The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-01-06

Vlu = ule,, which made the legislative
expense committee the court Of last
This brought w. B. Anderson. a
member of the committee, to his feet
ne Dreaded that the rule was drafted
10 give the speaker authority to keep
MS pledges OF retrenchment.
ne rule applies only to employees
OF the house." the Winona man said.
IN al other expenditures the commits
Tee on legislative expenses will decide
GU nave the promise of the speaker
to the house and to the state that he
VIII permit of no graft, the giving of
no eraIuity to employees of the house,
nor the increase of salary of any en-
ploye. Now you have the opportunity
Tor the speaker to make good. We are
erylng TO start out to limit the number
VI eMPleyes and to say what their pay
snaii be at the outset. The rules COM
'n'e'ee IS permanent committee.
johnson Wanted to Know
L. H Johnson, of Hennepin, asked
OF what use is the legislative expense
committee il their duties are to be as
signed TO the committee on rules. and
". L Nolan asked if the rules would
! pe, any more strict If enforced by. the
rules committee than by the Legislative
Expense committee Mr.. Anderson re-
pnea that a conflict was being avoided
ny tne committees in the report, and
Mr.. Roberts Withdrew his substitute.
ins new rule proposing limiting the
privileges of the floor to members. the
governor OF; ex-governors, the heads Of
the state departments, judges OF the
supreme or district courts and MEM
| pers OF congress, and when personally
introduced, former members of con-
gress and former members of the leg
lslature, raised a row. The rule fur
tner provided that 1t shall not be in
order for the chair to entertain a mo-
iion 10 suspend the rules or to enter
lam request for unanimous consent
IN. aprogat1ng the rule.
CHAIRMAN Rockne explained that the
new ruie, which has never before been
appned In the Minnesota Legislature,
was taken from the rules of congress
and lhat 1t was a necessity as an es-
cape from the abuse of privileges in
tine past sessions of the legislature.
George w. Armstrong asked for a
provision admitting distinguished vis-
|! TORS, ike the president, and j. A.. An
l.uerson, of LIE Sueur, declared it an
sabsurdity to prohibit motion to sus-
pend the rules. Armstrong asked to
laAavesstr1cken from the report the pro-
VISION prohibiting the suspension of the
rules and to ask for permission for
unanimous consent, Again Mr. Ander-
son, OF the committee came to the res
cue of his committee.
I must dispute the distinguished
parllafnentarian from Hennepin," he
said. This rule has worked well at
washington, where it has been in force
for years. 1t has stood the test of time.
It is not absurd; it is not ridiculous.
1t will save the speaker from embar-
rassment. The committee will not OBJ
lect 70 AN amendment permitting the
entertainment of the president, but It
does object to the general amendment
submitted,
| w. A. Nolan w. I. Nolan and others
spoke for the amendments, and Chair
man Rockne said that the rule had
been estab lished at the suggestion Of
the speaker. sis ssss
| The purpose issforsver to keep the
lobbyist from this hail. Abrogate this
rule and the first thing you know sou
will have the old conditions he said.
He moved the Armstrong substitute be
laid on the table.
Sherman Smith disputed the -aceu-
racy of the statement that members
wives were: not admitted to the floor
at Washington, and Speaker Clague
referred the matter, to- Senate Clapp,
/ who had been invited to seat beside
| him.
ciapp Settles Question
.ssCan't members at Washington bring
| their wives to the floor Of the house ??''
the Hennepin member asked.
They cannot" the junior senator re-
piled
We'll, / have saw them there Smith
| responded in some confusion of man
nef and English.
! The motion to lay the substitute on
/ the table was carried by a rising vote
4 49, to 40.
NJ. D. Flower then offered an amend
s1nent admitting the accredited repre-
.sentatiyes of the press to the floor of
the house, where they can do the work
for which they are employed. A sharp
debate followed, and while the motion
4 WAS edefeated it was generally agreed
/ that 1t was out of Difference to the
committee. Gen. Flower urged the
passage of his resolution which, he ex-
planned, was to permit newspaper men
! inathes discharge of the duty of report
ing to be on the floor of the house, and
1 j. Z. sMannix told the members that
4 their own interests demanded the full
4 est and most accurate reports of the
T house proceedings. and that no small
consideration should be entertained in
Keeping the newspaper. representatives
! from the floor. w. I. Nolan also spoke
III favor of the resolution.
] w. B. Roberts declared that the
press gallery. is an abortion, but the
4 presence of newspaper men on the floor
had been found to be prejudicial to
the business of the sessions in the past.
/ Unless the committee on rules could
1 make notable improvements in the
i press gallery. however, he was in favor
| of bringing down the newspaper men.
mfr. Anderson explained that some
/ improvements in the press gallery had
been agreed upon by the committee
4 and. would be Immediately made by
I order of Commissioner Seabury. He
/ moved to lay the Flower resolution on
/ the table. The chair was in some doubt
i onsthe vote and Mr.. Flower demanded
j roll call. The necessary number of
members did not join with him in de
manding the call, however, and the
resolution was declared lost.
II s-'.'A ~, After the Lobbyists
Representative Armstrong offered a
resolution excluding former members
/ of congress and former house members
from the floor.
Some of these former members are
j the. worst lobbyists in the state" he
cried, but on the motion of Mr. Rockne,
of the committee, the amendment was
laid on the table
4 The committee reported as to the
number of employees of the house to be
provided for by the rules 1t was ex-
j planned that there was reduction in
clerks from the number of two years
\ a qO hIlf the new "a I,ifol had made Noe