was
nothing before the House TO prove whether the
claims which had been included were Just and
meritorious or not On division the motion to
nays General cachings demanded the yeas and ID
nays which were ordered. and the motion was lost
some time before another attempt IS made 10 force
through the House OF Representatives in objec-
tionable manner omnibus bill for the pay
ment OF claims a sectional basis.
PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BIIJ. DIsCI-SsED-