The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-20
Large Majority of the Members Deter
mined to Secure Passage of Pub
lie Building Bills.
MR.. REED is AGAINST THEM
AND THE MUTINEERS THREATEN To
OPENLY DEFY HIS ORDERS.
Mr.. Overstreet Working Hard for the
indianapolis Measure-Ex-Presi-
dent Harrison in Washington.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. I9-The House has
brought Speaker Reed and his committee on
rules face to face with revolt, the most
serious that has yet confronted them. The
speaker and his committee decreed that
there should be no time given for the dis
cussion passage of any public build
ing bills by this session and they
have been deaf to all importuni-
ties looking to action. Mr.. Overstreet.
of Indiana, Mr.. Curtis, of Kansas, and
two or three other active members
who felt wronged at the stand taken by
the speaker, proceeded to circulate a petit
ton asking that time be given for consid-
Grafton Of public building bills. This petit
ton, signed by 3Of out of the total 357 men,
bers, was laid before the committee on rules
to-day by Mr.. Curtis and notice was
served that unless prompt attention was
paid to 1t the matter would be taken up by
the House and the obstruction element run
down and overwhelmed.
The situation angered the speaker beyond
measure and filled his colleagues on the
rules committee with CONSERVATION They
have accustomed themselves TO thinking
that they run the House, and that their
will is law and anything that breaks into
this happy condition disturbs them terribly
A hurried meeting of the committee was
held late this afternoon, but no action was
taken and another session will be held to-
morrow. The leaders of the revolt do not
intend to be in undue haste, and will give
the committee reasonable time to consider
the matter. They say, however, that the
desires Of the great majority of members
must be granted or there will be trouble
They threaten not only to take the reins
out of the hands of the speaker and the
rules committee in this matter, but also to
carry the war into the next Congress and
to amend the rules of the House so as to
give the majority greater latitude and TO
emancipate themselves from slavery to an
obnoxious clique of self-constituted guar
dians. They say il was never intended to
delegate such tremendous power to these
men as is now exercised by Speaker Reed
General Henderson and Mr.. Dalzell. 1t be-
gins to look as though the Omnibus
building bill. whose formation was long ago
outlined in these dispatches, will be rushed
through the House in short order. A good
many Of the bills on the House calendar
have already passed the Senate and it will
only be necessary TO substitute the Senate
bills for the House bills when they come up
TO make laws Of them. The Indianapolis
public building bill is in that category.
The Associated Press report of the
scene with Speaker Reed says that the
committee of members pointed out the
necessity Of the buildings mentioned
and said that it was evident that
majority Of the House desired
their consideration. Speaker Reed asked
them if they were aware that the
government was running behind in the mat
ter OF revenue at the rate of s5S 600 a
year. 1t was question of the ability of
the government TO meet and pay its obli-
cations. The committee replied that the
bills did not appropriate dollar, but only
fixed the maximum OF cost OF the buildings,
the appropriations being left in the hands
of future Congresses. Mr.. Reed said that
he did not approve of this method of mort
gaging the revenues of the government, to
which the committee replied that they could
not mortgage what did not exist and
thought that the subject of making appro-
priatlons could be safely left to future Con-
crosses. The committee came away feeling
that 1t was not d cheerful outlook.