The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-25
MANN PREVENTS CONFERENCE ON
 US. ARMY BILL
Speaker Clark Decides With Minority Leader and Against
 Expedition.


 tive program. and to use every parlia- mentary trick at his command to ac- complish this purpose, Representative Mann, minority leader, was successful yesterday in his fight to prevent the Army Preparedness bill from being sent to a conference of the I two Houses.
 Ut has been agreed by the leaders in the lower branch that imme diately upon the disposition of the agricul- turaI appropriation bill, the Phillip pines bill, the Porto Rican measure and the shipping bill shall follow next in order. The President is particu- larly desirous that legislation for the Philippines shall be enacted at the earliest date possible. It is this pro- gram which the Illinois member is en- deavoring to have sidetracked. Ever since the passage of the army bill by the Senate, Chairman Hay, in charge of the measure in the House, has been endeavoring to secure unan- irnous consent to have it sent to con- ference. MT. Mann has persistently l objected to this request. It was de- termined, therefore, that the rules committee should take hold of the sit uation in the hope of speeding the bill through Congress. l Late yesterday afternoon Represen- Istative Garrett of Tennessee. a member 1 of that committee, reported rule | which provided that the committee on military affairs should be discharged from further consideration of the army bill, that the{ Senate amend ments to this measure should be dis agreed to and that it should be sent 1 to a conference of the two Houses without intervening motion, the Speaker being directed to appoint the House conferees immediately upon 14I. <%f+ +Ia0 Ia
 The Tennessee member explained that while both Houses had. acted ---- this measure, the tactics prac- tised by the member from Illinois had prevented it's going to conference. He said the situation could only be dealt with under 8 rule.
 MT, Mann raised the point of order against the rule. eff this rule is adopted,'' he declared, ''it will deprive the minority of this House of the privilege of a motion to recommit the Senate amendments to the Military Affairs Committee, g. privilege which it now enjoys under the rules. Various decisions of former speakers have sus- tained this contention If this confer- ence report was made up as provided under this rule, the Senate would act upon it first, discharge it's conferees and there would be no opportunity whatever for those who are opposed to the measure as it passed the House to obtain a vote on a motion to re- comnqit.''
 MT. Garrett contended that the rule was only intended to accomplish what the ordinary procedure of the House had been unable to do in this partic- uIar instance. eff this bill cannot go to conference in this waS."- he assert ed, ''it can only go to conference by unanimous econsent- This latter course the gentleman from Illinois has not permitted us to adopt The rules of the Hoi1se do not conten- plate that an individual member l should be permitted to tie the hands ] of the body, thus preventing the en- actment of legislation vital to the in terests of the country and the. peo- p12''
 MT. Mann interrupted to say that should express its opinion on some i of the, propositions involved in the | Senate amendments. He is seeking fol. separate votes on the increase in | the, regular establishment, on the vol | unteer system provided in the Senate l bill, and also upon the question of the i estabIishm ent of a government nitrate plant.
 After nearly two hours parliamen- | tary wrangling, Speaker Clark ruled in favor of the minority leader, de elaring the rule reported not to be l in order.
 1 .sIyhis rule undoubtedly cut off the right of the minority to move to re- commit the Senate amendment to the House Military Committee,'' he said. trUnder the general practice, if this conference report was finally made up, the Senate would pass upon it first ;, and would then discharge it's con- ferces. Such action would deprive the minority of the right to motion to recomnit the conference report, which is m direct violation of the rules of the body
 Following the decision of the speaker, l it was decided that the Rules Com mittee should meet again today and report out another rule which will an- sWer the contentious of the minority l leader and permit the minority on motion to recomnit before the Army Preparedness Bill is sent to confer ence.
 During the consider ation Of certain l amendments to the Juvenile Court Bill H for the District of Columbia today, Speaker Clark cond demned members on both sides of the House for the days debate. The race question had been precipitated into the discussion on this measure.
 ''If you keep on in this way.'' the IGpeaker adrnonished, i've aro going to 1 be in session when the frost comes next fall Stick to the business be- fore the House and get away from here wish Congress could adjourn l tonight, because as long as we stay lhere some one gentleman with an in- f1arnrnable temper is liable to prec1p pi tate a debate that will ring around the world and do a wonderful amount of de1ilment. You Republicans; are just l as much interested in getting away as the Democrats are"
 | ROBBED WHEN GOING TO
 BRIDGEPORT TO WORK