Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-12-30
Mr., Winthrop,

This gentleman is indebted for the speaker
ship to his vote in favor of the war; to his
toast and speech in Fanuell Hall, on the 4th of
July, 1916, when he so heartily welcomed Tex
as to the Union !: to the opposition which he en-
countered from the conscience wings" when
candidate for reelection in 1916 to his prompt
rebuke of Mr.. Pafrey and his friends for intro
ducing the Wilmot Proviso into the Wing State
Convention, at Springfield, in September last
and to his ono more territory" speech in Fanueil
Hall Just before the recent election. These in
dications of his purpose and feelings, coupled
with his high arlstocratic bearing, gave the
South ample insurance that he could be trusted
by them in the important post to which he has
been elevated. His first acts as speaker have not
disappointed their hopes nor shown that their con-
6dence was misplaced. He has no doubt met
their wishes in the appointment of committees
of the House. More than two thirds of the
Wing members Of the House are from the free
States. He has, as might be expected, almost
invariable selected the Chairman of the Com
mittees from the wing members. He has given
twenty Chairmen to the free Safes, and sixteen
to the slave States. TINE, some of the most i'm
portant Committees are headed by Northern men,
But who are they! TRUMAN SMITH, of Conn,
is Chairman Of the Committee of Foreign Rela-
tons. He made violent and vulgar speech at
the late Wing Convention in that State against
the Wilmot Proviso, lie said, "Some gentlmen
have peculiar horror of the extension of slave
ry, WITH WHICH HE DID NOT sympathize. But
Heaven knows that he abhorred slavery sincere
IT, He said he was NOT WMMoT PRovIso MAN,
although he went against the extension of slave
ry" This man will have the chief control in the
House OF our Mexican relations Joseph R..
Ingersoll, of Pa, is the Chairman of the Judici-
airy Committee He is violent Clay partizan, a
thorough Southerner i'll his feelings, and has in
variaby voted against all propositions in favor of
freedom He voted for the war, and III a speech
in regard to granting farther supplies to carry it
on, sald "thtngs orOng IN their inception might
become right 0hcn adopted" This man has the
charge OF all matters touching the abolition of
Slavery in the District of Columbia. Samuel F.
Vinton of Ohio stands at the bead of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means, from which must
emanate all bills to supply money to carry on the
war, In Ohio, he is well known as being op.
posed to all antl-sia,ery measures, and were he in
Massachusetts, would be cassed as "cotton
whig." Caleb Il. Smith, Of Ind, is Chairman
of the Committee on Territories. This commit.
tee may have the control of the Wilmot Proviso
Mr. Smith is fair man, though we know nothing
of his present views on that sublec To keeE
him strait, however, the speaker has placed on
the same Committee, Rhode Island Wing who
(if we remember right voted against the Provi.
so, and four Democrats, viz: Georgian, Lou
isian, Texan and Pennsylvania, Mr.. Thomp
son, which last voted against the Proviso at the
final trial These five constitute majority Of
the committee. Johu NJ. Bolts, of Va, is at the
head of the Military Committee From this com
mittee the bill is to come which gives the Presi
dent the men and the munitions of war, which
he so urgently calls for in his message. 1t istht
most important committee in the house in relation
. to prosecuting the war. To aid Mr. Bolts, thu
speaker has given him the service Of four more