Year: 1878




Although the galleries of the House
American people have a clear idea of
the conditions under which work is
done there. A vague opinion Is pre-
valent that a member of Congress can
take the floor when he pleaseS, move
any resolution or bill he has mind to,
and make an hours speech on any
subject he fancies his constituents i'll
Buncombe County may want DISCUSS
ed. a reading of the Congressional
Record or the Associated Press des-
patches is quite as likely to confirm as
to weaken this opinion; for in the va
ried phenomena that are presented it
would need Darwin or a Huxley so
to coordinate them as to find any
governing rule or law, or even to guess
at the system on which the phantas-
magoria is constructed. Yet there is
a system and law, or rather code of
laws, known as the Rules of the House,
complex and vOluminOus, the long
and patient study of which, Joined to
patient and persevering practice, is
absolutely necessary if a representa-
tive has any ambition to become
"good parliamentarian," or would
hope to conduct an important measure
to a successful COllCIuslOIl,


Many member, with a budget OF
bills and resolutions which he fOndly
believes are destined to reveal to the
country its future great statesman, has
entered the Hall of the House in I'M
doubling faith that he has passed the
portals of a brilliant career. He rises
in his place and addresses the Chair.
He is sure he was up as quickly as
any one, but the Speaker seems una
ware of his existence. He is a little
daZed by the fact that a dozen more
are doing the same thing, and that the
loud talking, the clapping of hands for
the pages, and the total unconscious
ness of the body that he is trying to
gain an audience, make a combination
of untOward circumstances very like
irving to address the people i'll the
OInnibuses from the curbstOne i'll front
of the AstOr House, and he takes his
seat a little flustered, thinking he will
watch the course of things a little and
try it again. The next time he deter
mines that he will not be fOiled by
m0desty, and shouts "Mr. Speaker"
so loudly that, as much to be rid of
him as for anything else, he Is reCog-
nized by the Chair. ~ desire to pre-
sent a resolution and ask its adoption"
at can only be done at this time by
unanimous CONSENT" the Speaker re-
plies, and "I object" is heard from
several members at once. Some one
else is given the floor, and our friend
subsidies again to reflect upon the cru
el obstacles in his path of Glary: By
the help of diligent th4mbipg OF the
Rules, and by curbing his pride so as
to seek some advice of an old member,
Dol Of fhn Sfofn- will
be called on Monday and then he will
he i'm order. He plucks up fresh cOur-
age and on that day is on the alert,
his State is called, and he gets the
floor, sends his resolution to the clerk
and clears his throat for a speeeA: 4
sharp rap of the gayel is fo1lQWed by
"No debate is in order; the resolution
can only be referred to the proper
Committee" and before he can right
Iy understand what has happened the
current has swept by him, and he
takes his seat with waning sense of
his own importance. But he VIII not
give it up so. He finds what commit
fee has charge of his precious resOlu-
ton, and tries to impress its chairman
with the importance Of his measure.
l'BIess YOU" he is told, HtheFe are fif-
tv on the same subject; they will 20 TO
a subcommittee, and by and by we
may report something. Wait and
see.n He waits, and month or more
afterward he some morning catches a
few words of a report from that COM
mIttee, which imply that they have
introduced a bill which is 9rdefed To
he printed and recOplmitted. He gets
a copv of his bill, finds it at war with
ALI his ideas, and burns with the
of aR T,nlfnD lis folly and wins
dicating the wisdom and policy of his
own proposition. Now, at least, he
will he in order and shall be heard.
Still there are delays, but day. is set
for discussion, and he is fully prepar-
ed. One speaker after another is reN
cognized, but he fails to get the n0Or.
His shouts to the Speaker are unnOtic-
ed: he becomes angry and tiurrIed.
Some one asks him if he has any ar
ranpement with the committee or
with the SpeakerOfOr time to speak.
No, he answers; but has he not the
right to be heard? No; debate is al
most always limited to the members
of the committees having the measure
i'm charge and few whom they may
favor with the opportunity TO speak.
His wish to be heard at last Overcomes
his pride and wrath, and he is intro
duced to some member of the COM


mittee, who Is good-humored enough
exceptionally good-humoredl to yield
the new man few minutes of his
time. And so he gets tithe of the
time he wanted to develop his subject,
and under nervous conditions which
forbid thought, amid surroundings to
the last degree discouraging, he says
a few words without pleasure to him.
self or profit TO the House, and re.
sumes his chair full OF inward ObiuF-
cations at a system which seems in
geniously contrived to prevent the sat


isfactory discussion OF public, business,
and to give exclusive control of what
is done to the Speaker and the Older
members of the majority who are


chairmen of the important commit.
| tees.