Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-22

bills. At times millions of money are
dependent upon their decisions. They
all try to cite prccedents for their rul-
lngs, but are not beyond upsetting
them. Knotty questions frequently
arise requiring the exercise of more
than ordinary parliamentary acumen.
fortified by experience and research,
however, the Assistant Speaker can bid
defiance to all who differ from him and
maintain his ruling. Right or wrong, 1t
goes. 1t may be challenged by an APP
peal. but the committee is usually as
loath to turn down an Assistant Speak
er as is the House to traverse n ruling
OF the Speaker himself. Etiquette seems
to require that it should be sustained.
even if the voter knows it to be wrong.
The Committee of the Whole has its
own rules. II requires the presence of
no more thar 100 members OF the COM
mittee, while the House requires 179 10
make quorum. As it has no yea and
nay vote. the committee becomes cap
tious and cantankerous. and at times
acts like an unruly COW refusing TO
give down her milk. 1t insists upon
wasting time in lowing and kicking.
The remedy, however, is always at
hand. The COW is driven from the
barnyard into the open House by the
member in charge Of the bill under
consideration. and the Assistant Speak
err reports his trouble to the Speaker
The unruly animal is then dubbed into
obedience by the passage Of resolu-
ton limiting or shutting off all further
discussion on the pending proposition.
The COW Is then driven back into the
barnyard, and the Assistant Speaker
again takes her in charge. The milk
ing is resumed by the statesman who
feeds the cow
Strange scenes sometimes occur in
Committee of the Whole. Men fire.
quently vote for propositions that they
would spurn in the open House, where
the yeas and nays may be secured.
They vote one way in committee and
run the other way in the House For
years the proposition 10 give salaried
clerks to members was carried in Com
mttee of the Whole and defeated in the
House by the votes of the very men
who supported it in committee.
The duties of an Assistant Speaker
are fully as arduous as those of the
Speaker himself If he is yielding in
disposition he Is liable TO have an cx-
ceedingly lively time OF il. Much of
the time OF the committee Is governed
by what is known as the five minute |
rule. There are always Hotspurs who |
feel hampered by this rule, who enter |
discussion on full gallop. and refuse |
TO rein In their stecds. Their horses /
prance, snort. and champ their bits. |
er can easily control them. Without it |
he might as well try to stop stampede !
of Texas steers. The Bynum episode |
occurred in Committee of the Whole |
In reply to some strong language used |
in committee by Gen Thomas NJ |
Bayne, In the Fifty-first Congress. w |
d. Bynum was accused of overstcppng |
the bounds. He practically called Gen. |
Bayne a conduit for the dissemination
of false information. His words were
taken down and the committee rose and
the language 10 the House
A resolution of censure was introduced
and the most extraordinary scene in
the Fifty-tirst Congress occurred. The
discussion lasted until long after night
fail. when Bynum as called to the bar
of the House by the Sergeat-at-Arms
to receive the censure OF the Speaker.
The Democratic members rose en- massc
and accompanied him to the bar.
Speaker Reed ordered them to return
to their seats. Not a man obeyed the
order, and the Speaker made no effort
to enforce 1t. The House was in n
fever of excitement, and an attempt
to drive them back would probably
have resulted in 4 hand-to-ha con
nict.
The first Assistant Speaker to appear