The times., 1897-04-23
Bills Reported to House With
out Committee Reference.
BAILEY'S QUEER PROTEST
Democratic Fight Against Principle
Involved In Partisan Committee
PIans-Necessity for Reference
of Bills to Standing Committees
Insisted Upon.

tee on Rules, for which attack the dooi
was left wide open by the uses made oi
that committee yesterday by Speaker
Reed, its chairman
1t was expected that Mr. Bailey would
have made the first protest against the
reporting 10 the House through the Com
mIttce oD Rules of matters which iegiti
mately should only appear through ap-
prOpriate committees. Oh the contrary
Mr.. Dalzell, for the Committee on Rules,
reported from that body a number OF
bills Mr. Bailey's protest related to the
number of these bills that ought to be con-
sidered and not to the vicious principle Of
having them reported to the House by a
makeshift and violently partisan commit
tee.
The fight against the principle was made
by MCMillin, Richardson, Bland and some
of the Populists, which contention, and
especially by the quick apprehension of
Mr., McMilliD, secured considerable debate,
in which the Republican machine was de-
nounced vigorously. Mr.. Bailey instantly y
claimed the credit for these results and
asserted that the opportunity for debate
made by McMillin, Richardson and others
was substantially vindication of his
policy.
the Committee on Rules carried out very
much the plan outlined yesterday in The
Times. 1t reported it's agreement or reso-
luton that the four appropri alton bills
should be considered in committee Of the
whole as to the amendments put on by the
Senate and without reference TO the usual
standing committees
tt...
could lie put by Mr. Dalzell on his resoIu-
ton, desired to make statement, which,
as was pointed out by Mr. Richardson,
woHld limit the forty minutes debate
allowed under the rule.
Mr Bailey smarted under the imputa-
tion of consuming time and replied that
the gentleman from Texas meant what lie
said and knew what he was doing He
thea vert ON to object to the consideration
OF so MANY bills, but openly consented To
the consideration of the Indian aVprOpria-
ton bill Ii was different, he said. with
the sundry civil bill the naval apprOpria-
tion bill and the armor plate matter, and
the general deficiency bin. 1t followed, of
course, that in all matters relating to get
ting the Indian appropriat ton bill before
the committee of the whole Mr.. Bailey
and those who thought with him voted
with the Republicans.
Mr. DalZeu threw a sop to the Democrats.
saving that the object OF the committee
mas merely to provide for the four bills
in one resolution.
There being no sign of opposition from
Mr Bailey, Mr. Bland got hot under the
collar, and made vigorous speech Of
protest against the manner in which the
matter had been brought before t he House.
He denounced the Committee on Rules
scheme as arbitrary and in violation Of
the laws Of the House
Mr.. Dalzell, however. moved that after
the adoption OF the report the House should
proceed to the consideration OF the amend
ments to the Indian appropriation bill
The motion was declared carried by th,.
Speaker Mr. Bland demanded a division,
which resulted against-l3S to "a Mr.
Bland then called for the yeas and nays,
"a, an insufficient number, responding
Then he called for tellers, but withdrew
his call
Mr. Payne OF New York, was in the chair
during the debate that followed, Mr.. Sher-
man of New York, had charge of the bill,
and was disposed that the House non-concur
in the amendments and that committee
of conference be appointed. This would
have allowed the House to adjourn in very
short order, but Mr McMiilin took up the
debate, and on parliamentary inquiry
poiuted out tina t under the rules such pro
Ceeding would be extraordinary, and that
the amendments should be discussed in
committee Of the whole. This point was
clearly made and commended itself to Mr..
Sherman, who hastily moved reference to
a committee of the whole, into which the
House resolved itself
Mr. Sherman took up the amendments in
order, upon thereading of the first of which
MIR. Bland again protested against the
arbitrary and extraordinary function of
the Committee on Rules, and the dictatiOn
of the Speaker. 1t became. every Democrat
to assert himself against it as wrong,
everyone, at least, that had any manhood
in him. Heretofore, he had stood with Mr..
Bailey, hut he thought there should have
been a protest against the way in which
these amendments were now before the
House
The debate on the amendments was very
desutory, being repetition largely of
what had taken place in the Senate. The
House non-concuTred, first, in the Senate
amendment, relating to the jurisdiction
of Justices of the peace, over certain
Indian tribes.
MI Richardson, referring to the ap-
preparation, as printed, OF $50 900, in
stead Of $22, ,418, for the Pawnees, and
which had passed the Fifty-fourth Con-
gress for the latter sum, said that it was
an example OF the way in which the
absence of rules permitted legislation to be
rushed through recklessly and incorrectly
Mr.. Bailey here took occasion to call
the attention of the Democrats to the
fact that he had by his policy secured for
Mr. Richardson and other Democrats the
rightto debate eighteen amendments, while
when the bill was in its passage, docu-
meut of ninety-two pages, it was rushed
through in forty minutes. The present op-
portunity for unlimited discussion, he
claimed. to be q vindication of his policy.
Mr. Sherman, referring to the $4,000,
admitted that it was a mistake
Mr.. McMillin desired to know If such
mistakes would not have been avoided If
it had been referred to the proper COM.
mittee.
Mr., Sherman said that he could not as
sent to the proposition
Mr. McMilIn refreshed the memory Of
the House as to the manner in which the
sundry civil bill was rushed through. If
it were good to pass bills in one Congress
without committees, why not in all Con-
crosses? 1t was nothing new for him to
protest against the Republican scheme.
He had protested from the beginning and
would continue to raise his voice against
such arbitrary methods. One mistake had
already been discovered How many more
were there?
Mr.. Sherman proceeded to explain the
CEn nQQ disnrannnnv