The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-31
SAVANNAH'S NEW PoSToFFICE.
THE HOUSE COMMITTEE FAVORs A
LARGER APPROPRIATION.

The Committeeman willing to Have
the building Completed in White
MarbIe-The Bin to he Put Before
the House Next Friday-A Hard
Fight to BE Made to Override Car
Reeds Edict Against the Public
building Bills.
Washington, Jan. S0.-Representative
Testers bill. providing for an increase in
the appropriation for the Savannah public
building, is to be reported favorably from
the committee on public buildings ana
grounds. The committee having that bill
in charge have looked into the subject,
and they are in favor of providing sufi-
cient money to complete the building in
white marble. in accordance with the
wishes of the citizens of Savannah.
The committee proposes to launch a
list of bills upon the House tomorrow,
but the Savannah measure is not on the
list. Next Friday another batch of bills
will be reported, ana a member OF the
committee is the authority for the state
ment that Col. Testers bill will be in the
second report. The fight will come in the
House, and II will require all the skin.
tact and influence of the Georgia delega>
ton to secure favorable action on the BILL
for Speaker Reed has declared that no
public building bills shall be passed dur
ing this session.
Speaker Reeds round, ball head is the
center of a serious storm that has been
lowering over the House OF Representa-
tives ever since the committees of that
body were organized The cloud-burst OF
indignation is threatened, and the speak
ers blind followers may not see the gath
ering storm, but they can distinctly hear
the mutters of discomfort that come up
from the committee on public buildings
and grounds. and also on rivers and har-
bors.
As soon as the committees were organ
lied, Speaker Reed notified the members
of these two, heretofore popular and in
huential committees, that they must not
expect to do much in the way of legisla-
tion at this session in the way of recon-
mending appropriations. However strong
We're the intentions of the public build
ing committee to carry out the decree of
the speaker, they find that a pressure of
the majority of the House is too potent
to be overcome even by the big man
from Maine" The result Is that the COM
mittee on public buildings and grounds
have gone ahead and agreed on a list
of bills which they intend to report TO the
House tomorrow ana make an open
fight TO have them passed.
Next Friday they propose to bring in
another batch OF similar measures, and
call upon the House to uphold the COM
mittee, Notwithstanding the commands
of the speaker that there shall be no
public building bills passed.
In former congresses this committee
has always been able to rally to It's sup
port an overwhelming majority of the
members, because the Representatives
from every section are either directly OF
indirectly interested In public building
bills.
In the Fifty-frst congress. when the
republicans were about to retire from
control Of the government, the present
speaker of the House took the lead In
piling up the appropriation bills to the
billion dollar mark, and he was not SO
particular whether the bills were for
public buildings, or ancient claims which
We're In the interest of the lobby"
The members of the committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds claim to have
a strong following, Notwithstanding tie
threats of Speaker Reed, and the con
test will be watched with keen interest by
other committees that are practically
helpless because of the commands they
have received from Speaker Reed.
The committee on rivers and harbors
have been directed to cut their bill down
to the lowest figure. and it has even beer
suggested to let the bill fail at this ses-
sion. The latter proposition will not bt
in the items contained in that measure
are organizing for a vigorous fight
against the dictatorial methods of the
speaker.
1t remains to be seen whether Speaker
Reed Is as mighty with a big majority
as he was with the narrow margin II
the Fifty-first congress