Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-20
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

depends on the composition of this committee
as, if majority of its members are opposed %
wasting the public domain, the chances are
ten to one that that pattis ular branch of the
resources Of the Government will, for the
time being, be duly husbanded. It's chair.
man, as constituted by Mr.. Banks, is Mr..
Bennett, Of New York. 1t has not been Gus.
tomary to select for the position gentleman
representing constituency who do not form
portion Of the people of State wherein
government lands lie. However, there is no
doubt Of the capacity of Mr.. Bennett to dis
charge any legislative duties whatever, that
may be devolved on him. He has already
served long in the House, and has proved his
rightto be regarded as legislator of business
habits and clear head. His voice is bad
fseble-and he makes no effort to take rank
as one of the orators of the chamber. Never
theless, no other member when rising to address
the House, is more certain to receive universal
attention. The truth Is, he is famed as a man
of capital sense, and attainment such as emf.
nently fit him for the discharge of the duties of
a representative; and he eschews the habit of
approaching subjects lightly. As matter of
course, he possesses large share of the conf
dence of the House. That is, of the portion
Of the body who, like himself, are ultra
Federalists in their views of the rights and
duties of the General Government. Upon
questions in which the disposition of the
public domain is concerned, Mr.. Benefits
notions, we are sorry to say, are like those Of
the never to-be-forgotten Mr.. Tittlebat Tit
mouse, who "went in" it will be recollect.
ed, for " doing every thing for every body"
in whom he was interested. Vide his measure
so we'll known as " Benefits land bill" He
is an opponent Of grants of public lands in
aid of railroads proposed to be constructed
through the public domain, because he desires
the public domain to be divided out Tor the
proceeds Of its sales) among all the States pro
rata, according to representation in tho House.
On slavery questions he has of late voted
with the ultra men of the North; though we
do not believe that he can possibly sympa.
thize with all the vagaries of Republioanism
The members of the Republican party claim
him for one of them; and as he is good easy
soul, we have notion that to get rid Of the
otherwise inevitable pother of being tortured
en- Almost to death by them, he will be apt
to vote with them throughout the session
though it can hardly be that his cultivated
and clear mind will fail to counsel him time
and again that unwise and unconstitutional
things are being urged by those who, for the
sake of peace, he is sustaining.
Mr.. Harlan, of Ohio, stands second on the
Public Lands Committee. Lately Wing, he
is now a member of the Republican party,
with which he will vote on all slavery issues
On questions involving the principle on which
the public domain shall be disposed of, we
think he stands with his chairman. He en-
joys the respect of his fellow members, having
served, IL we remember correctly, two terms
in the House. Mr.. II rarely interfsres with
the transaction of business that has not been
committed to his charge, and makes no pre-.
tension to being an active member, politically.
Mr.. Cobb, of Alabama, follows Mr.. Harlan
He has been six years a member, and attends
more earnestly to the business of the Public
Lands Committee than any other member of
the body; being famous for pushing more rail-
road land grants bills for the benefit of his
immediate constituents than any other half
dozen members. Of course, gentleman who
has SO many such irons Of his own in the FIRE
is in duty bound to help to push through the
similar projects of others which he does in
good faith and with more force than is dis
played by any other member we wot of Just
now, as general thing. He is always active
in the consideration of public lands ques-
tons, and his experience with them has stored
his mind with information on that branch of
the affairs of the Government Politically,
he is Democratic party man, though in his
last canvass more or less of the Know Moth
ings of Alabama were sufficiently sanguIne to
mistake his universal suavity of manner when
electioneering for grounds for hoping that he
would eventually turn up one of themselves.
OF course he is a stern and active opponent of
the notions with reference to the future dis
position of the public domain entertained by
his chairman, as explained above.
Mr.. Lindley, of Ohio, was a Wing member
Of the last House, and is now an American
party man, bitterly opposed to the Democrats.
He is gentleman of much energy of char
acter and ability as a debater. On public
lands questions, he stands with those whose
general policy is to favor only such projects
as look to the division of the public domain
among those States wherein it lies Being
from Missouri, though so vehemently opposed
to the Democrats, Of course he is against the
Republicans.
Mr.. Cullen, of Delaware, is twelfth section
Know Nothing, and new member. He,
however, preferred Mr.. Banks to Mr.. Aiken,
for Speaker. casting his vote so as, when the
choice was narrowed down between the two,
to aid the election of the former. He was
Formerly Wing. On public lands questions
We take it for granted that he stands with his
chairman, Mr. Bennett. Being a new mem.
Der, his legislative calihre has not vot 49,