The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-10
THE COMMITTEES OF THE House.

In the construction Of the Committees of the
House, Mr.. Cobb has shown himself an adroit
manager He has contrvcd to avoid The appear
ance of secionalism and at-ihe same tame lro-
vided safeguard for all the interests of slavery
Of the thirty.scvcn standing committees, Is
have cbarmen from the free States among
them, some thorough going Wilmot Provso men.
This seems liberal. Bat look again Mr. Me
Clcrnand one Of these eighteen, is entirely iden-
titled with the Slaveholling Interest, and he is
chairman OF the important Committee on Foreign
A fairs while Mcssrs Bingham and Peck two
WilmOt PrOviso men, head the insignificant Com
mittees on the Militia, aud on Expenditures in
the State Department
As to the composition of the thirty-seycn Com
mittces, on twenty-niuc the majorities are COM
posed Of members from the free States This
seems tcy liberal. But look again or these
twenty mine, twcnty-tw are either unimpOrtant
or involve hard labor with 6tlle responsibility,
while none Of them can touch the question of
slavery.
Five of the twenty-niue are important commit
tees, and may be CHILLED upon to act in relation to
slavery and thcs" contain mnoritics Of free State
members bat selected ~ to secure the ascend
ency 10 slavery. 70 particulrae the Commit
tee on the judiciary has five Northern and four
Southern men, but among the former is John X
Miller of Ohio, an uDhncbing supporter of the
most eNtravagant prct"psion. of Slavery.
The Committees on NJ itary Affairs and the
Territories have each FIVE Northern members, but
among these FIVE, on each committee is Richardson
OF Illinois, who has never yet given vote on the
side Of Freedom in any conflict between It's claims
and the prctensions Of slavery. Both these COM
mittees are secured by his vote to the slave
holders
The Committee on Private Land Claims con-
tains six Northern men hut Of these Gilmore Of
Pennsy lvana and Harris Of illinois, always vote
with the Shareholders. Mcssrs. Holmes of South
Carolina Mann of Massachusetts, Gilmore Of
Pennsylvania, constitute the Joint Committee on
the Library; so that when in consultation with
the Joint Committee 1.-The Senate, there is but
one man who represents the Literature Of Free
dom.
So much for twenty seven committees of the
twenty mine
Two others. one ON Claims one on Rules are
really important committees aud yet, 10y some
strange oversight, 60 us inrNpct blc there is a
real majority on each Of liberal men from the free
States
The other committee including the very inn
yArtsut one on Ways aud Means, the Post Office
nua 'Pus Ruu,i- District 81 Columbia, Indian
Aa.irs Nss,l Aa,irs snI foreign Affairs, are
nH controlled - strong n.aj,riiie- Of saycbodng
mrfnief-
To .am ur- tls urv speaker. elected by
NestAsru p,ua,,.i. uhler The plurality rule
sv,rinats.i rs Ner,lsrn Wig. with satisfactory
81 before tL.a tbst u wou,l led to such an
.,,iaH 49, ,.l-s.l che following committees
under ths s.saplsts control II the shy,holiny
fu-err-t
r-UFEIIfsr ~ WAYS Hut Means
,-,.,,..,tiss on thr Poet once sEl Post Roads
Couuittce "a the District Of Columbia
Committee On the Judiciary
Coumitles on Private Land Claims
Committee on VI 'nufsciures
.',,rr-..tt.. ..a lEsiian Affairs
Committee on Military Affairs
Committee on Naval An
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee on Territories
Committee on the Library.
The free States contain two-thirds of the white
population OF the country, and have n majority oil
thirty.ni Representatives in the House OF Hep-
resentatives; and yet, almost uniformly, through
,be action Of the Wing and Democratic parties, the
section of the Union containing only one'third OF
the white population, and having thir'y-n'ne
Representatives fewer in the House than the free