The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-01
A Warm Discussion of the Matter in the
Republican Caucus.
THE POWER OF THE SPEAKER is TO
REMAIN AUTOCRATlC.
Mr. Hepburn Advocated Amendments Which Would
Give the Members Show, but His Col
leagues Were Not Favorable.

appointed 20 serve during the Fifty.
seventh congress select committee on
industrial arts and cNpOSitiOus to con
SiSt Of nine members which shall have
jurisdiction ovor all matters except
those relating to the revenue and an
preparations referring To the centennial
of the Louisiana purchase and proposed
oNposttlonS,.
Resolved further, That the select com
mittcc on tine examination ana diSposi-
ton Of documents OF The Filth sixth
congress shall he continued as a select
committee in the FiftyscVcuth con
Mr. Hepburn Immediately offered an
amendment providing that the rules should
nc adopted temporarily for forty DAYS al
he end Of which time they should again
he placed before the house for considcrl.
tion.
He made an earnest argument 10 favor
Of this amendment, pointing out four ma
tcral changes which he believed should
We made Ia the rules as they have existed
for several congresses one Of these was
to provide that tho right Of recognition.
now lodged Ia the speaker, should he given
20 the hrst member addressing the chair.
the second was TO provide for four suspen.
sion days o month Instead cf two, tho
third was to provide fnr thc revival of the
old morning hour" as - existed before the
first congresses " HIrF Mr Reed was
speaker and the r.Hrru uas 10 provide that
senate amcndmcu to house bills should
be subject to tine ame points Of order to
which they would la subjected bad the
amendment originated go the house.
Mr. Hepburn commended that the present
rules euyD u speaker entirely too mucr
power and boo made tue point that there
] vi oh
quilcd that the presiding officer, chosen
hy the haure should be member Of. thu
body.
/ Mr. Ds.zcli tPennsylvanial replied al con
/ siderable length IN Mr.. Hepburns argu
I ment contcnding that the present rule
/ were an evolution and had worked So al
K mirahly in facilitating the transaction %
( business that the democrats, despite thc
cutlery against them during the 'ifty-hrs
congress, bad not dared to materially mod
! ny them wien they came back Into powe
in the FIFTY second congress. He took oc
casion n score Mr., Hepburn for harpini
on the subject Of tho rules This aroused
Air Hepburn and be rctortrd that II h'
Mr. Hepburn could change his position
with the same facility that the gentleman
from Pennsylvania could he would probablj
be able TO get more new material into hi
speeches.
he discussion lasted about two hours
Mr. Snattuc ohio supported the Dalzcl
resolution Mr. Grow Pcnnsylyanla)
though generally in favor Of the old rules
desired modification which would TAXI
sway from tho chairman n the committee
the power of controlling time on measure
before tbe house when Mr.. Hepburn
motion was put 1t was defeated by an over
wnelmiug vote, about 3 to ]. He thei
offered in succession as distinct amend
ments the -four notifications Of the rule
which he had suggested in his argument
These were In turn voted down. The high
est vote which any Of them received wa
Al. No question OF policy was broached
the caucus today.