Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-09-30


same, or any other member OF that body
as their Chairman for their permanent
organization.
/, The Sth rule Of the u S. House Of
Representatives says: "The first named
member of any committee shall be the
Chairman; and il. his absence, OF being
excused by the House, the next named
member, and so on, as often as the case
shall happen, untss the committee ty a
mGjority Of Meir anmber, ELECT CHAIR
MAN.
The occasion Of this rule was :his Mr..
Smith Of Connecticut had been Chairman
Of the committee of Claims for several
years, and On the 5th November, 1904,
was reappoiuted-up to this time there
was no rule or regulation as to the head
Of committee the usage had been that
the frs,-named member acted, but it was
usage only. The committee Of Claims in
/ this case elected Mr.. Danna, Chairman,
much against his will.
In Jeffersons manual of parliamentary
practice, the privileges of committees are
I laid down as follows in section !: "Stand-
ing committees, as of privileges and elec-
tons, &c, are usually appointed at the
! first meeting, to continue through the
session. The person first named is gener-
ally permitted to act as Chairman. But
/ this l. matter o. courtesy: erery commit
; tee hdriay right 10 e'ect their orn Chair-
man, who prcsides over them, puts ques-
iions, and reports their proceedings to the
House. [4 Inst. IL. l., Scale. 8. Gray
l22]"
In the sth section Of the same manual,
iu speaking of q committee Of the whole i,
is said, "They Uhc members Of the
committee) generally acquiesce in the
| Chairman named by the speaker; Juf, as
ceH as all other committees, HAVE A RIGHT
TO ELECT ONE, some mcnbtr, by consent,
putting the question:
In the Legislative Guide" by Bur
leigh, giving the citizens manual. con-
tanning rules for the organization Of soci-
cites and meetings, whether religious, po-
litieal or legislative, it is said on page
236 See. 3, that "every standing CON-
mittce should have its Chairman and
Secretary, Sc" And as to who should be
the Chairman Of the committee it is stated
on page 240, as follows: "The first ma
mol n" committee should act as Chair
man; unless D'cjor,ty choose some other
member q their body to fill Mat office.
And for authority refers to rule s, House
- n~r-'s above cited. which was passed
as early as the Goth Dec. 1903 and ever
since has been held to be the parliamentary
practice Of all committees Then il is clear
that the committee had the righ, and pow
er to appoint their own Chairman, that
they did so exercise their power is mani
fest from the proceedings as reported in
the Chronicle, which shows that Wm. +. !
Wagonseller was elected permanent Chair
man of that body. This righ: might still
be further shown by the usages of the
Wing and Democratic parties throughout
the State and nation.
Is it therefore true in theory or correct
in practice as contended for by Mr.. Geo
Merrill in the Star, when he says, eve
deny and resist the power of that commit
tee to oust us from post, where the same
power, that created them, has placed US -
Surely no one, who understands parliament
tary practice will "deny" the power; and
no one, who knows, and is acquainted with
established rules of order for the govern
ment Of societies, parties, &c, ought to
resist" it. And he goes on further L" to
caution the members of the committee to
disregard utterly all calls signed by VIM
+. Wagonseller as Chairman, &c. Does
this look like order and harmony?
1t is principle which runs through all
the ramifcalions Of our political institu-
tions, that the majority shall rule, aud as
this applies to the organization of COM
mittecs, whether civil or ecclesiastical, as
we'll as other bodies, hope It may be cor
rectly understood and faithfully carried out.
l might say good deal more on this
subject, but suppose this may suffice for the
present. One OF TIE PEOPLE.
Sept. "a, 1858.
To the Editor of the Lewisburg Chronicle:
n. Il. This communication was pre-
sented to Mr.. Geo Merrill for publication
IN the Star, aud was refused insertion for
the present.
RAILROAD DAMAGEs.-We learn that
the Camden & .Amboy Railroad have CON-
promised with the Rev. James Puryiance,
of Mississippi, formerly of Baltimore
who, with bis wife and child were injured
in the fearful collision of cars on their
road on the sth Of August, by paying him
$4,000 damages. Mr.. Purviauce's foot
i Al.