The Washington herald., 1910-12-20


g-he organization leaders in the House
Of Representatives yesterday made sus-
tained effort to discredit the latest amend
ment TO the rules, which provides for the
discharge Of committee from considera-
tion OF bill under certain conditions and
by a majority vote OF the House. Tenn
porarily, al least, they succeeded. As a
result. the House cid not adjourn until
nearly 6 O'Clock, and the entire day vas
wasted
The most serious outcome OF the days
fHbuster lies in the fact that suspension
day. when bill may be called up out
Of their turn. and when the majority Of
general business Is transacted. is appar-
emily a thing OF the past The commit
tee discharge proposition having the
right OF way over suspension Of the rules
and it having been demonstrated that a
filibuster on the subject is simple Of ac-
eornplishment. merAbers having PROPOSE
tons awaiting action are exceedingly
gloomy.
Practically an of the session yesterday
was taken up by roll calls on motions to
adjourn and calls of the House on points
of no quorum.
Unanimous Consent Calendar.
The unanimous consent calendar was
the first thing on the list in the morning.
There were sixteen bills on this calendar.
of which seven minor measures were
passed. the others being objected TO.
Then the calling Up OF motions to dis
charge committees was in order There
were thirty-nlne bills on this special cal
endar but only three were actively
pressed for consideration. One was a
pension bill, proposing Increases, and it
was fathered by Representative Fuller,
of Illinois. Another was the bill Of Rep
resentative Fitzgerald, OF New York put
ting meats on the free list. And the
third WAS p big. fat bill of $50 pages. to
codify, revise, and amend the postal
laws
Mr.. Fuller made his motion first. but
he wasn't much ahead of Mr.. Fitzgerald
Then Mr. Mann. apparently not in a
hurry, was recognized. He pointed out
that the Fitzgerald bill was No. 10 on
the list, the Fuller bin No. q, while his
was No :, He thought his was entitled
10 preferential consideration The
Speaker thought so, too. and while Fitz-
gerald and Fuller gnashed their teeth,
the corpulent codiication measure was
handed to the clerk to read.
Point of No Quorum.
After the clerk had droned away for
half an hour and it became apparent that
the mere reading Of the bill was an all
day job Representative Rucker, OF Mis-
souri,, moved that the MEASURE ha taken
- IL,
There was objection. and he promptly
made the point OF no quorum. Then there
was some mora reading, and Mr.. Fuller
tried to get a recess until l1:5 in the
morning This was knocked out, and
there was a succession of calls Of the
House and roll calls on the motion OF no
quorum.
Finally, when Majority Leader Payne
made his fifth adjournment motion. Mr..
Fitzgerald remarked that it was evidently
Intended to delay the game. Speaker Can
non looked much surprised.
II will ask the gentleman from New
York if shat is So, he said, while the
House laughed
Mr.. Payne arose to the situation with
equal solemnity. He explained that.
judging by the progress made, the
House would re in continuous session
for two weeks II It attempted to pass the
bill Then he pointed to the clock and
suggested that it was nearly dinner
time
So Speaker Cannon permitted another
roll call on adjournment. This time the
Democrats. who had been supporting Mr.
Fitzgerald, and most of whom had their
OvercOats on, laid down on him and the
motion was carried.
The regulars were jubilant as they
left the building They announced that
they had demonstrated the idiocy of this
eammittee-discharge amendment