Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-05-04
From Washington.
Washington, May 4

Washington. May 4
Insurgents 10 the House are taking no
chances With the railroad bill. A certain
coteries OF tue "progressives" are meet
log every evening aud discussing the
measure among themselves, section by
section. They formulate amendments by
which all agree to stand when the mat
ter shall come up in the House. These
AMENDMENTS are. mspifolded and each
participant la the conferences Is given $
COPY. Then, when The section OF the bill
which it Is desired to amend is read in
the House, esch and every ipsurget
Who attends the evening conferences,
arises. The idea ia that with perhsps s
half dozeo or more men clsmoriDg for
recognition, the speaker is bound to- rec
ogpiz. some one and he OF course pre-
sents the amendment which each OF the
others has ready to present.. The scheme
was adopted 10 order to assure consider.
stion of the changes decided upon BY
the insurgeut leaders. Mr.. Bennett the
republican regular who is chairman OF
the committee of the whole for the con-
sideration of the bill, isn't particularly
az xious to recognize insurgents, but
where there are several shouting Tor
recognition, be is forced to And, uu-
der the scheme OF duplicate amendment
uope of The insurgents care who is cred
tied with the amendment, 80 long "a /,
-, - Gov oonetdoration
Seldom has the dignity of the menu
bers of that august tribunal, the
Supreme Court OF the United States,
been 80 ruff ID as by the action OF Caleb
r. Layton, auditor for the treasury, IN
holding up the voucher for 81, "a
turned In by Marshal Wright for The ex'
peuses of the members OF the court 10
attending the funeral at Albany of the
late Associate Justice Peckham. To
appreciate the extent of their iodigna-
ton 1t is only Necessary to point Gu.
thst every voucher of the Marshal OF the
court is subject to the approval of the
chief justice. The one in question re-.
ceived .his necessary sttestation. The
court Is supreme and is the last resort
in all questions of the interpre.
tstion of law 10 this country,
vet here comes along minor law officer
of one of the government departments,
whose opinions are never 6ual, aud who
questions the legal Interpretation placed
upon an appropriation bill by Chiei
Justice FnlleE. Fortunately the comp
troller of the treasury, the reviewing
su.bority of all auditors decisions, step
ped into the breach and prevented any
serious damage. But the opinion OF the
Supreme Court justices OF Auditor Lay
tn, II 1t could be put In prict, would
make mighty interesting reading. Ooe
result OF this incident will probably be
| to make the court more determined than
ever 10 abandon the lime-honored prsc-
tice OF attending In body the funerals
OF their deceased colleagues. It has been
noticeable that on such occasions In the
past the appearance of the Supreme
Court itself has been the centre sttrae.
| ton rather than the casket containing
! the remains of the dead justice aud this
Is extremely Idistas!e'ul to the justices.
Among the items In the bill rendered BY
Msrshal Wright for the Albany trip to al
tend the Peckhsm funeral Vas one for fifty
| fares to that place and utarp, s772; rem
tai parlor car for four days, $1O2;
rental OF dining car, four daya, $l60;
commisssry supplies, s14S 80; hotel bill
aud csrrisges at Albany, S23S so and
some miscellaneous expenses. Chief
Justice Fuller approved of the payment
of these expenses out of the sppropria.
lion for miscellaneous expenses of United
States Cour,s. The au iitor declared that
be could 6od no aut 1oritY for the p'y.
ment of transportation and SUB
sistence expenses cut of this lnod.
Comptroller Trscewell, on the contrary,
held that as the voucher bai been sp-
proved by both the chief justice and the
attorney general the payment OF the
expenses was entirely legitimate, espec-
tally as payments from that fund were
by Congress left to the approval of the
attorney general. He also pointed out
that the Supreme Court bad always been
recognized ss having authority to reeu
Ists its miscellaneous expenses. Several
other cases, he noted, among them
81, 277 for the funeral of Associate JUS
tlce Matthews, similar cum for the obse-
quies of Associate Justices Miller aud
Bradley, and s2,056 for those of Asso.
ciste Jastics Lamar.
Blame for the condition of affairs
over The railroad bill is openly being
placed by the regulsrs al the door Of
the president. They rage because he
has not only been Indifferent to the
situation 10 Congress but that be seems
to have no sonse of responsibility for
the troubles that have come upon the
party. When the president, being
called at Pittsburg over the long dis.
| lance telephone, lightly answered that
the wrecking of the railroad bill could
be charged to the ipsurgeot, toe leaders
of the regulars were in mood to throw
up their hands and surrender tho entire
legislative programme. Then Dir. Taft's
| suggestion that "some kind Of a bill"
could be passed added to their discourage
ment. They have been reused to the
pitch of declaring that they will read the
riot scs to Mr.. TAFT when be get, to town.