The Dolores star., 1909-03-19
BUT INSURGENTS SUCCEED IN
AMENDING RULES or THE
HOUSE. %
OLD RULES DEFEATED
AMENDMENT MAKES THREE I'M
PoRTANT CHANGES AFFECTING
SPEAKERS POWER.

NdshihSton-a one VI tne Stoi III
lest sessions in its history, the House
Monday. regardless of party align
ment, adopted. 211 to 172. resolution
by Mr.. Fitzgerald Dem) Of New York
whereby the rules were amended in
several important particulars.
Joseph e. Cannon was reelected
speaker.
The insurgents did not win the COM
plete victory they counted on. but sue
ceeded in bringing about an exceed
ingly lively session, and obliged the
majority at last to adopt the Fitzger-
OF a compromise.
The Fitzgerald resolution was sub
stitute for one offered by Mr.. Clark OF
Missouri.
The adoption was accomplished only
after the insurgents, with the aid of
the Democrats, with one or two excep-
tions. had won a decided preliminary
victory by voting down resolution by
Mr.. Dalzeli, making the unamended
rules Of the Sixtieth Congress applica-
BILE to those of the present Congress.
Such was the fever heat of the con-
troversy that Mr.. Clark of Missouri
got into a spirited colloquy with Mr..
Dalzell, who had mounted the rostrum
to read the resolution of the minority
leader. Mr.. Clark wanted him or.
dered away from the desk, to which
Mr.. Dalzell objected, saying he had
right to know what the measure con
tained.
Shortly afterward, when Mr.. Fitz-
gerald's resolution was up for debate,
Mr.. Fitzgerald was drawn into hot
colloquy with Mr.. Clark, who desired
him to yield for question. Much bit
terness was displayed by the two men.
Fitzgerald and Clark are both Demo
Gratis
AS analyzed by parliamentarians,
the Fitzgerald amendment as adopted
makes three important changes. First,
it establishes calendar for unani-
nous consents the effect of which is
to enable member to have PROPOSE
ton brought before the House without
having to go to the speaker for recog-
milton. This change. they say, will be
a relief to the speaker.
Second, when consideration OF a bill
is concluded and the previous question
is ordered, the rules heretofore have
provided for a motion to commit with
or without instructions. 1t has been
a practice to recognize member of
the majority to make this motion and
thus prevent the minority from offer
ing such instructions as 1t m desire.
The new rule gives the mint ty the
preference in making such a motion
and thus enables them to get record
vote on propositions which would 9TH
erwise be settled in committee Of the
whole, where no record vote Is poss..
BILE.
Third, it protects the calendar We'd
nesday by requiring a two-thirds In
stead of majority vote to set it aside.
Fourth, it is also claimed that the
amendment will have the effect Of pre-
venting favoritism by the action Of the
committee on rules in special cases.
A prominent feature of the Clark res
olutions was an amendment providing
for a committee of fifteen to revise.
amend and codify the rules and much
of the opposition to 1t was because OF
this fact AS adopted. the Fitzgerald
amendment makes no change In the
present method of selecting the rules
committee, nor is there any change In
the method OF selecting committees.
Speaker Cannon Is inclined to regard
the amendment as slight improve
ment on the present rules, in that in
stead of throwing the responsibility
for recognition on him it sets aside
certain days for considering measures
under unanimous consent: but, he
says, under the new rules. members.
will have to wait for those days.