Evening star., 1960-02-01

HouseGroup
Sets Hearings
On Rights Bill
Chairman Smith
Sees Clearance
By February IS
BY ROBERT X. WALSH
star staff writer


The House log-jam on a civil
rights bill was eased but not
broken today when the Rules
Committee agreed to hold hear
ings on a move to clear the
measure for floor action.
Committee Chairman Smith.
Democrat Of Virginia, an op-
ponent Of the legislation, said
the hearing probably will start
this week. He promised there
would be no unreasonable
delay" He indicated the COM
mittee will vote to send the bin
to the House this month, prob
ably by February IS.
The committee decided to
hold hearings after Representa-
tive Madden, Democrat of In.
diana, attempted to have the
bill reported out Immediately
His motion called for two days
OF House debate and unlimited
opportunity for amendment
proposals.
PrOdded by Petition
The committees action ap-
parently was prompted not
only by Mr.. Madden's motion
but also by the likelihood that
a petition to force the bill out
OF committee would get the
necessary 219 signatures of
House members. The petition
now has more than 1870 sigma
lures.
Both the Madden motion and
the discharge petition, spon-
sored by Judiciary Committee
Chairman Celler, Democrat of
New York. would have allowed
amendment. The committee
conceivably could clear the bill |
later this month under q rule
restricting or banning amend
ment.
A third factor believed to
have played a part in the COM
mittee's decision today was the
Senate schedule calling for
start of debate on civil rights
proposals February IS.
Stormy Debate
House leaders have said
they hoped a House bill would
be sent to the Senate by that
date. If the House and Senate
pass different versions, any sub
sequent move in the House to
send the legislation to a joint |
Congress would be subject to |
approval by the Rules Com
mittee.
The Madden motion today
touched off a sometimes stormy
but colorful debate at an open
meeting. Of the eight Demo-
Gratis on the 12-member COM
mittee, four opposed the civil |
rights bill and the other four
urged clearance. Until now the
four Republican members re-
Trained from supporting ef-
forts to bring up the bill in
committee.
They insisted today that |
politics never entered into the
matter and they intend to vote /
for appropriate civil rights
legislation when it comes UP
''in an orderly manner" for a
committee vote and on the
House floor.
Politicking Charged !
At the outset of today's ses-
sion, Chairman Smith accused
advocates of the bill of being
more interested in a political
issue than they are in civil
rights"
The matter was resolved to
some extent at a short closed |
meeting. Mr.. Madden dropped
his motion and Mr.. Smith an
nounced later there was gen.
eral agreement on hearings as
soon as convenient for Mr.. |
Celler and others to appear
before the committee.
This is the orderly meth
3D." Mr.. Smith said. I'VE put
no time limit on the hearings
we will bold on this bill, but I |
am sure the committee will
limit them to a reasonable ex-
tent so we can take a vote
without undue delay"
Asked whether he thought
the committee would eventually
clear the bill, he remarked: "It
will take seven votes and I sup
pose they have that many"
Pledges Not to Stall
Reminded by reporters that
Mr.. Celler accused him and
others on the committee of
using "stalling Devices" Mr..
Smith declared: "He has made
a lot of rash statements. We
are not going to stall"
At the open meeting today,
Mr.. Smith asserted that the
Judiciary Committee "dillied,
dallied and delayed" for seven
months last year before report
ing out bill late in August
shortly before Congress ad-
journed. He accused support
ers OF the bill of having waited
"for the magic election year
of 1860"