The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-25

tee had reported to the House, and the members, that is a large number of them who had spoken against the continuance of the merit system. were Johnny -on-the spot' with their votes to keep the civil service commission going.
 This is the case with much of the inn portant legislation enacted by the House. This was true of the Payne -Aldrich tariff bill. Several items were put in the bill in committee of the whole, which would have stood no chance on a record vote It was the same way with the rail road bill. This was a measure that was practically made over in committee of the whole, and when it came to a final vote in the House more than third of the members who voted for important amend ments in the committee of the whole by viva voce or division vote, or vote by tellers, voted against the measure.
 The insurgents assert that if the rules are amended so as to secure record votes on all amendments, there will be much time saved and more good work will be accomplished. while, too, the sessions will not run way into the summer. has been the case in recent years.
 When legislation involving questions that may cause cores pondence with for eign nations Is introduced in the House the committee to which the matter may be referred never gets excited, but takes plenty of time before voting.
 As an Illustration of this. Representative Hobson of Alabama, early in last May, introduced in the House bill, the object of which was to prevent the disclosure of national defense secrets. Captain Hobson was led to draw up and Introduce the bill by newspaper cable from Manila, which stated that several Japanese, SUD- posed to be spies, had been found strolling around fortifications in Manila, but there was no law under which they could be held for investigation and the Japs were let go.
 Representative Hobson at once got busy. He looked up the law on foreign nations dealing with the subject and drafted a bill to meet any case that might arise in the future. His bill was referred to the judiciary committee and by the chairman to a subcommittee for report. Letters were forwarded to the secretaries of the war and of the navy departments requesting information and their opinion on the adyisability of the proposed legis- lation After hearing from the depart ments Representative Hobsor sedrafted the bill and introduced it again. The sub committee took 1t up for consideration with the result that 1t was forwarded lo tHt beSlctdiy oi btdte IOr dn oplH1On, and also to the attorney general The opinion of the secretary of state was wanted because of a provision In the bill that imposed severe penalty on any foreigner who might be caught trespass- ing on forbidden territory with the view of securing the information for a foreign government.
 This information asked by the sub- committee has now been submitted to the committee and when the House meets next December the Hobson bill will be among the first important measures to be taken up. It's passage will place the United States on an equal footing with other na- tions of the world in the matter of having
 laws to guard national defense secrets and to mete out adequate punishment to spies in time of peace.