The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-12-19
CAPITAL NOTES
Continued from Page 49,

were many LkiN1 DEIAGGA them.
AND THE CANAL BILL.
The fight came to a head in February
last, when Mr.. Cameron was expound
ing the sundry civil bill. II was sus-
pected that Mr.. Hepburn meant to offer
the Nicaragua canal bill as an amend
rent. Mr.. Cannon observed that it was
impossible at this time to give a fair
consideration to such a measure. Gen
eral Grosvenor. of Ohio, suggested that
Cannon was assuming that the commit
tee on interstate and foreign commerce
had been darelict in its duty, when he
said: I'VE are unenlightened upon so
important a question:
The gentleman from Ohio" naively
retorted Mr.. Cannon, cannot tor ure
any remark that I make into a refiec-
Ton upon that great committee presid-
ed over so honorably and SO ably by
the gentleman from Iowa"
Notwithstanding this tribute Mr.
hepburn did offer the Nicaragua bill
as an amendment. Cannon promptly
raised point of order against it. He
said that il. was in violation of rule q
which says:
''No appropriation shall be reported
in any appropriation bill or be in order
as an amendment thereto, for any ex-
penditure not previously authorized by
law, unless in continuation of appro-
priasions for such public works and OBJ
jects as are already in progress.
He held that there was no law for
an appropriation for the construction
of the Nicaragua canal.
81 have observed" replied Mr. Hep
burn, that this rule is obsolete as to
part of the membership of this house.
1t is only invoked and its provisions
enforced when the committee on APP
preparations desires to stand somebody
off whom they think is about to make
raid upon the treasury"
He added that he had little respect
for the rule as it stood on a par with
all the rules of the last house, which
were adopted under a promise that was
never kept.
If you put the Nicaragua amend
ment in here" returned Mr.. Cannon.
you DO it in violation of law, and it
goes with the stamp of suspicion, dis
trust and illegitimacy."
1T is no worse than your rules, .
shouted Southern member.
ooh! Good God!" exclaimed Mr..
Cannon, how that sounds like par
rot The gentleman from Iowa spat
upon the rules of this house. The rules
are the servants of the house. H IS at
tempt to evade them is not worthy of
him. Out in this country they would
call it pettifogging."
Well" roared Mr.. Hepburn, "the
gentleman from Illinois has violated
this very rule thirteen times in the
first. nineteen pages of this very bill /.
I undertake to say that | can find sew
enty-five distinct and substantial vio-
lations of lie rule in the bill"
He then quoted a provision appro-
priating $4,000 to construct steam
tender in the Third lighthouse district
in New York.
mo authority of law has been given
for it," he continued. bills are now
pending in the house to authorize the
construction of that vessel. 1t is a
wanton violation of the rule. Over and
over again this gentleman violates this
rule, which he wants to evoke to con-
troll the action of Others
CANNON. ON HIS METTLE.
This statement placed Mr.. Cannon
upon his mettle. He contented himself,
however, by saying THAI in all general
appropriation bills matters like this
were reported by the committee. They
sometimes pass he added, land some
times do not, but they always go out
if the gentleman from Iowa Or any
other member invokes the rule
"Then the committee violates the
rule and waits for somebody else to be
advised Of it," broke in General Gros-
venor.
Undoubtedly the gentleman can be
kept within the rule if the gentleman
Il o1r \ h
said Mr.. Hepburn, ''but | cannot antic-
ipatp what the committee will do
"Well, | am after you in this sug-
gested Mr.. Cannon.
eff I can bring it about" reported
Mr.. Hepburn, Il intend you shan con-
unue to be after me, anu a long way
behind. Bringing in a bill here, hop
ing it may escape observation, is itself
violation of the rule. If the gentle
man insists on doing this he is guilty
Of a crime against the dignity of the
house; he has violated the rules repeat
eddy; he has spat on them over and
over again"
On the following day Mr. Cannon
promptly moved that the house go into
the committee of the whole for the fur
Their consideration of the sundry civil
bill. Before the motion was put, Hep
burn asked the privilege Of offering a
resolution, but Cannon refused to give
way. After viva voce vote, Hepburn
again appealed ito Cannon, saying: i
hope the gentleman will give me an
opportunity to read the resolution
OH replied Cannon, Il have no
objection to your reading the Ten Com
mandments, if you do not take up too
much time"
Mr.. Hepburn then read the resolu-
ton, which set apart day for the con-
sideration of the canal bill, and Cannon
promptly objected.
II have no objection" he added, "to
the reference of the resolution to the
proper committee.
AS the proper committee was the
committee on rules, Mr.. Hepburn said:
Il have no desire to bury it,
Yes, l know" returned Mr.. Cannon;
sit is a cheap performance you desire.
AMOS J. CUMMINGS.