Evening star., 1932-03-22

ths strusrle for its adoption. It got
no further In that Congress. but being
reintroduced in the next was passed by
the senate on March 10, 1924, and sent
20 ths Ho,,se. where 1t was ignored. 1t
nassed the Senate again in the Sixty
ninth Congress on February IS. 1926.
and vas then noticed by the House 50
far A that 1t was referred to the
appropriate committee. which re-
ported substitute on which the House
took no action. It made further prog
ress In that body the next time. Tor
sying passed the Senate again on
ranuary 4. 1928. the House Committee
gain reported q substitute. which was
voted ON in the main body, but failed
for laek of the necessary two-thirdS
vote Nothing daunted. the Senate, in
Inc next Congress, the Seventy-first, on
,Mne 7. 1929. passed the necessary
resolution and. reaching the House the
nsxt day. Il was permitted to remain
on the Speakers table. not even being
refetred TO committee. until April IT,
1890 when 1t was referred to the Com
mittee on the Election OF President,
Vice president and Representatives in
Congress.
Resolutions Blocked.
"1n the meantime. resolutions having
a Iikr purpose had been Introduced by
House members and referred 10 that
committee which on the 8th Of April,
1880. reported one of them, the Serate
resolution still reposing on the Speakers
table. II was never acted on by the
committee to which 1t was referred. but
bv unanimous consent was laid before
the House, when 1t was amended by
striking out all after the enacting
clause and substituting the House reso-
luton which had been reported. In
this form 1t passed the house February
"a, 1881. and was sent to conference
on the very eve OF the expiration OF
that Congress on the succeeding 4th
dav OF March then only eight days dis
tant. The eonferees disagreed.et diff
ference bringing into relief the second
major reform TO be inaugurated by the
amendment.
LAS proposed by the Senate, the Con-
gress would assemble Immediately after
The lst day OF January In each year,
at which time the terms OF the mem-
bers elected at the preceding Novem-
ber elections would begin, and they
would take their seats. The session
would never come automatically to an
end except by the arrival Of the time
lOT tIC llfW SCSSfoils II Souit VIC StOuBib
10 a close only by agreement OF the
two houses. or. In the event OF q dis
agreement between them as to the time
Of adjournment, by the President.
Under the prevailing system. in the
even-numbered years that is the condi-
tion, yet so harmonious have been the
relations between the two branches Of
Congress thus far that the President
has never been called upon to exercise
his authority In that regard. But in
the odd-numbered years the Congress
comes automatically to an end at noon
on March 4. The result Is that there
is scarcely a Congress in recent years
that has not come to close with n
filibuster in the Senate, and perfect
bedlam in both houses in the strife for
consideration Of measures in which the
contenders are interested before the
fatal hour of ~ strikes. Meritorious
measures are talked to death in the
Senate and, worse still, amendments to
bills which tie body eagerly desires to
see passed-often appropriation bills by
which funds are provided with which
to carry on the necessary functions Of
oyernment-amendme wholly un-
justihable, are accepted under a threat,