New-York tribune., 1906-04-29

The House of Repr rssentatlVes uo' -, "a. The
cause of the complaint OF these rev n i'tbsv are
believe the people should ruie' anu
the people.
JOHN j. ESCH. member of Commit.ee zee. on -
,arstate Commerce-Much Of the criticism "nioit
hes of late been directed against the Aouse VI
representatives as it's legislative capacity ana
lack of participation In its PROCEEDINGS OS Auo1-
viduaI members might, in my Gpsi0g' 1pas0G the IN mem
bership Of the Committee on Rules TO seven & 0r n' @
the officers of the House are now elected dnsse ss
members should be taken from bt te aiso Se sm
powered make committee aSslgnnl1nus gbanTs II 6e
eve that rules q the House should f20d Sster Ss SO
amended as TO prevent thS oPee re mower OF rec
ognition.
AMOS L. ALLEN. 1st Maine Distrfct-The House
sdonts its own rules, IS governed fairly by them
and masses acts by a majority without Wearisome
debate or flbustering by minority me speak
has great power and tdsa Tieias and mo- tarnded
Representative can. with reason siate tnat 5 6ne
action OF the House Is not the oenosrdse @ @Juus
bers
q III GROsVENOR chairman Committee on
Merchant Marine The abuse Of the House OF
Representatives by Senator Tillman and By others
is a good field for academic Illustration OF the
power of invectfve and IL has no other field or
value The House Of Representatives is as demo-
cratic as II is possible for any body Of $50 men TO
be- 1t must operate under rules. myself sat In
the House of Representatives for eight days and
nights while half dozen men banded together
and prevented 10 {be necessity for rules
Inat canso ,+ ~ debate and ever since the House
Of Representatives has been operating under a
system OF rules that gives to the majority OF
the House voting upon an express proposition the
r. to 2 put orpe an gpd 70 on Re b what has
be agreed TO by majority Of the House OF Rep
few men govern and that there IS no deliberate
Judgment Is nonsense: We have had Longer de,
tSe Gase House Of Representatves than in any other
Congress for the last twenty-five years
L. FLETCHER, 5th Minnesota District Il do
not think the House is controlled by few men.
nor that It does not exercise it's deliberate tudg
tIcai common sense rules for its government and
the majority generally prevails.
WILLIAM S. BENNET. member of Committee on
Imrnigration-Th is nothing IN the rules which
prevents the majority from bringing up for consld-
Grafton any bill which has been reported from
portance and the majority behind it must really
want 1t considered In such a contingency nothing
can prevent the bill coming before the House anu
being considered and this without any assistance
hostIon II NAV make have never seen the facts
alluded 10 in discussions OF this matter that rule
COMMITTEES on Rules is only binding on the House
Ts Sa a9SePted f e two Toe In Il fact oe the
previous question and me on the rule itself In so
for eoufs R9GS Of as so%a knd It 6e that
or two places the rules could be changed without
SSr SiT5 but am satshed that under the present
Be done S to ANY material pror oston. and that while
the rights OF the minority are protected and pre-
FORTY. elected for that purpose pass the legislation
which it proposes and for which 1T is responsible
Is conserved.
H. o. YOUNG 18th Michigan District-I do not
think this charge we'll founded 1t is true that a
few OF marked ability and long service exer-
else great influence. but this is as it should be
i may be. however that little more elasticity In
R w BONYNGE. 1st Colorado District-The crit
icism that the House of Representatives has ceased
TO be deberative body is IN part true. 1t IS not
true in my Judgment. that the House registers the
will OF only few The size OF the legislative
hall and the large number OF members make It al
most physically impossible for the body a whole
70 remain delioerat1ve assembly There are com
can make themselves heard in every part OF the hall
thing ike deliberation when there is a large at
tendance Of the members. Numbers a deterrent
legislation in the House Is done. and win and
rooms N The s ebeTshp % OF q3ns % committees m na W S
Increased. their method OF appointment be changed.
win be enlarged so that the public may attend the
committee meetings, and the speeches for and
tteGested in the bills before the committees. The
Committees TO the House so that the entire mene
bershp may vote upon them. BY the time Q. bin
either In favor of or against the BILL or for the bill
with such amendments may be approved by the
the House which are SO frequently inveighed
against have. in my Judgment, been adopted be-
be improved and IN time undoubtedly will oe. but
judgment. be along the lines suggested
WILLIAM s. MNEARY. 10th Massachusetts Dis
trict-The statement that the House Of Represen-
tatives registers the win Of only a few men rather
than Its delberattve Judgment Is inN the main
true, and 1t furnishes the reason why service in
the House is losing its attractiveness for many of
its able members. The present Speaker is low
able. generous hearted and fair minded man, but
that does not change the fact that he possessed
OF almost autOcratic powers and through his con-
OF the Committee Rules Of which he is a mem
Der and which he dominates. he Is almost in COM
plete mastery Of the House Few. II any. measures |
are given hearing by the committee II the |
Speaker is opposed to them Few II any. measures /
are favorably reported by the committee IL the |
Speaker Is opposed TO them. and measure stands |
2 chance Of passing If he is opposed to It Unless
he is willing a measure VIII never get place
and unless he approves member WIN never be |
speafor with the comraittee on Rules. fsvors S
measure it can be passed. and is frequently passed
rules of 1 ths HOUSE. i remedy is needed t6e
House Is to be deliberativs body. The British /
quarters moro membership than our House OF Rep |
resentattves. transaots more business than we do |
a freer and more deliberativs system our sys- /
sriSe body a by Sh9 9r Sho S@sS ay Sae mac 6S6
the Speaker to appoint committees and having |
Sopossd x majority ana sa minority 0g ySbes s
selecting the the COMMITTEES on Rules by the majority
dar on which all bills are placed leaving tho House
power 70 take up or assisn any bni Il chooses to /
given precedence by the House itseif; by proceed- 4
special rules In the COMMITTEES os the Whols. nv 1