The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-22
THE PRIVATE CALENDAR.
Grave Of Many Claims Against
Government.
AND WILL o. THE WISP OF THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Bills Assigned Thereto Are Put Aside on
Many Pretexts-At Sessions Devoted to
Its Consideration Quorum Is Rare
Many Cases Are just But Congress is
Suspicious on.Genera1 Principles.
/ ESPECIAL TO THE PREssI
Washington. April 21.-The will o. the
wlsp OF the House of Representatives is
tho Private Calendar. 1t is the list on
which are collected all bills for the ben
ent of private individuals and corpora
tlons, as well as bills for pensions. for
removing the charges of desertion, and
the removal of political disabilities. The
rules of the House have for long years
provided that on each Friday in the week
1T shall be in orders to consider bills on
the Private Calendar. But there Is way
around this regulation, if the House
wishes it, as there is also the power to
get consideration for privats bills on
other days than Friday, provided the
unanimous consent of the House can be
obtained. On Friday evening there is
a special session devoted entirely to pen.
sion bills and bills removing charges of
desertion and political disabilities. This
gives an outlet for suoh bills; but only
to limited extent; because there is
rarely-the word "never'' may even be
used-a quorum present. The members
are tired out by their work during the
day or have social or business engage
ments for the evening. So it happens
that all these bills must be considered
and passed without quorum. There is
no trouble as long as no one calls atten-
tion to the fact. hut with group of
Democrats, led by Talbert of South Caro-
lima, and Erdm an Of Pennsylvania, helped
out occasionally by young Mr.. McClel-
Ian OF New Y ork, (son Of the famous
general } acting in opposition to these
pensions bills, the point of "no quorum
Is quite apt to be raised. So it happens
that only on rare occasions is it possible
to pass more than a half dozen bills at
u Friday evening session. During the
day times Friday the lack is even worse.
Two leading causes conspire to this
end.
| In the first place the leaders of the
| Hc..se, who always like to push ahead
public business, are apt to get majority
in favor of taking up an appropriation
bill on contested eleoti on case. Then,
by law passed especially for class of
war claims. certain war claim bills re.
main at the head of the Private Calen-
dar from Congress to Congress. These
bills are principally for the benefit of peo-
pie in the Southern or border states, who
claim pay for forage. provisions, ETC..
furnished for Union troops. Tennessee,
Kentucky and Virginia are the states
principally interested. The members from
the North, East and West are not much
interested In These bills, and knowing
that the transaction of business on the
Private Calendar means, in the regular
order. the consideration Of these claim
bills first, are not very anxious to 20 to
this calendar. So it happens that the
private bills have slim chance. On this
| calendar, besides the war claims, are
many just claims, which the government
| ought to pay. Men, women and children
are IN penury because at some time the
government has taken the property of
the individual, and Congress does not
pay 1t. There are about the Capitol
gray-haired men who have spent the
best of their lives waiting for the House
to pass their bills. They meet you on a
Friday morning and ask you if the House
is going to the Private Calendar that
day. You reply that you think they may.
II think it is time" says the poor claim
ant with wistful smile. And then an
appropriation BILL or d contested election
case, or tariff bill, gets right of way
and private bill day goes by. Or even If |
private bills are taken up all day will
be consumed on the first one or two ON
the calendar. This delay is not wholly
ihhocenG. The old members. not know
Ing, but what they may as any moment.
run into claim high up in the thou
sands, delay proceedings. Three or four
Oils may pass on Friday session, bu t |
what good does this do to the man whose |
claim is the eighth hundredth on the |
list?
congressman are not, as individuals.
hard-hearted or unjust. "The greatest
ropoer In the land Is the governments.
SAID Congressman Mahon in advocating
the passage of a certain claim. He
meant that Congress does not appropriate
5he money to pay just claims. This is
undoubtedly true. Ths reason is that
what is everybody's business is no one,s.
Probably if every one of the 857 members
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