The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-02


We annex a list of the Committees of
the House, with the Locofocos in Roman
type, the Wings in Italics, and the Free
Sellers in small capitals; which tells the
whole story of Mr.. CoBB's arrangements
at glance Of the eye.
Under the peculiar circumstances of
Mr.. CoBB's elevation to the Speakership,
which seemed to impress him so deeply
on the evening Of his election, we had
looked for some show of honorable fair
ness in the discharge of his duties. In
the face of the House and the country, he
then and there solemnly pledged himself
'.faithtutly and IMPARTIALLY to discharge"
those "duties." With mock solemnity
he appealed TO Heaven for its blessing,
and really started on his career with the
seeming intention of holding a tolerably
even and just balance between the con-
tending parties.
For Mr.. COBB, there were thrown 102
Locofoco votes; for Mr.. WINTHROP, 100
Wing votes. The Democratic party pro-
per, on party rally, commanded just t,0o
more votes than the Wings. Now let us
see how Mr.. COBB has fulfilled his solemn
pledge to the country to administer his
high functions faithfully and Impartial
ly."
1t will be seen, in the first place, that
the chairman of every committee, with
the solitary exception of the Committee
on Accounts, belongs to the Locofoco
party. A party which, on the test vote
fer the Speakership, stood 102 TO 100 Of
all others opposed, has the chairman of
some Sir and thirty committees. The
party which, on the same test, threw one
hundred votes, has the chairman of one
committee We ask Mr.. CoBB, as a man
Of honor and man Of veracity, if he con-
siders this redemption of his pledge to
discharge his duties 'Jait5fulIy and i'm
putiGl,y'"
On all precedent, it is TO the last degree
partial and unjust. If Mr.. COBB had been
elected by decided party vote, he could
not have done worse than this. But he
was elected while his own party was in a
minority. To that minority, he gives, in
effect, the Craftsmanship of all the commit
tees, in the teeth Of solemn pledge to i'm
parfidiity in the discharge of his duties.
Can he look an honest man in the face,
and say that he considers this an "impar.
tial'' discharge Of his dutiesl
Let us look a step further. Every Sc
cond man on the committees-with the ex
ception of half dozen committees Of lit
! tie accounts a member of the same
Locofoco minority. Is this in accordanc,
with Mr.. CoBB's view of an "impartial'
discharge of his dutiesl If he considerec
it fair and just 10 give every first man {,
his favorite minority, he might ha,r
thought that he was balancing this favorit
ism by giving every second man to tb
majority. But Mr.. COBB was determine,
that the majority should never have
chance for craftsmanship. So in tn
teeth again of his solemn pledge, mingle'
with his hypocritical adjuration of tn
"blessin Of Heaven"-he gives ever
second place on every committee OF tb
least importance to Locofoco.
But what else does our 'faithful an
impartial Speaker, who was SO sensibl
Of tie peculiar embarrassments whic
rested on him under the peculiar circun
stances Of his electioni On all the lmpor
ant committees he gives the minority FIv
members, and the majority opposed
him FOUR members, with the single e,
! ception Of the Committee on the Distri'
. Of Columbia On this committee he hi