The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-01
Tactics Employed by Majority in House Against Public
 DeCGncy
THREE OR FOUR MEN
 GAN RULE LEGISLATION
Caucus FiIlbuster Continues to Harass .he Republicans, Though the Public Buildings Bill Is Passed
 By Large Vote.
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEy.

BY WATTERsoN sTEALEY.
 Washington, February .-(special)-By an overwhelming. vote the house this af- ternoon passed the public buildings bill appropriating s6.00O0OO for public build- ings throughout the country The Dill now goes to the senate, thence to confer encc, where, after a lively fight, it is ex- pected to become law in a modified form.
 The action of the senate in passing over until Monday the Aldrich financial bill makes the final passage of that measure more doubtful than was believed yester- day. Unexpected opposition developed to 1t in the upper branch of congress today and 1t is also reported that the measure will not command the unanimous support of the republicans In the house.
 The house supporters of the bill are somewhat discouraged over it's reference to the banking and currency committee instead of the ways and means commit tee, though they still express confidence in both house and senate that the bill will be passed at this session of con gross. Ire cauc us hlibuster inausurated in the house by the democrats continued today, and according to Representative Hay of Virginia. the chairman of the eau GUS, it will continue throughout the ses- sicn.
 Numerous Roll Calls.
 Roll calls were demanded wherever practicable, and no opportunity was lost to harass the republicans whenever an opening was presented. Democratic mem bers of the house are loud in their protest against the adoption of the republican rule yesterday which 1t is claimed de- stroys all vestige of popular government in the lower branch of congress and an- initiates the representative character of that body.
 They assert that never Tn the history of the country has such an outrage been perpetrated upon a minority by a ma jority, and that the far-heralded Reed tactics are nothing in comparison with those of Speaker Henderson and his lieu tenants on the floor of the house. Repre- sentative Underwood of Alabama reflects democratic sentiment in taking this view of the situation. MT. Underwood is a member of the rules committee, and Is recognized as an authority upon parlia- mentary law.
 MT. Underwood Talks.
 In discussing the republican rule today. he said:
 "The usual methods of doing business under the rules from the beginning of the government has been to consider appro- priations in the committee of the whole where they may be considered item by item and adopted, allowing separate votes upon the various items.
 Under the rules of the house, when an appropriation bill goes to the senate and | s4 ter they are then required to be referred to the committee from which the bill orig mated and by that committee reported to the house, and then the amendments con- sidered in the committee of the whole in the same way as if they constituted new bills In this way ample and care full consideration may be given all bills carrying public funds. There Is a large number of new items carrying millions of | dollars always put upon appropriation | bills by amendment of the senate and it can be seen that the rule adopted yester- | day by the majority of the house pre- vents the consideration of these new items, either by the committee or by the house in committee of the whole. Not Considered By House. These items are to be sent to confer ence without consideration by the house in any way and when they returned with a conference report a separate vote cannot be obtained on the items, but the members of the house are required to act on the bill entirely by rejecting the report or accept the items good or bad In my judgment this Is the most drastic and revolutionary rule that has ever been adopted by either branch of congress
 Under this rule the result will be that members will no longer have an vote in Legislation coming up on appropriation bills and it will be that three men of the house will be given the right to settle all of these questions on important leg islation. This double acting automatic rule provides that if a member votes in the affirmative he votes to send the bill into conference and allow the three men of the house to do the legislating in- stead of having it done by the house.
 "If member votes in the negative, he votes to pass the bill with all the sem ate amendments in gross without any chance to cons CT each amendment sep arately, making the situation one of im- possibility for intelligent action upon the separate items of the bills.
 Thus Is presented to the country a most remarkable situation. The house loses its representative power think this condition of affairs is one demanding the serious consideration of the people. It ought to arouse the country"