The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-03-25
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.

washington, Marcn l3.-Ali the pre-
monitory symptoms that the house was
about to plunge into the work before it
existed when the speaker raped the
members to order today. The desk was
piled high with bills. including the appro-
pration bills which prevailed last session
Chairman Dingley of the ways and
means committee was in his place, as
also was Mr.. Cannon of the appropria-
tons committee and Mr. Henderson of
the rules committee.
Immediately after the reading of the
Journal, Mr.. Dingley, amid some APP
plause, presented the tariff bill.
Mr. Bailey of Texas, on behalf of the
minority. secured unanimous consent to
extend until Monday the time in which
the minority report may be filed.
After Il good deal of sharp cross-fring
between Mr.. DinGley and Mr.. McAlillin
it was finally arranged that 5000 extra
copies of the minority and majority re-
ports and also 5000 copies of a compare
tive statement of the tariff changes
should be printed.
Mr.. Dalzell (rep) of Pennsylvania then
presented the special rules under which
the house was to operate during the tariff
debate. The rules provide that general
debate should begin on Monday at 10
o'clock and continue until and including
Thursday, March %, with night sessions,
after which the bill should be open to
amendment under the five minute rule
committee amendments to take precc-
dence), until ) O'Clock on Wednesday,
March 81, when the bill and pending
amendments should be reported from the
committee of the whole and the previous
question should be considered, as ordered
on the third reading. and vote on the
final passage of the bill should be taken.
Leave to print was suspended for
twenty days.
in Difference to a wish of the minority.
Mr.. Dalzcll agreed on an extension of
debate on the special order to thirty min
utes Il side.
Mr. Dalzell, in taking the floor in sup
port of the rule, explained its features
and dwelt on the great national exigency
which confronted congress. He pointed
out, giving figures, how for years the rev
enue had been running behind the eX-
penditurcs, how for the last nine months
the deficit exceeded SAC, 100000, and how
the government had been forced to Dor
row S262,OOO,OOO to make good the def
cheney. This condition. he declared, was
Il great national calamity which called for
immediate relief at the hands of the rep
resentatives of the nation. (Republican
applause.) He read the words of Mr..
Mckinley's message pointing out the ur-
gency of the situation and congratulated
the house that by dint of hard labor day
and night the republican members were
now able to offer Il bill for the consider
alton of the house.
In answer to a question by Mr.. Smith
lrep.) of Michigan, Mr.. Dalzell declared
that all tho mpmbnrS Wpnll hn
tunity to offer amendments as the nara
graphs were read.
Mr.. McAIillin pressed him on this point
with the object of showing that If the
bill was only read half through no oppor-
tunity would be offered members to
amend the bill in the remaining sections.
Mr.. Dalzell replied by showing that this
was practically what happened in the
case of the Wilson bill, but he gave it
as his judgment that if the minority re-
Trained from Offering any but amend
ments on which they really desired to
test the sense of the house every para
graph of the bill would be read and OPP
portunity given to amend
1.-THE country does not want dcclama-
tion," he concluded. amid republican APP
plause. 1t wants action. Words are
poor substitutes for men who want work.
Oratory will not open a single mill or
start the idle furnace hres. The press
and the public all join in the demand for
instant action"
Mr.. McAIillin. to whom Mr.. Bailey
yielded. followed Mr.. Dalzel with a
sharp criticism of the Pennsylvania mem
bers lack of candor. He recited the cir
cumstances under which the Wilson Dill
was passed, putting the case in different
light He pointed out the alleged short
comings of the rules, showing that the
ways and means committee could at any
time supersede the amendment of an in
dividual. He aroused the minority to APP
plause when he referred to the bill as Il
'hotbed for trusts"
Are not the revenues of the govern
ment increasingly asked Mr.. Smith (rep.)
of Michigan. because of the flood of i'm
portation in anticipation of this republican
legislation"
considering the fact that the people
already have notice that you intend to rob
them it is not unnatural" replied Mr.. Nc
Millin, that they should try to get in all
they can before the hold-up begins -
Democratic applause.)
Mr.. Bland of Missouri rose for the first
time this session. and his democratic col
leagues cheered Justify. He insisted that
the house might as we'll swallow the bill