Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-21

4
Nevertheless, he is a gentleman of experience
and judgment, and can, and We presume will
make as efficient a chairman Of the 90 impor
tant committee at whose head he now stands
a. any other member, whoever he NAV be
on the opposition side of the chamber. w,
have no doubt that he will labor faithfully I,
deserve the confidence of the House, and tina
his postal recommendations will be received
with confidence by his fellow members with
out distinction Of party. He does not set ur
Tor one Of the orators of the body, but ha.
tongue enough, quite enough, for all mem.
ber's real business purposes. =
Mr.. Norton, of Illinois, is No. 2, on the list
OF this committee. He was in the last House,
as Wing, and was elected to this Congress,
as an American party man, We believe. He
voted for Mr.. Banks, and will vote often with
the Republicans We do not, however, expect
to find him with that party in the approaching
Presidential election. He is q modest man
and confines himself almost entirely to the
transaction Of legitimate business, for which
he has clear and effective head. Mr.. Banks
has decidedly strengthened this committee by
naming Mr. Norton on it.
Mr.. Flsgler, of New York, was, also, MEM
Der Of the last House. Late Seward w hig, he
is now Republican; though, we fancy, he
owes his reelection to the American party.
He is capital business man, and always ac-
quits himself we'll in debate. He, however,
certainly eschews spauting in the hall, when
no good for the public service can be effected
by his occupation of the floor. One most val
liable feature Of the composition of the effec.
tive member, is discretion about occupying the
attention of the House. Those experienced
members who possess it, are really valuable
public men, it matters not what their politics
may be.
Mr.. Barclay, of Pennsylvania, is a new
member, very intensely Democratic. So much
50 as to 60 of halfcocksd, it will be recollect-
ed, on the last day of the voting fer Speaker,
under the mistaken notion that Mr.. Aiken
had given pledges of Importance to the Know
Nothings. That was bad beginning in the
matter of impressing his fellow members with
an idea of his practicability, without which a
gentleman will very soon find himself as much
out of place in the House of Representatives,
as man with a wooden leg in the advance
company Of an army on a forced march. How.
ever, it is very certain that he was sincere in
his notion that he smelIed Know Nothing
rat under the indifference of Mr.. Aiken about
the Speakership, as cOmcal as the idea seemed
to those who have served with Mr.. A. in Con-
gress. Mr.. Barclay, We trust, and know no
reason to anticipate otherwise, will come in
due time to get the hang of tie school house;
when he will make service able member, as
he possesses intelligence and is apparently
jealous to do all things in the Hall precisely
as they should be done
Mr.. Day, of Ohio, was not long since an
influential and active member of the Demo
cratic party, having been the editor of the
Cincinnati Enquirer. He passes for the most
fOrcible political writer of his State He got
kinkey and crank on the "Miami tribe''
question, and ever since that organisation in
the bosom of the " Harmoneous' of Ohio a.
sumed importance, the breach between his
former political associates and himself has
been widening; until at the last election for
Congress he had gone sufficiently far adrift, as
to be taken up by the Republicans and Know
NothiDgs, who sent him to Washington Here,
he is written down for an out and out Repub
hcan-fOr one Of the extremist of that party
in the House. He brings capital business
talents and much experience in life to the
discharge of his committee duties; and we
therefore conclude that he will make valua-
Bile member Of the Committee on Post Offices
and Post Roads. -.
Mr.. Powell is that rara avis in terra-a
Virginia member who makes no pretensions to
a gift of the CAB. He has already served four
years in the hall, and, so far, has not at any
time troubled the House with a fifteen min
utes' speech. Nevertheless, we question who.
Their there is a gentleman in the hall whose
opinion on political or business matters is more
often consulted or has greater weight with his
party. The truth is, he is famed among his
brother Democrats for carrying long head on
his shoulders-for being eminently sagacious-
thorough in all his investigations and uncom-
promising IN his political views. As bust
ness man he has no superior in the hall, dis
posing of everything with which he charges
himself promptly, and almost always success
fully, without uttering word in the chamber
more than may be absolutely necessary. His
experience on the Post Office Committee
backed by the characteristics to which we
write above, make him invaluable to the
public service in his present position.
Mr.. Walker, of Alabama, late Democrat,
is now a very ardent " South American. u
Though he does not +" go" the Know Nothing
policy of prescribing Catholics on account Of
their religion. He comes to Washington with
much oratorical fame, and has participated in
debate once or twice already, with much credit
to himself We have had no means of as YET
ascertaining the extent of his business qualif
cations. From his position On various CUES.
tons that have 80 far been before the House