Evening star., 1937-07-10
Member of the Associated preSx
Call 1t a Dav.

NoII II q Ddfs
To an ordinary mortal day is twenty
four hours. There is no such limitation
to day in the Senate. When the upper
house is in fine, expansive mood, day
may become as long as ten ordinary days,
or even hundred. Back in 1922, when
the Republicans were engaged in putting
through tariff bill, the Senate had
long day-probably its longest. 1t ran
from April 20 to August 2, total of 1O4
days.
This extension of the ordinary day is
no trick of the agination-merely a
trick of parliamentary rules. BY the SIM
pie process Of failing to adjourn" and by
taking recess instead, the Senate makes
the sun and the stars stand still. The
legislative day continues, SO far as the
Senate is concerned, until an adjourn
ment is had. The only difference, really,
lies in the words used by Senator making
the motion at the close of the day IS work,
and the fact that when the Senate re-
sunes its session after recess there is
no morning hour" for the transaction of
routine business and the consideration
Of unobjected bills on the Senate
calendar.
The Legislative day" is handy thing
when there is a measure before the
Senate which the leaders are seeking to
expedite. 1t does away with the morn
ing hour"-which is not morning hour
at all, but two hours Immediately after
noon, when the Senate begins its daily
sessions at the regular time. 1t keeps
the unfinished business strictly before
the Senate until it is disposed of one way
or another.
The administration forces are making
use of the long legislative day in the hope
of breaking down the opposition to the
Presidents court bill and the compromise
to which the administration has agreed
The long legislative day In 1922 came to
an end only because Of the death Of
Senator William E. Crow of Pennsyl-
NdI1ld. L llc otlldlC Has I'LL ulNdll
when a death of one of it's members
occurs-it adjouns out of respect to his
memory.
How long the present legislative day
of the Senate will continue 1t is difficult
to estimate. Already 1t is on it's fifth
calendar day. The opposition to the bill
may force an adjournment, or at least
force the administration to lay aside the
court bill, if there are other legislative
measures or appropriation bills which
must be put through without delay. Only
by unanimous consent can the court bill
be laid aside without motion to displace
It as the unfinished business. Already
Senator Wheeler has declared that he
will object to the transaction of any
business by unanimous consent, as
retort to the threat of the administration
TO clamp down on the opposition and
limit debate by exercise of Rule Nineteen.
This rule says: mo Senator shall speak
more than twice upon any one question
In debate on the same day without leave
of the Senate, which shall be determined
without debate"
The application of this rule, under the
theory that the "day" referred to in the
rule is Legislative day." would mean
that no Senator shall speak more than
twice on the court bill unless permitted
especially by the Senate. However, oppo-
nents of the bill may offer innumerable
amendments, and these amendments also
are debatable. The end is by no means
in sight in this struggle, with both sides
exercising their parliamentary wits.