Susan B. Anthony - History of Woman Suffrage, Volume III

I cannot vote for the appointment of select committees unless you raise a select committee for every senator in the body so as to give him a clerk. You have appointed select committees for this business and for that. It gives a few men an advantage when the business of the country does not require it, whereas if you appointed a clerk for each senator, with a nominal salary of $100 per month during the session, it would enable every senator to do his work more efficiently both here and for his constituents; it would put all the senators on a just equality; it would be in furtherance of the public interest; and it would avoid what I consider (with all due deference and not meaning to be offensive) the unseemly habit of constantly moving the appointment of select committees in this body. This is all I have to say. I vote against the resolution simply because I am opposed to the appointment of a select committee for this or any other purpose that I can now think of.

The President pro tempore : The question is on the adoption of the resolution.

Mr. Vest called for the yeas and nays, and they were ordered, and the principal legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Mr. Jones of Florida (when his name was called): I propose to vote for this resolution, but at the same time I do not regard my vote as in any way committing myself on the subject of female suffrage. If they think an investigation of this subject should be had in this way, I for one am willing to have it. I vote "yea."

Mr. Teller, (when his name was called): On this question I am paired with the senator from Alabama [Mr. Morgan]; otherwise I should vote "yea."

The roll-call having been concluded, the result was announced—yeas 35, nays 23; so the resolution was agreed to.[82]

In the House of Representatives, December 20, 1881.

Mr. White of Kentucky: I ask consent to offer for consideration at this time the resolution which I send to the clerk's desk.

The clerk read as follows:

Resolved , That a select committee of seven members of the House of Representatives be appointed by the Speaker, to whom shall be referred all petitions, bills and resolves providing for the extension of suffrage to women, or for the removal of legal disabilities.

Mr. Mills of Texas: I object.

Mr. Kelley of Pennsylvania: A similar resolution has already been referred to the Committee on Rules.

The Speaker (Mr. Keifer of Ohio): Objection being made to its consideration at this time, the resolution will be referred to the Committee on Rules.

The resolution was referred accordingly.

In the House of Representatives, February 25, 1882.

Mr. Reed of Maine: I rise to make a privileged report. The Committee on Rules, to whom were referred sundry resolutions relating to the subject, have instructed me to report the resolution which I send to the desk.

The clerk read as follows:

Resolved , That a select committee of nine members be appointed, to whom shall be referred all petitions, bills and resolves asking for the extension of suffrage to women or the removal of their legal disabilities.

The Speaker: The question is on the adoption of the report of the Committee on Rules.

Mr. Holman of Indiana: I ask that the latter portion of the resolution be again read. It was not heard in this part of the house.

The resolution was again read.

Mr. Townshend of Illinois: I rise to make a parliamentary inquiry.

The Speaker: The gentleman will state it.

Mr. Townshend: My inquiry is whether that resolution should not go to the House calendar.

The Speaker: It is a privileged report under the rules of the House from the Committee on Rules. The question is on the adoption of the resolution.

Mr. McMillin of Tennessee: I make the point of order that it must lie over for one day.

The Speaker: It is the report of a committee privileged under the rules.

Mr. McMillin: The committee are privileged to report, but under the rule the report has to lie over a day.

The Speaker: The gentleman from Tennessee will oblige the Chair by directing his attention to any rule which requires such a report to lie over one day. It changes no standing rule or order of the House.

Mr. McMillin: It does, by making a change in the number and nature of the committees. All measures of a particular class, the resolution states, must be referred to the proposed committee, whereas heretofore they have been referred to a different committee. Therefore the resolution changes the rules of the House.

The Speaker: The Chair is of opinion the resolution does not rescind or change any standing rule of the House. The question is on the adoption of the resolution.

Mr. Springer: Mr. Speaker, I desire to call the attention of the Chair to the fact that this does distinctly change one of the standing rules of the House. One of the standing rules is—

The Speaker: The Chair has passed on that question, and no appeal has been taken from his decision.

Mr. Springer: I desire to call the attention of the Chair to Rule 10, which specifically provides for the appointment of the full number of committees this House is to have, and this is not one of them.

The Speaker: Not one of the standing committees, but a select committee.

Mr. Springer: That rule provides there shall be a certain number of committees, the names of which are therein given.

Mr. Reed: I sincerely hope this will not be made a matter of technical discussion or debate. It is a matter upon which members of this House must have opinions which they can express by voting, in a very short time, without taking up the attention of the House beyond what is really necessary for a bare discussion of the merits of the question.

Mr. McMillin: Will the gentleman permit me to ask him a question?

Mr. Reed: Certainly.

Mr. McMillin: Would you not, as a parliamentarian, concede that this does change the existing rules of the House?

Mr. Reed: By no manner of means, especially when the accomplished Speaker has decided the other way, and no gentleman has taken an appeal from his decision. [Laughter.]

Mr. McMillin: Then you have no opinion beyond his decision?

The Speaker: The Chair will state to the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Springer] that this resolution does not change any of the standing committees of the House which are provided for in Rule 10.

Mr. Springer: It provides for a new committee.

The Speaker: It provides for a select committee. The subject was referred to the Committee on Rules by order of the House, and this is a report on the resolution so referred.

Mr. Springer: The rule provides that no standing rule or order of the House shall be rescinded or changed without one day's notice.

The Speaker: The Chair would decide that this does not propose any change or rescinding of any standing rule of the House.

Mr. Springer: Does the Chair hold that the making of a new rule is not a change of the existing rules?

The Speaker: The Chair does not decide anything of the kind.

Mr. Springer: What does the Chair decide?

The Speaker: The Chair does not undertake to decide any such question, for it is not now presented.

Mr. Springer: Is this not a new rule?

The Speaker: It is not.

Mr. Springer: It is not?

The Speaker: It is a provision for a select committee.

Mr. Springer: Can you have a committee without a rule of the House providing for it?

The Speaker: The question is on the adoption of the resolution reported from the Committee on Rules.

Mr. Atkins: On that question I call for the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

The question was taken and there were—yeas 115, nays 84, not voting 93; so the resolution was carried.[83]

Mr. Reed moved to reconsider the vote by which the resolution was adopted; and also moved that the motion to reconsider be laid on the table. The latter motion was agreed to.