New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-02-20

decree affected its sectional interests, hsd usually
both chairman and members wholly devoted TO the
South. No man, as q general rule, was appointed
even to A me1nbership-and never 10 8 chairman
shjp-on IN important political or financial COM
uit,ce. who Vas lot supposed to be ready to s1''
tain the South and oppose the North, whenever
question affecting the Pecuniary Interests oil the
Two sections should arise; aud any man wAo was
con,idered sound in this respect, no matter whaE
State he represented was alone deemed ellgioleto
appointment.
The North has at lest elected Speaker, together
with a share Of the officers and that Speaker has
prodeeded to appoint the Committees, thirty-seven
in number; but he has reversed the principle of
action which guided his predecessors, elected from
or bv the South. Those officers, as we have said,
have always studiously excluded from important
Committees all who would not foster the pecuninry
interests Of the South; nor could any man hold
Mace ON such Committees who would not in all
things oppose the North. Hence, when Commit
tee reported bill advantageous to the South and
preiudical to the North, it was accompanied by no
faithful exposure Of its onesidedness for no side
but the South was represented on the COMMITTEE
Only that side could be heard. The South thus
initiated measures, pre-occupied the mind OF the
House and Of the country, and easily main
tanned it's sway in all cases where property was to
be affected But the new Northern Speaker, in
spred with ideas of equality and fairness has dis
carded the uniform example Of his Southern prede
cessors; and instead of excluding from political
and financial Committees all who do not eynce
preference for Northern views over those OF the
South. he has reversed that policy by boldly
appointing to each of those Committees
few of the very ablest and most
skful opponents of the North now in
Congress. Such fairness may possibly iRjure the
cause of the North. The Southern practice Of
smothering antagonists and preventing the nation
from hearing the opposite side has been proved by
long and successful trial. to be and safe. Pru-
dence recommended the example. But disregard
ing that success, and abhOrrng the dishonest prac-
tice, Mr.. Banks has put opponents of his party on
all of the House Committees, whether important
or not. On the Committee on Elections, which is
TO examine the rival claims of Reeder and Whit
field, he has put Mr.. Stephens of Georgia-without
exception the abest Parliamentary tactician in the
country; and as if in the very wantonness of def
ance of all that trained skill do against right he
has put on the same Committee Maj. Oliver OF
Missouri. and Judge Smith Of Alabama-.he
former the accredited representative of Atchison
and his Border Ruflians and the latter the Grand
Mogu of the South Americans.
The South, when about TO bring up the Kansas
Nebraska bill, of course did not thrs manfuy risk
its cause. The Committee managing those pro.
ceedings was composed of Mesfrs. Richardson OF
Illinois, Mcqueen Of South Carolina, Taylor OF
Ohio, Bailey of Georgia, Smythe Of Texas, Farley
of Maine, English Of Indiana, Phillips of Alabama,
and Larnb of Missouri. Messrs. Gddings and
Mace, on such an occasion, were put on the Com
mittee on Claims-nOt on that Of Territories; Mr.
Grow, the Washburnes, Campbell of Ohio-and all
who could efficiently call the peoples attention
to the scheme of wrestling back to Slavery what the
South had gold to Freedom in 1920, for valuable
consideration, then in hand pad-these men were
appointed to such committees as that of Roads and
Canals Mr. Banks himself was the sixth on Mil
tary Affairs. Pursuing this policy, Southern
Speakers have had Wilmot and Giddings together
on the Claims Committee; Grover and Root were,
at one time, both on the Committee on Agricul-
tmre; Gov Cleaveland was sent to the Claims: so
too was Mr. Sackett; so also the eloquent Ran
toul. Preston King was the ninth on the Judiciary
Committee
With perhaps more courage and generosity than
political sagacity our Northern Speaker scorns
this Southern fear TO put able representatives of
all sections sects, and interests on any important
Committee. He ignores method so essentially
Southern; and, as if TO manifest his contempt OF
it, not only names the acute Stephens for the Com
mittee on Elections, but even takes the old Demo-
cratic leader of the Administration party in the
House, Mr.. Geo. S. Houston and Richardson of
Kentucky (Of late years of Illinois, its candidate
for the Speakership; and ZOllicofer of Tennessee,
who is nearly as able as Stephens, and puts them
on the Committee on Territories This is 10 defy
danger; it is granting more than the South could
have asked had its wishes been consulted: il is to
reverse the policy in accordance with which the
Southern Speaker, preparatory 10 bringing forward
the Kansas bill, removed Mr.. Giddings from that
very Territorial COmmittee-On which he had
acted the previous sessiOn-and put him on the
Claims So long as the Territorial Committee
was unmportent, Dir. Giddings could remain; bu.
when that Committee was to serve as an i1stru-
ment for converting Free-So into the domain OF
Slavery Mr.. Giddings was removed, and Member
put in his place who, as he had previously stood
by the South, was expected to aid in the desired
transfer. Such is Southern policy, and such
Southern fairness TO the North
And what has the South to say to this lberality of