ing on the motion of Mr. Kenna that the House
adjourn; pending which Mr. Randall moved that when the House adjourn
it be to meet on Thursday nest;
"Mr. Reed made the point of order that the said motion was not in
order at this time, on the ground that pending a proposition to
change the rules of the House, dilatory motions cannot be entertained
by the Chair.
"After debate on said point of order,
"The Speaker. The question for the Chair to decide is briefly
this: The gentleman from Maine (Reed) has called up for present
consideration the report of the Committee on Rules made on the 27th
inst., and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Randall) raised,
as he might under the practice and the rules of the House, the
question of consideration. The gentleman from West Virginia (Mr.
Kenna) then moved that the House adjourn, and the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Blackburn) moved that when the House adjourn it be
to meet on Wednesday next, which last motion was voted down; and
thereupon the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Randall) moved that
when the House adjourn it be to meet on Thursday next. The gentleman
from Maine (Mr. Reed) then raised the point of order that such
motions are mere dilatory motions, and therefore, as against the
right of the House to consider a proposition to amend the rules,
not in order.
"It cannot be disputed that the Committee on Rules have the right
to report at any time such changes in the rules as it may decide
to be wise. The right of that committee to report at any time may
be, under the practice, a question of privilege; but if it is not,
resolutions of this House, adopted December 19, 1881, expressly
give that right.
"The Clerk will read the resolutions.
"The Clerk read as follows:
'_Resolved_, That the rules of the House of Representatives of the
Forty-sixth Congress shall be the rules of the present House until
otherwise ordered; and,
'_Resolved_ further, That the Committee on Rules when appointed
shall have the right to report at any time all such amendments or
revisions of said rules as they may deem proper.'
"The Speaker. It will be seen that these resolutions not only give
the right to that committee to report at any time, but the committee
is authorized to report any change, etc., in the rules. The right
given to report at any time carries with it the right to have the
proposition reported considered without laying over. The resolutions
are the ones adopting
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