The Washington herald., 1909-03-02
REFORM IN HOUSE RULES.
How a Great DeIIberative Body May
BE RehabiIffated.
p = Il tas g y -


David J. Fosts. q Vermont
Let ne call the attention OF the com
mittee 70 two important changes In the
rules which. in my judgment. are neces-
ssry IN order TO enable the House TO have
and 10 maintain a firm grasp upon all
pending legislation IN the first place. We
need grester facility for securing eonsid-
Grafton OF the bills favorably reported By
the various committees and placed upon
the House and the union calendars In
order 20 make Il possible 70 secure con-
sideration for every bill on these cslen-
dsrs which majority Of the House de-
sire 20 consider, would have what should
be known as Calendar Wednesday" I
would provide by a change in the rules
that on each Wednesday OF the session no
business should be in order except the
consideration OF bills on these two cal
endars under a call Of the committees Of
the House. unless the House ct the time
determined otherwise by a majority vote
upon the question. Shall this order be
suspended for this day." In this couHec-
ton, would restore its privileged char
acter 70 the motion 20 recess.
Then. II az the hour Of adjournment on
any calendar Wednesday the House had
come 10 no resolution respecting the bin
under consideration, Il would be In order
10 move to take q recess until the fol-
lowing day. Il would thus be possible for
q majority OF the House, II they so de-
sired. 20 continue any calendar Wednes-
day as long as there remained on either
calendar any bills which they wished TO
consider. When these changes are made,
and believe they will be made before
the 9Th of March, the House and union
calendars viii cease 20 be the graveya-ds
OF 50 many important measures; the
House viii have that complete control
over bills favOrably reported which II
ought at all times to exercise; and the
Committee on Rules. except In rare cases.
would be put out OF business. This, too.
would do away very largely with legisla-
ton by unanimous consent and under
suspension Of the rules. Both OF these
methods, as has been frequently pointed
cut. are extremely undesirable. except IN
the case Of bills Of a purely local charac-
ter and Of less importance.
With these notifications in the rules.
the House would stfll lack that grasp
upon bills OF q public nature pending in
the various committees which II ought at
all times 10 have To-day the committees
OF the House are its masters and rot its
servants 1t not infreoUeRtiy happens
that a committee to which an important
public measure Is referred negiects or re-
fuses TO report the bin either favorably
OF unfavorably. To be sure. In the great
majority Of cases where a favorable re-
port can not be had. an adverse report is
not desired But have known instances
during my service in the House where
committees have arrogated 70 themselves
the right to say that the House should
have no opportunity to consider bills once
referred 20 them. I have known cases
where a committee has absolutely re-
fused 10 report bin adversely. although
requested to do so when It was found In
possible TO secure 3 favorable report The
function OF the committees Of the House
IS necessarily most important one In
q great majority OF instances they have
the power OF ffe and death over bills
referred 70 them.
We ell know how strong the tendency
Of the House IS to follow the judgment
OF Us CoIQflilIe66s DuL LRiS 16CC furnishes
an additional reason why the majority OF
the House should have the right 10 recall
any bill pending before any committee OF
the House which negIects or refuses upon
request TO report Il either favorabIy or
adversely. I am not entirely certain as
to the best method Of enforcing this right.
L would seem to me that the most feast
ble method Is to provide BY a change In
the rules that on suspension days every
member OF the House shall have restored
20 him the right OF recognition, in order
that he may move 10 suspend the rules,
discharge the committee 10 whom the
oil was referred, and % place the bsIl
upon the proper calendar With these
changes IN the rules we VIII have gone
fsr toward rehabilitsting the House as
great delsbsrstivs body.