The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-02-15
TAKE 1T EASY
IN CONGRESS
House Debated Indian Bill on
Saturday
CONG. FOSTERS WISHES
He Wants Certain Postal Changes to
Relieve Unjust Charges on Pack
ages-other Things Talked
Over.
CONG. FOSTERS WISHES


the House OF Representatives Is marking
the time was shown Saturday by th,
consumption Of another day in genera
debate on the relatively unimportant In
dian appropriation bill, which Renresen
tatiye Sherman, the yice.president.eleet
is for the last time steering through
the House The House managers FIND
themselves suddenly rich in point OF time
at their disposal and the question is how
to cat it up without imperiling the pro
gram to prevent undesired legislation
Mr.. Weeks should hnd matters easy for
his forest reservation bill.
In the general debate, Representative
Washburn Of Massachusetts, in set
speech pleaded for action by Congress
that would bring the sherman antitrust
law mp to present requirements Of the
business world. Representative Foster OF
Vermont urged Congress to accept bis
bill providing for a change in the postal
regulations; as to permit graded charges
for sending postal packages, declaring
that It cost as much to send parcel two
miles from any town in Vermont as II
does to send it to San Francisco, and
that, indeed, it could Be sent for less
to London. ..sr
The so.ealled Insurgents had an inning
on the floor, in which the thoughtful Rep
resentatiye Hayes Of California urged re-
vision of the rules. he. said the rules
are the result of evolution and must
be revised TO meet changing conditions,
and to propose a change must not be
viewed as an onslaught on timeitried
and approved customs. He declared It
his conviction that ii no change in tile
rules is effected the House Of Representa-.
tives must degenerate into a machine for
registering the will of the speaker. At
the beginning of Congress, for Just one
nued. Congress is an indie.
pendent body, but as soon rs the present
rules are adopted authority is abdicated
to the speaker for the balance OF the
term, and he is given greater legislative
power than is exercised by any human
being living unless il be the car Of Rus
sia. He especially addressed himself
to the right Of the speaker TO deny receg,
milton 30 members TO bring up matters
that would otherwise be Ia order. He
asserted that the alleged right is foreign
10 all fairness and clearly an nnwar-
rantad usurpation Of power by the speak
az. No selfrespecting member should
tolerate the exercise Of any such auto.
cratic authority he said, and he added
THE modern Office of speaker OF the
House Is constitutional moustrosity
The whole trouble. lie asserted, arises
from the political power the speaker oh.
tanned through hin eontrol by appoint
ment of the committees ,of the House
aud that Of the committee af rules. He
adtocaed that the committees he appoin-
Ell by the House. and He pleaded for a
calendar day and for rule that would
prevent the speaker from denying reeog.
milton To members.
1t il not 80 certain that two-tiiirds
vote can be rallied to take mp the regisla-
tion making Mr. Knox eligible for the
Taft cabinet, but IL this can be procured
to-day, the bin viii be passed and If
not ii viii take its regular order. or a
special rule will De introduced tn put 1t
on its passage. More Democratic oppo-
sition has been encountered than was ex-
peeted.
Rumors are that the civil sundry bill
will carry appropriations IF some $780,
100000. and that the Senate Is expected
to increase the sum mp 10 Sl6A 600 geo.
These fignres are unparalleled for such
4 bill. and if the figures shall prove true.
indicate that the bars against lavish APP
preparations have been taken slown. An
inference II that tho committee has in
side information from the ways and
means committee that the sources OIL
revenue of the country are to b much
increased.
The snbiudieiary committee Of the
House has arranged to give L hearing
on Wednesday On the proposal to author
lie the federal courts To Sit al Spring
field. Representative Gillett will appear
before the commit tee.