Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-26
PUBLIC BUILDING BILL
DECLARED TO Be 0. K.
Representatives Believe That
Measure Was Passed by
Congress Properly.

The few members of the committee
on public buildings and grounds of the
House who are in the city believe that
Representative Mann OF Illinois is
wrong in his statement that the forty
million-dolla omnibus public building
bill was not properly passed at the re-
cent session. and that consequently 1T
is not legitimately a statute The bill
Is Of great consequence to the District
OF Columbia. for 1t carries authorize
lions for a new building to house the
geological survey, reclamation service.
Indian office. bureau of mines, author
ization for the George Washington
Memorial building. a hall of archives
for Congress, the extension of Rock
Creek Park the erection Of memorial
bridge from Potomac Park to Airing
ton and the erection Of a memorial
amphitheater in Arlington.
Traces Bill's Movements.
Members Of the House committee which
had charge Of the bill were much inter-
ested in Representative Mann's statement
that there was not a complete agreement
to the conference reports by both Senate
and House. Representative Frank Clark.
ranking member Of the committee. went
over the record OF March line by line
after hearing Of Representative Mann's
statement. He found that the conference
report was adopted in the Senate after
considerable speechmaking and delay by
a vote of A to 16. ->at same date the
report went over to the House, according
TO the Record. and the printed page
shows that Representative Burnett asked
to have the conference report agreed to-.
According to the Record the conference
report was agreed to. The Record shows
that Representative Craven, from the
committee on enrolled bills, reported that
the bill had been examined properly and
had been signed by the Speaker.
What more could have happened to
the BILL" said Representative Clark. II
am at q loss to see"
Believe Measure Valid.
The members of the committee are of
the opinion. Also that even IL there had
been a technical error in the proceedings
the bill would not be invalidated after 1t
had been signed by the President.
Representative Mann claimed last night
that the act was not valid because only a
part of the conference report had been
adopted by both houses.
THE bill Is not finally passed" said
he until every part OF 1t has been
agreed to by both the House and Sen
ate-that is, there must be complete
agreement between the House and the
Senate as to part of the bill, includ
ing action on every amendment which
has been made by one OF the houses
While the Speaker and the President pro
tempore of the Senate were justified In
signing the enrolled bill and certifying II
as having finally passed both houses. act
ing upon the statement OF the commit
tee on enrolled bills. yet they acted upon
an error. and their certificate that the
bill had passed the House and the Sen
ate was not according to the facts
Actions Held Illegal.
THE certified enrolled bill was sent
to the President and approved by him.
but as the bill had not In fact finally
passed both houses all Of these actions
were illegal, and the public buildings bill
| is no more valid in case 1t be attacked
| than any other writing which should b
certified and sent to the President FOL
signature as an enrolled bill without evel
having passed through either house"