The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-27
HOBART DECIDES.
Party Opponents Seek to Puzzle
the Yice-President With
a Knotty Point.

The knottiest problem which has yet
confronted Vice President Hobart since
he has presided over the Senate, came up
the other day, when Senator Jones, of
Arkansas. encouraged and abetted by
Senators White and Morgan, made the
point that the Conference Committee had
no right TO add what they considered
new matter to the paragraph on news
paper printing paper in the tariff bill. to
the effect that there should be imposed
a retaliatory duty Of one-tenth of a cent
per pound on paper imported from any
foreign country for each dollar per cord
of export duty imposed on wood pulp by
such foreign country. The contention
was that the proposed retaliatory duty
had not been considered either by the
House or Senate and hence was new mat
ter. The decision Of the Vice President
was quite generally commended.
In deciding that the point was not we'll
taken. Vice President Hobart said
THE chair has moi the opportunity to
look up any of the presidents that may
exist or similar. points of order made
heretofore to the relevancy Of items like
the one In question contained in a con-
ference report. The present OCCUPANT of
the chair feels that It would be an I'M
welcome task IL he is Obliged to decide as
to whether any or every amendment made
in conference is germane to the original
bill, or erman to the amendments made
in either House or both Houses, or
whether a conference report as submitted
to the Senate contains new and improper
or irrelevant matter.
The rules of the Senate certainly do
not provide for UGH action, and the chair
calls the attention of the Senator from
Arkansas and of the Senate to the fact
that this conference report has been
adopted by one House in this perfected
shape. and hat this report is now sub
mitted here as a whole for parliamentary
discussion and decision in the form of
concurrence or disagreement.
Al arbitrary ruling on a point of or
der like this after the bill has been fully
passed by one House and approved by it
can not be within the power of any pre-
siding officer.
H cannot decide while such a report
Is being discussed and during the pro-
gress of its presentation that matter has
been inserted which is new or not rele-
want and thus decide what should or
snould not have been agreed upon. It is
not the PROVING of the chair.
vi such questions are such as should
60 before the Senate when it votes upon
the adoption or rejection of the report,
which Is the only competent and parlia-
mentary action to be taken
If the Senat itself cannot amend this
report. and It admittedly cannot, the
chair cannot do more in that respect than
the Senate itself. The Senator from Ar
kansas asks the chair by its decision to
do that which the Senate itself cannot
do, to amend this conference report. 1t
is not possible to amend by such a
method. The Senate must decide for
itself as to the competency of this
report in all particulars and the relevancy
of all amendments.
n rule or practice permits the pre-
conference committee, and thus Indirectly
to amend it. The chair has not the power
to thus negative. the action of a free con-
ference and send a passed bill back to a
new conference without a vote. Only
the action of the N Upon the vote
taken upon concurrence has hat power.
The effect of such a decision, if made,
bill go If thus amended? Not to the con-
ference committee, for that has been dis
solved upon the making of its report to
the other House and acceptance there.
Not the Senate conferees, for they nave
concluded their action also. Possibly to
the Senate Finance Committee, where the
bill started many months ago. Such a
decision, therefore, that paragraph 1896,
contained in the conference report con-
tains new matter or new legislation, or is
not m or relevant, might be tanta-
o to indefinite postponement of the
bill. Surely the chair has no such power
and if exercised would be arbitrary in the
highest degree.
THE chair decides that the point is not