The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-05-26
THE HOUSE IMPERATOR.
no PROCESS OF TINS KIND IN THE
AUGUST SENATE.
How the Appropriation Bills Carrying
Over Seventy Millions We're Rushed
Through the Hous--speaker's Power

a well-freighted merchant NtSsci, Win
sails spread 20 trade winds. Its code Is
etiquette Individual rights are never
impaired Senatorial courtesy forbds IL.
Each senator stands upon his dignity.
and his dignity is recognized boy his ASSOC
ciatcs. II is a quiet but impressive dig
nifty. You might call IL a political Lust
I'm Rust. The atmosphere seems 10 he
far different from the atmosphere Of the
House. There IS a gravity about the
body that gradually encompasses all
within it's reach. There are no narrow
bounds I'm its procedure Apparently in
definite II is definite par excellence. Its
rules may appear shadowy, but they
work without friction and i'm an easy and
precise manner. New senators frequent
" strive to break down the barrier.
Within a few months they are silently
tanned. and join with the old senators in
supporting the ancient regime.
Nothing illustrates the difference be-
tween the House and the Senate more
aptly than the action Of the two houses
I'm the extra session on the appropriation
bills. The House is controlled by the
Speaker ard the Senate by its 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 th,
committee on rules which is appointed
ly the Speaker and OF which the Speak
er is the head. The Senate has COM
mittee on rules. but the Nice-prosdcut
is not member. nor has he the appoint
ins power. The committee is selected
by the Senate ITSELF and IL never over
steps the bounds.
o. ffff D. I...
Committee on Rules in the present House
OF Representatives got control of the
tour appropriation bills LEFT over by the
last Congress. Some might think 30 Zee
quired arbitrary action Oh the part of the
Speaker 10 secure this result, but the
facts speak tor themselves
on the opening day of the cXtraOrli-
nary session, before the members had
drawn their seats. parliamentary action
Was taken. General henderson, OF Iowa,
offered resolution adopting the rules
of the previous House. Although am OLD
Republican member, bee was then simply
q member of the House by the VIII OF
his constituents. An hour afterward lee
was the Boanerges OF the Committee ca
Rules by the grace OF the Speaker Air.
Hepburn. of Iowa. an old and wary Re
publican member of tine House. mof d
a limit OF thirty days AS an am,nd-
ment. At this General Henderson Gee
manded the previous question on the
original resolution. The Speaker vas
about to put the question. when Mr.. Nc
EVAN, a Jersey city Republican of nod-
crate tendencies. asked whether Mr. Hep
burn did not have right TO offer amy
amendment under general parliamentary
law. Here is the Record:
rfghf offer
any amendment but the gentleman from
Iowa (Alr Henderson, is recognized 20
control the question.
Mr.. Henderson, ask for the previous
question, and will say 90 my colleague
that the rules will probably be reported
long before the thirty days expire.
The Speaker-Ihe gentleman from
Iowa lMr. Henderson, asks for the pre-
Yious question.
Mr.. Hepburu-I desire 10 raise a point
OF order. My amendment must Doe in or
der in the absence OF rules. There is no
previous question without rule and
there is no rule hore which gives 10 the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr Henderson,
the right TO make that motion. His mo-
ton Is 10 adopt rules. which IS r. concts-
sion that there are none. therefore / in-
sist upon my right 10 make this amend
mcnt.
The Speaker-The Chair cverrules the
point Of order.
No reason was given for this ruling.
and Mr. Hepburn took no appeal tie
evidently thought that it was useless.
The House meyer reyrscs the ruling Of
the Speaker. The real feeling In this case
was shown. however. when on rising
vote there were l5s yeas ard the same
number Of nays. IL was result dumb
founding 20 those imhued with the im-
perator idea. Mr.. Henderson wa not
dsmaycd lie promptly asked for the
yeas and nays on his demand for the pre-
yious question. and secured them.
The new members Were all az SD a.
There was much confusion end some eA-
ouisite buttonholing. The vote recorded
lN2 yeas and lH nays. This was ii loss OF
four votes tor those opposing the mo-
ton. and an increase o. tWeuty-four for
those sustaining the dcmusd The in
crease came from old Republican menu
beers who We're rousted out Of the COM
mittee rooms and the restaurant.
Afterwards the representatives. drew
their seats. While they wer, doing this,
under the rules OF the last hngre-s, tie
four appropriation bills left over by that
Congress were handed TO tho, file clerk OF
the House Joy AlNr1Ina aIts Illf ~ aus
worth and Sherman Mr. Cannon was
chairman of the Committee on Appro-
priations that reported the sundry evil
and deficiency bills 10 the last Congress.
Mr.. WadswOrth. AS chairman of the Com
mittee OF Agriculture. reported the aeri-
cultural appropriation bin, and MT Sher-
man. as chairman Of the Committee on
Indian Affairs. reported the Indian appro-
priation bill. I'm this Congress. however,
they were simply members OF the House.
as none of these committees had been. or
have been. appointed The House could
have no knowledge of the introduction of
these bills until the following morning.
when the Record showed that the ME
clerk. under the supervision of thc speak
or. had referred them 10 the Commit
tees on Appropriations. on Agriculture
and on Indian Affairs. These committee
did not then exist. and do not exist to-
day Just before the House adjourned on
that day the Speaker appointed Com
mittce on Rules. one on Ways and Means
and one on Mileage. These are the only
committees that have been appointed
since his election MS Speaker
on the next day. Wednesday, the
House was not in session. on Thursday.
March 18th, IL adjourned as soon as toe
minutes were read. In that time '0i bills
and resolutions were dumped INTO lie nle
clerk basket. Among these was reso-
luton by Mr. Cannon proposing a special
order for the consideration VI the four
bills. which mad been ~
ferred TWO days before 20 committees not
In existence. This resolution was re-
ferred by the file clerk 10 the Committee
on Rules. None but those specially inc
hoo. H
done without sitting the 10i bills and re-
solutions that had been dumped into the
basket while the journal was being read