Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-01-17
THE OLD FIGHT OVER AGAIN
A Belief That the Speaker
Was About to Nullify
One of the New Rules
Relating to Discharge of
Committees.

Washington, Jan 15.-The stirring
when the house overthrow Speaker
Cannon and took the making of its
rules into its own hands. were re-en-
acted on the floor of the house today
Threatened with what they believed
to be an effort to draw the teeth
of one of the most important of the
new rules. the democrats and insur-
gents joined i'm the defeat of the
speaker. BY a vote of I45 to 1875, the
combined forces rallied to the support
of Representative Fitzgerald, demo-
crat. of New York. and sustained him
in his appeal from the speakers rul-
ing.
The fighting developed as the re-
suit of the second attempt to use a
new rule which gives the house power
to discharge a committee from further
consideration Of a bill that has been
referred to it.
The insurgents and democrats be-
lieved this rule to be iron-clad: that
as soon as the consideration of bill
by unanimous consent had been con-
cluded on every first and third Mon
day Of the month, the house was
bound by the new rule to take UP
motions To discharge the committees
from custody Of the specified bills.
When the moment arrived today,
however. the speaker gave recognition
TO Representative Hull of Iowa, chair
man of the military affairs commit
tee. Mr.. Hull moved that the house
resolve itself into committee Of the
whole and take up consideration Of
the military appropriation bill. upon
which it had been working last week.
There was an immediate rallying of
forces and a stiffening of ranks among
insurgents and democrats. Mr.. Fitz-
gerald insisted upon consideration of
his motion to discharge the commit
tee. This motion was on the calendar.
Mr.. Cannon declined to give Mr.
Fitzgerald preference. but said he
would be glad to consider a point Of
order if Mr.. Fitzgerald wanted to
make one
The democratic member declared
that he did not have to make a point
of order; that il was his right to
recognition under the new rule with
out raising any point of order against
the speakers action.
Insurgents, democrats and regulars
jumped into the free debate that fol-
lowed. Upon the speakers refusal to
recognize Mr.. Fitzgerald. the latter
was finally forced to make a point
of order against taking up the army
appropriation bill. The speaker had
his ruling on that point prepared in
advance and read from a manuscript.
He declared that he did not make it
mandatory upon the house to take
up motions to discharge the commit
tee: that it simply made such mo-
sired to take them up. Upon this
basis the speaker held that Hulrs
army appropriation bill had the right
of way and that motions provided for
under the new rule could not be in
terposed.
Il appeal from the decision of the
chair" cried Mr.. Fitzgerald.
Il move to lay the motion on the
table" interposed Mr. Payne of New
York. republican leader of the house.
The Payne motion furnished the
first test of strength and was de
feated by a vote of 155 to 124. Then
followed an acrimonious debate upon
the ruling
When the vote was finally taken
upon an appeal from Speaker Can
mons decision twenty-four insurgents
and all but one democrat present voted
against the speaker The result was
the defeat of his ruling by a vote of
145 to 1926.