The Portland daily press., 1898-12-15
IN THE HOUSE.

TODAY for the second time during this
Congress- refused to consider the Lodge
immigration BILL AT the last session an
attempt was made to take it from the
Speakers table, but it was defeated by a
large majority. Mr.. Danforth OF Ohio.
chairman of the immigration committee
thought the bill would be stronger after
the elections were over, but today when
he tried to again secure consideration the
House declined 100 to 103 to take 1t up.
An interesting bill but brief debate on
the rules was precipitated during the
session by MIR. Grow of Pennsylvania,
dur ing which Mr.. De Almond made a
speech on the decadence of the privilege
of debate in the House, and held Speaker
Reed responsible for the fact that the
House had had no opportunity to adopt
new system of rules at this session.. The
Speaker replied with sarcastic speech,
in which he referred to the complaints of
John Randolph. in the early days of the
century to show that the Same remon-
strances were made then that were being
heard today.
The pension appropriation bill was re-
ported to the House today and Mr.. Bur-
ner, Republican OF Wisconsin, gave notice
that he would call it up tomorrow. The
Senate bill to regulate the sitting of
United States courts within the district
of South Carolina was passed.
A bill to pay j. W. Seligman 81 .75s:
the amount of certain coupons of United
States bon Is lost at sea on the occasion of
the sinking of the Cunard line steamer
Oregon in 1855. was passed.
Mr.. Danford, Republican of Ohio, then
called up the Lodge immigration bill
which was passed by the Senate at the
last session and which has since been up
on the Speakers table. Mr.. M. Barthold.
Republican of Missouri, raised the ques-
ton of consideration against. Upon a
viva voce vote the noes seemed to have it,
but before the announcements, Mr. Dan
fard demanded the ayes and nays which
were ordered.
The House refused to consider the bill
1Ol to l03 Much interest was manifested
IN the vote and when the Speaker an
nounced the result the opponents of the
bill applauded Justify.
The consideration of the bill to incorpo-
rate the international American bank,
which was special order for today. was
postponed until tomorrow. Some miscel-
laneous pension matters were disposed OF
when Mr. Grow of Pennsylvania the
patriarch of the House. made a short his
torical address by unanimous consent up
on the origin Of the committee on the
whole on the state of the union in which
there was no limitation upon the latitude
of debate.
Mr. Crows remarks caused Mr.. Robin
son. Democrat of Indiana to reproach the
majority because no new code of rules had
been prepared for this Congress. He
charged Mr.. Henderson, Republican OF
Iowa, had promised when the old rules
n foa Oft ha fret
sion that code of rules would be pre-
sented within thirty days. Mr.. Hender-
son Indignantly denied the charge. lie
pointed out that he had only expressed
his opinion that a new code of rules
would be presented within thirty days.
He had expected it to and he had not
wanted the House to adjourn with the
last session without adopting new rules
hat had been his wish. Il urged 1T, "
said be emphatically. and don't want
this charge thrown into my teeth now De-
cause the committee of which ! am
member did not agree with me. 1t is a
cowardly thing to do.'A
Mr.. De Almond, Democrat from
Missouri. contrasteG the conditions OF
affairs in the House at present with the
days OF which Mr.. Grow had spoken when
thero was full opportunity for discussion .
He declared that the Speaker held the
balance of power on the committee on
rules, and it was he who in fact had
determined that 1t was better that no new
code of rules should be presented and
adopted by this House.
NJ, De Armand was exceedingly
ironioal in his references to the deoadence
of the old time privilege of full debate.
1t had become tine fashion, he said, to
bring in Expressive rules to cut off debate
upon every Important question. The
peaker from the chair replied to MS
criticism as follows:
"The gentleman from Missouri has per-
mitted himself TO make statements in re-
gard to the relations between the Speaker
and the other mem bers of the committee
on rules that am nappy to state ara not
justified by the facts. The 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 Repre-.
sentatives there are many members and
that while in theory every man can oc-
oupy all the time in discourse, In actual
practice he has to occupy in suDorulnatlon q
to the rights of every memDsr, TO bne
rights OF the body itself and to the prose,
cution of public business. In actuai
practice also the House may nave noolceu'
that however, much despotism is exer-
cised by he rule, there is no sub1ecJ I'D
tbe heavens above or in the earth nenea9n
that has not been discussed, even IN tnls
present Congress. daughter
"Now, If the gentleman from missouri
wilI tnrn to the annals of Congress, away
l,ack in 1915, during the period OF liberty
such as he thinks he desires, he viii nnu
that John Randolph who certainly was
heard enough to become famous for 9
century. was complaining about tne
desnotism of the rules ut that period, and
was also complaining that even the arch
inouisi sitor himself would have been salts.
tad with the wtckedness of them. So you
@ ses that human nature is the same In al
time.U daughter and applause on th'
Republican side. 90
| The House adjourned at 206 p. M.
DopTC MpIITH MEN MISSING.