Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-28
TO EXPEDITE MATTERS
House Adopts Rule for Consid-
ering the Legislative Bill.
PROTESTS MADE I'M VAIN
Points of Order Against the Measure
Eliminated.
AGE-LIMIT CLAUSE EXCEPTED
Vote Was 16e Ayes, 100 Noes and IL
Present-An Animated
Debate. ~
CLAUSE EXCEPTED

There were high jinks on the floor of the
House this afternoon as result OF the
action of the committee rules in bring
ing in a set of newly forged handouts and
leg irons for use I'm connection with the
legislative executive and judicial appro-
priations bill now under consideration.
Lots of electricity remained in the air, left
over from yesterdays session, when the
tariff and several other subjects were
mauled and man handled. and the rule was
debated with great vigor both sides OF
the chamber before being finally adopted.
1t is mighty powerful gag, is todays 1T
tie rule. In effect it puts back in the legis-
lative bill everything so far eliminated from
that measure by the Prince Hardwick com
bination's points of order and renders the
unmutated portion OF that measure i'm
mune from attack through this medium
save in so far as concerns section s. which
relates to the graduated reduction and final
dismissal for age of superannuated govern
ment clerks. The members of the commit
tee on appropriations didn't want this
proposition to stay In the bill in its present
shape. and the members of the committee
on rules agreed with them. So this is the
only section of the bin that remains sus-
ceptibe to point OF order as new legisla-
ton. and II VIII OF course go out as soon
reached
1t was. of course, a foregone conclusion
that he rule would be adopted, the actual
vote being the only matter in doubt The
recaptulatiou showed 1863 members of the
House in favor of II to 100 opposed. The
democrats voted solidly in the negative.
Why the Rule Was Brought In.
The bringing IN of the rule was made
noco ssary by reason of the tactics followed
ever slrce the bill has been before the
House by Representatives. Prince of llli-
nes and Hardwick OF Georgia. These gen
tleInen have brought a point of order 20
bear against every item in the bill suIa-
ceptible to elimination In this manner ana
the damage they accomplished can be
judged by the fact that more than haif
the measure could be reached in this way.
The rule renders them harmless far az
the present bill is concerned.
The Rule Reported.
To unravel the tangle in which the House
has been involved Mr.. Dalzel (PaD imme-
diately after the reading of the journal
ported a rule from the committee on rules
as follows: That hereafter in consdera-
ton of the bill making appropriations for
the legislative. executive and judicial
penses of the government and for other
purposes in committee of the whole House
on the state of the Union it shall be IN
order to consider. without intervention OF
point of order any section of the bill as
reported except section s. and upon mo-
ton authorized by the committee on APP
propriations it shall be in order to insert
in any part of the bill any provision re-
ported as part of the b.l and heretofore
ruled out point of order
Section S, already stated refers to the
"old age paragraph. which has created so
much adverse discussion.
On the vote on the previous question on
the rule the ayes were l2o and the noes a.
Mr. Dalzell (Pa.) in explanation OF the
reason for the rule said that il was brought
In ito put stop 10 indiscriminate points
of order which if sustained, would tie up
the government.
In replv to a question Of Mr Fitzgerald
en- VI Mr. Dalzell said that section or
the bill was excepted because Il was the
widest departure from the general bill
Antagonism to the Rule.
Mr. Prince GT) in antagonizing the rule
said that the chairman of the approoria-
tions committee had ''willfully- knowingly
and deliberately reported a bill which ne
knew was not sanctioned by existing law.
He said that If this rule good for the
approximations committee it was equally
good for other committees. and If general
rule We're brought In embCdylng all the fea-
( lures of this drastic rule applicable to ali
committees he would vote for it, but he
knew in his heart that the committee on
rules dare not bring iE such a rule.
This rule is not in the interest of good
legislation. said Mir. DeArmond ,Aio.l
That will sustain you when you are right
This rule is dangerous In its tendency
Mr.. Hardwick (Ga-) who with Mr. Prince
has been fighting the appropriations com
mittee since the legislative bill has been
before the House said that never in the
history Of the American Congress had such
rule been brought in on an appropriation
''This rule If adopted will legalize 7GJ
things which existing law does not rec
Mr. Driscon N. W, said that this was
an ordinary appropriation bill, and he could
not see why such an extraordinary rule was
offered at this time.
Are we to be bound and gagged by the
eighteen members OF the appropriations
committee exclaimed Mr. Driscoll. If
we are, then we had better go home ana
send a lot of wooden Indians in our place
This remark was greeted with round or
applause
tlemen who have been objecting to the sew
eral items In this measure, but | cannot
sit still and see this extraordinary rule
adopted without protest, said MIR; Fftzger-
aid IN. Y.).
Grosvenor Defends the Rule.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Ohio) was brought for
ward to pour oil on the troubled waters
and argued that the rule was one of great
improvement, because out of it would grow
legislation that would correct the evils COM
planned of by both Mr.. Prince and Mf-
Hardwick. He said that If this rule was
not adopted the House would send 10 the
senate of which it could not be otherwise
than ashamed; that under the rule the bill
could not be perfected
The Rule Adopted.
The vote on the adoption of the rule was:
Ayes 169; noes. les; present, IL.
After the rule had been adopted the
House resumed consideration OF the legisia-
tive appropriation bill.
SENATE.
When the Senate met today Mr.. L5dge