Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-08

Apropos of the agitation for changes
in the rules of the House of Representa-
tives Asher c. Kinds, who for the past
fifteen years has been the parliamentary
clerk of that body, has prepared state
ment concerning the operations of the
present code, Of which the following is
an abstract:
Mr.. Kinds says that the belief has been
widely inculcated that the rules are ob-
structive of the free course OF business
and that they concentrate too much power
in the hands of a few. Such criticism,
he says, would have been true twenty
years ago. but in 1890 the rules were re-
formed for the very purpose Of expe-
diting the course of business and destroy
ing the obstructive power of the few
The great improvements in the rules thus
made. he says, are almost always over
looked by those who recall the CONNECTS
of 1870. Mr.. Kinds refers to the system
of three calendars which lists all business
reported by the committees. and says
they are acted on mot according to the
arbitrary will of any man, officer or COM
mittee.'
The rules governing appropria ton bills,
he states, are by no means iron-bOund, be-
cause a majority of the House at any
time may vote against the body going into
committee of the whole for their conS1d-
Grafton. 1t then remains for some one to
demand the regular ORDER he says, and
that would be to call the committees for
bills on the House calendar, unless some
miscellaneous privileged matter should
obtrude itself on the House. In that
case" he says. (which would not Ord1-
narily happen, the matter could be brushed
aside by the raising Of the question of
consideration. which may be done by any
member, and the House at once would
vote without debate whether it would con-
slider Or not consider the intruding
natter If the latter. he says. the de-
mand for the regular order" would next
bring the call of committees, resulting In
the consideration of bills not carrying APP
preparations of money. and this could be
kept up indefinitely. or at the expiration
of one hour could take up bills on the
calendar of the committee Of the whole
House on the state of the Union. on the
motion of any member. The bills may
be taken up in order or out of order by
the will of a majority.
The House Alone Controls.
Private bills. he says. ARE also taken
up with equal facility Fridays of each
week" although. he adds, lit is true that
Friday often is taken up for public bust
ness, but this never. can be done except
by a majority vote of the House. In
other words. the House, and the House
alone. has absolute control of it's order
or business. ana IneFe Is no Dill any
where on any calendar of the House that
majority may not freely take up with
out undue trouble
Mr.. Kinds recalls the time when even
a majority of the House. under the rules
in force, could not proceed with par
ticular measure out of order, and that led
to the system providing for suspension
of the rules by a tWo-thirds vote.
The So-called special order system.
providing a fixed method of consideration
upon a particular bill and shutting out
diatory motions. is referred to as
thwarting obstructive tactics. In every
acse, Mr.. Kinds declares. a proposition
from the committee on rules is of
effect until approved by majority of
the House.
The consideration of bills by "unani-
nous consent is referred to as a con-
venience to members and to the House.
but obviously" says Mr.. Kinds, lit
serves for a limited class OF business
only
Recognition by thhe Speaker.
Mr.. Kinds suggests that perhaps the
greatest criticism of the rules rises over
recognition by the Speaker. and he de-
MES that the Speakers right in that con-
nection is absolute He says:
1T is plain to any one who under
stands the rudiments of general parlia-
mentary law that it is necessary that any
member who proposes to make a mo-
ton to the House. who proposes to
make a speech. should address the Speak
er and be recognized by him before urO-