The Indianapolis journal., 1898-12-15

grafton bill. At the last session an attempt
was made to take 1t from the Speakers
gable, but II was defeated by a large major
lty. Mr.. Denford, of Ohio, chairman of the
immigration committee, thought the bill
would be stronger after the elections were
over. out to-day, when he tried again to
70 l0S, to take it up. An interesting but
nrief debate on the rules was precipitated
curing uulIlng the session by Mr.. Grow, of Penn
SylVania. during which Mr.. De Almond made
a speech on the decadence of the privilege
OF debate in the House and held Speaker
heed responsible for the fact that the House
had had no opportunity to adopt new sys-
TEN OF rules at this session. The Speaker
replied with sarcastic speech in which he
reIerred 10 the complaints of John Randolph
~ the early days of the century to show
tne same remonstrances were made then
that were being heard to-day.
1he pension appropriation bill was re-
ported 10 the House at the opening of the
session and Mr. Barney gave notice that he
would cali 1t up tomorrow. The Senate bill
10 REGULATE the sitting of United States
courts, district of South Carolina, was
passed. Then the immigration bill was dis
posed of as stated.
Some miscellaneous pension matters were
disposed Of. when Mr.. Grow rep, Penn
syivania): the patriarch of the House, made
"a short historical aduress by unanimous con-
sent on the origin of the committee of the
whole on the state of the Union in which
there was no limitation upon the latitude of
debate. MIR. Grows remarks caused Mr.
Robinson (Dem., Indiana), TO reproach the
majority because no new code of rules had
that air Henderson (Rep., Iowa). had prom
1sed. when the old rules were temporarily
adopted at the first session, that a code
days.
Air. Henderson Indignantly denied the
charge He pointed out that he had only
expressed his opinion that new code of
rules would be presented within thirty days.
Il urged II in committee said he emphat-
ically, and don't want this charge thrown
INTO my teeth now because the committee of
which ] am member did not agree with
me. II is a cowardy thing TO do.
Mr.. DE Almond Dem., Missouri, got the
floor and proceeded to contrast the condi-
ton of affairs i'm the House at present with
the days of which Mr. Grow had spoken
when there was full opportunity for discus
SIGN. He declared that the speaker held the
balance of power on the committee on rules,
and il was he who, in fact had determined
that It was better that no new code of rules
should be presented and adopted by this
House He was exceedingly ironical in his
references to the decadence of the old-time
privilege of full debate 1t had become the
fashion he said, TO bring in repressive rules
TO cut off debate upon every important ques-
tl0n, and asserted that the rules under which
the House was now operating, which could
not have been adopted permanently, had be-
come permanent by the attitude of the
The speaker from the chair replied to his
critics as follows: "rhe gentleman from
Missouri has permitted himself to make
statements in regard to the relations between
the speaker and the other members OF the
committee on rules that, l am happy to
House must not feel itself to have been
treated TO an unusual discourse upon the
lack of liberty given to the citizen 1t so
happens in this world that there
are many citizens. 1t so happens
that in the House of Representa-
tves there are many members, and that
while in theory every can occupy ali
the time in discourse, in actual practice he
has to occupy it in subordination to the
rights of every other member, to the rights
of the body itself and to the prosecution of
public business In actual practice, also. the
House may have noticed that. however much
despotism is exercised by the rule there is
nOesubiect I'm the heavens above or in the
earth beneath that has not been discussed
even in this present Congress. OLaughter)
Now, of the gentleman from Missouri will
turn to the annals of Congress. away back
in 1916 during the period of liberty such as
he thinks he desires, he will find that John
Randolph, who certainly was heard enough
TO become famous for a century, COM
planning about the despotism of the rules at
that period and was also complaining that
even the arch inquisitor himself would have
been satisfied with the wickedness of them.
So you see that human nature is the same
in all time" daughter and applause on the
Republican side.) The House then, at 300
ID. m adjourned