Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-07
SPEAKER NO CAR
Gives House an Object Les
son to That Effect.
DECLINES TO MAKE RULING
Question Affecting Unanimous Con-
sent Calendar Referred to the
Members for Decision.

Speaker Cannon this afternoon gave the
House an object lesson in support of his
oft-repeated statement that the House
Is marking it's own destiny. and that the
Speaker is not the car he is charged by
some of the press with being.
\ question came up in which every
member of the House who has bill on
the unanimous consent calendar is in
terested, and. instead of deciding it him
self Speaker Cannon passed it over to
the House for settlement. Shorn of all
parliamentary technicality, the question
in brief was this: If bill is being con-
sidered by unanimous consent, can the
offerer of the bill, after the debate has
progressed and his measure seems
threatened with defeat, ask to pass over
the bill without prejudice and allow it
to remain on the unanimous consent
calendar?
Point at Issue.
Such a case was presented when Mr..
McLachlan of California called up a
river and harbor bill of interest to his
district The bill was subjected to cr.u-
cism, and fearing that unanimous con-
sent might be refused, lie asked that the
bill be passed over without prejudice.
His object, of course was to call it up
on some other day when he might have
explained the measure to the critics.
Mr. Gaines of West Virginia objected
to this procedure, and contended that
the request was out of order. Mr. Games
went on to say. that if such plan We're
followed the unanimous consent calendar
would become hopelesSly consested.
1t was then that Speaker Cannon an
nounced his position in the premises.
Speaker States Position.
There is great agitation in the coun-
try, both in the magazines and newspa-
pers, wherein 1t is charged that members
had to sacrifice their dignity in order to
secure their rights and have their bills
considered The House itself created the
unanimous consent calendar to meet this
situation The Speaker then went on
to say that he would not construe the
rule, but that the House should place
such construction upon 1t as 1T desired.
since the matter concerned every men,
Der of the House. He therefore SUBJ
mitted to the House this proposition:
Shall it be in order. after discussion
of bill on the unanimous consent cal
endar for the Speaker to entertain a re-
quest for recognition or motion that
a bill be passed without prejudce?'
Having submitted this proposition the
Speaker leaned back in his chair with
a smile. and the House entered upon
the debate, members upon both sides of
the chamber expressing their views.
Insurgents Disappointed.
The insurgents were very much dis
appointed over the Speakers failure to
rule on the question and his submission
of it to the House. 1t was understood
that in case of a ruling by Cannon an
appeal would be made from the decision
of the chair and thereby an opening
might be made for an effort to amend
the rules.
Speaker Cannon avoided any such con-
tingency however, and after the House
had debated the proposition as submit
ted by the Speaker the roll was called
upon whether it should be answered in
the affirmative or in the negative.