The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-05-23
While the House Rests on Its Oars After
Passage Of Tariff Bill.
SOME STRONG CONTRASTS PRESENTED
Fen Pictures of the Way Work il
Done IN the Senate and in tho
House = There Is Nome OF the
1"perator About tho American
House Of Lords.
written for The Sunday Virginian by
Amos j. CummlnGs.)
Washington, d. c.. May %, 1897

@allloS d. Cumn!nSS.)
Washington. d. c., May ~ 1897.
sNnere is no Impera tor process in leg
aislation III the Senate This body is like
SSaiis spread to trade winds. Its code is
Netiqnette. Individual gifts are naver
impaired. Senatorial courtesy forbids it.
3 Each Senator stands upon his dignity.
!: and his dignity Is recognized by has as
H5socia.es. 1t is a quiet but impressive
dignity. You might call ii a political
lust in rust. The atmosphere seems to
sbe far different from the atmosphere OF
the House. There is gravity about the
body that gradually encompasses all
Mithln lis reach. There lis no narrow
bounds in Is procedure. Apparently in
different, 1t is definite par excellence
It's rules may appear shadowy, but they
work without friction and in an easy
ana preoi mann-r New Senate IS fire.
quenty strive to break down the barrier
Within few months they are silently
tanned, and join wi h the old seaa Tors in
supporting the ancient regime.
Nothing illustrates the difference be-
tween the House and the Sena:c mo. c
aptly than the action of the TWO houses
In the extra session on the appropriate ton
pllis. The House is controlled by the
Speaker and the Senate by s members
The Speaker may control the action of
the House with or without It's assent
but the presiding officer Of the Senate
can never control the action OF that body
The lever Of action in the House Is the
committee on rules, but the Vice Presi-
dent IS not 4 member, nor has he the ap-
pointing power The committee s celect-
ed by the Senate Itself, and it never
oVersteps the bounds.
THEY WORKED IT WELL.
II IS interesting to note how deftly The
committee on rules in the present House
OF RepreS anta tiveS got control Of the
q of n a
last Congress. Some might think 1t re-
CURED arbitrary action on the part OF the
Speaker TO secure this result, but the
facts speak for themselves.
On the opening day Of the eXtraordi-
nary session, before the members had
drawn their seats, parliamentary action
was taken General Henderson Of Iowa
offered reSolu Ion adopting the ru;es
Of the previous House. Although an Old
Republican member, he was then sim
ply q member OF the House by the VII
OF MS constituents. An hour afterward
he was the Boanerges OF the committee
on rules ~ the grace of the Speaker.
Ar. Hepburn, OF Iowa, an old and wary
Republican member Of the House moved
q limit OF thirty days as an amendment
At"th!s General Henderson, demanded The
previous question on the original rtu>o-
luton. The Speaker was about 10 rut
the question when Mr.. EVAN n Jersey
: CITY republican Of moderate tendencies,
asked whether Mr.. Hepburn cid not
nave right to offer an amendment I'M
Ger general parliamentary law. Here is
the record:
Ihe Speaker-He has a right to offer
any amendment, but the gentleman
from Iowa tMr. Henderson, is recognized
TO control the quest on
Mr. Henderson--1 ask for the previous
question. and will say 10 my colleagues
that the rules will probably lie reSo:te d
long before the thirty days expire.
Inc Speaker-The gentleman from
Iowa (Alr Henderson, asks fer the pre-
vious question
AT Hepbu:n-I desire to raise point
OF order. My amendment must be in or
der in the absence Of rules. There is no
previous question without a rule, and
there Is no rule here which gives 10 the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Henderson,
the right to make tina: motion His, mo-
ton Is 10 adopt rules, which is conces-
sion that there are none; therefore in
ment. ~
The 'speakeT5LThc chair overu,es The
point of ordcrF
" NARROW ESCAPE
NO reason was given for his ruling,
and Mr.. Hepburn took no appeal, he
evidently thought that it was useless.
The House never reverscs the ruling Of
the Speaker. The real feeling in this
Il
rising vote there were $50 yeas and The
same number of nays. 1t was a result
dumfounding 10 those .mbued with the
!mperator idea. Mr.. Henderson was not
dlsmaEed. iile promptly asked for the
yeas and nays on his demand for the
previous question. and secured them
Inc new members We're al sea There
was much confusion and some exoui-
site buttonholing. The vote .ecored lS2
yeas and ISL nays. This was a loss of
-FOUR votes for those opposing the mo-
lion. and an increase of twenty-four for
those sustaining The demand. The In
crease came from old Republican mem
pers who were rousted out Of the COM
mlttee rooms and the restaurant.
AfterWard the representatives drew
their seats. While they We're doing this
under the rules Of the last Congress the
four appropriation bills left over by tina,
congress We're handed to the file clerk
OF the House by Aessrs Cannon. Wads-
worth and Sherman. Mr.. Cannon VS.
chairman OF the committee Of appronria
Tlons that reported the sunc.ry ciytI u
aeficlency bills TO the last Congress
M!. WadsWorth. as chairman Of the com
mittee on agriculture, reported The apr,-
cultural appropriation | Ill. anl Mr.. SEer-
man. as chairman OF The COMMITTEES On
Indian affairs. reported the Indian an
prop!iat:on bill. In III ,ngrass. how
ever, they were simply members OF tha