The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-16
NO 3ll.
..rrnruas IN THE MISREPRESENTATION

PROCEEDINGS IN THE sENArE-PHoScklfi'oH
Last Monday, Mr.. Bright, OF Indiana pro
.,sed in the Senate to dispense with 80 much
Il the standing rules as require the election Oh
s,mmittees by ballot for the purpose OIL recon-
,,oodinc the election Of list OF committees
Mot had been agreed upon in caucus unani-
'ons consent being necessary Mr.. Hale re-
lied that he should like to hear, hrst, how
h.ss committees had been framed. Mr. Bright
: ranlv. made the following statement;
THE political party having the majority m
49,, bodv met and agreed upon number OF
",n,lsmen who should constitute each commit
=, all of their own political faith. After TINS
". done the list was handed to the honorable
S.,,tor from Maryland, Mr.. Pearce who.
~,b the assistance of his political friends, has
'IJ,d the names of two Senator'S upon each
O-'n,;ttee mon which there are five, and one
OO',, those committees where there are three.
T';. has been the usual practice, believe, for
a. LIT three or four years. l believe the hon
'uo 'iJa senator from New Hampshire MIR.
LII Go,.j ;s not upon any one committee, for the
IT, | feel authorized to say upon the part
pcr,r notical friends, that we considered him,
',tade of sny healthy political organization in
this country Laughter
The Rules Of the Senate require that the
standing committees shall be by ballot. These
.I., are almost uniformly dsregarded or sus-
nsndsd for the accommodation of party inter
e,ts Mr.. Brights explanation shows how the
thiDg is managed. few managers of each
of the old parties meet together, form the COM
.;,,,as IN suit their own notions come into the
Sooate obtain suspension of the rules, and
rstidcation of their work by the members OF
their respective parties, who, whatever they
NAV think of the character of the committees
are afraid to express any dissent lest it may
disturb certain party arrangements, In this
vav King Caucus lords it over the Senate
which PROCESSES to be the representative and
.,leguard of the sovereignty and rights Of the
States.
The doube-headed Caucus in this case, act
mo under the joint influence of Slavery and
unokerism, excluded from every committee,
three Senator's of acknowledged ability, and
o,eat capacity for the work of legislation
Senator's Hale, SUMNER, and CHASE. No other
Senator's we're thus ostracised. Many Senators
dniero- talents were placed on several COM
mittees. But these three men, distinguished
for the purity of their private character, for
tbe deoorum of their conduct for their atten-
ton to the business of the Senate, for their
entire consistency, and their great ability, are
singled out Cor prescription and insult. And
why! Because they did not choose to swear
BY the Baltimore platforms-to assume the
yoke of either of the healthfm political organ
i.ations to bow the knee in reverence to the
Slave Power-to support either of the pledged
candidates of that exacting tyrant. For bold
" expressing, and practically adhering to, GER
tain sentiments respecting Slavery, cherished
by four.ifths of the people of the free States,
the Wing and Democratic Caucuses of the
Senate have attempted to prescribe them, to
iasten brand upon them, to exclude them as
far as they dared from all share in the bust
ness of legislation. We thank them for reveal
NY, III al ITO iDitbSomShOoo, tbOh uhClVhe
baseness and disregard of justice. The reve:
alton will contribute to open the eyes of lib
sral-miuded men of all parties to the necessity
Of making unrelentng war against Slavery and
its loyal ally, Hunkerism
Mr.. Bright having made his explanation,
Mr. Hale said
6" am exceedingly glad of the compliment,
Mr.. President am glad to be relieved from
The labor and | am proud of the reasen--so
that | am satisfied and gratifed and no one
can say more than that. Ii was simply to
elicit this fact that ! inquired for this Informal
zion, ihe honorable Senate at the last Sos
sion, no doubt with a due appreciation Of my
qualifications and Of my pursuits in life, placed
me in the very responsible position Of being a
4ewber of the Committee ON Private Land
Claims-entirey sir, suppose, because my
local position and pursuits in life emnently
qualified me to discharge the duties which, as
amember Of the Senate, owed to the country
upon that important committee; and think
can call upon those honorable gentlemen with
whom served to bear me witness, that &C.
cOrding to these abilities which ! had, ] did
discharge the duties which owed to the coun-
Try as far as lay in mypower. Everything that
proposed by my inquiry the honorable gen.
tleman from Indiana, with his customary frank
ness, has disclosed to the country There was
one fact which wished to call out and that
is, that the qualifications to place upon the
committees of this body did not relate to, and
we're not looked at, with respect to any fitness
Esich the honorable gentleman might be sup
posed to possess to discharge the duties apper-
tanning to those committees bat had reference
wholly to the fidelity with which they walked
IN the traces of certain political parties. Now,
sir, the party with which ] act is exceedingly
small-yes, sir, exceedingly small; but it is not
20 small after ell, Us might at first be suppos-
ca 1t ought 10 be considered that we have
Pnd back to the Democratic party mean
The Compromise party-ws have paid back to
them the whole Of the borrowed capital which
We took in lS4S -every particle of it and
what We have left now think are clean and
true men.
VI the health with which their pulse beats,
s", 'here may be some difference of opinion,
er'alS OF the purposes which actuate them,
t"g oi the prospects that are before them,
perhals there may be difference of opinion
gu' Vi this fact think there can be no doubt,
'l'at 80 lar AS the divisions TO which we look or
@''ach any Importance are concerned it may
se'ueq now that there arc in this country
out two parties-G have long been of that
oPlhhon-there are but two parties in this
country One OF them is very large, sir, 50
large that think honorable Senators will find
1'fore this session is over, or certainly before
We next session is over, that they will want q
i''ie extrapeous pressure to keep them togo
Mli They have annihlated the Wing party,
20 That there can be no adequate pressure from
mat soarce-no, sir, not in the least and if
Hls party to which the honorable Senator al
luaes does not organize an opposition, they
must fall to pieces Of their own immense
weight
d.r why SIR, the organ of this party, the other
nm. e e. "a Il.