Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-06-22
BY ROBERT K. WALSH

ny hODEhI N. WALSh
Rules of the House as well as
the House Rules Committee
hemmed in a civil rights bill so
thoroughly today that its
chances of House action lie in
grave doubt as Congress pushes
toward adjournment.
A sudden adjournment order
by Chairman Smith, of Virginia,
prevented a committee vote on
the measure late yesterday. This
and subsequent moves indicated
many days of further delay and
added to uncertainty over the
bills getting out of the House
this year.
Mr.. Smith frankly welcomed
an opportunity to adjourn the
hearing and did so when Repre-
sentative Colmer. Democrat of
Mississippi, cited the absence of
a quorum, with only five of the
committees IL members present.
Mr.. Smith said his opposition to
the bill is so deep that he intends
to do everything possible
within the rules-to block it from
going to the House floor.
Effects of Ruling
His ruling had the following
results:
/. 1t averted a vote which the
committee previously had sched-
uled for late yesterday at the
close of two days of hearings on
the controversial bill, reported
out recently by the House Judi
ciary Committee. An earlier
unofficial count indicated sufi-
Gent votes to clear the bill for
House debate.
2. 1t gave Rules Committee
members supporting the bill no
opportunity, under House rules,
to compel the chairman to re-
convene the session later yes
terday after a quorum had been
rounded up.
3. 1t caused them-again un-
der the rules-to file a formal
request for a special meeting
within a week. This request was
left at the chairman's Office by
Democratic Representatives Mad
den Of Indiana, Delaney of New
York and Boiling of Missouri
and Republican Representative
Brown Of Ohio when they failed
TO locate him In person late in
the afternoon.
4. 1t gave Mr.. Smith three
days In which to grant or refuse
that request for calling a special
meeting. If he refuses, as ex-
pected, a majority Of the Rules
Committee members then could
force him by written petition to
call a meeting within the over
all seven-day period.
But members noted today that
even If such a meeting were held
by next Thursday and the civil
rights bill were voted out for
House action, the chairman would
have various House rules at his
disposal to delay matters still
longer. Moreover. some House OBJ
ponents of the bill made no Sc
cret Of their intention to use
other parliamentary devices in
an about effort to stop the bill
before 1t can get started in the
House If 1t ever comes out of
the Rules Committee.
Under the rules. in the event
Of a clearance vote by majority
OF the Rules Committee late next
week. Chairman Smith would
have three legislative days in
which to file the committee re-
port with the House. He then
would have another seven legis-
lative days in which to call up
the bill on the House floor. II
he failed to do so within those
seven days on which the House
meets, any other member Of the
Rules Committee could call it up.
still Other Delays
That would take the proceed
ings well into July. But that
would not necessarily guarantee
house action right away. The
House may previously have
SCHEDULED debate on some other
nSjor measure. such as tkl