Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-12-25
FROM WASHINGTON.


Attended church on the Sabbath-frst Pres
byteran church, Rev. Byron Sunderland, pas
tor. DR. Sunderland is a native of Addison
County, Vermont, and so is his wife More
over the DR.. is one of the most eloquent, in
dependent, and faithful pastors in the city
so it is pleasure as well as a duty for Yer
monters to attend upon his ministrations His
independence was indicated in the late Pres
bytorian Assembly, on the slavery question :;
and notwithstanding the constituencies of the
people Of the stropolis ON That question, I
have been assured that DR.. Sunderland will
be sustained in his position.
The Committees.
On Monday the Committees of the House
were announced and the list shows that my
anticipations have been verified. At the last
Congress, the slavocracy condemned Speaker
BANKS for partiality--albeit he claimed but a
bare majority Of Republicans on the Commit
tees, a general rule, and oven accorded the
highest dignity in some instances to his oppo-
nents Now speaker ORR has, in fifteen of
the committees, claimed i,oo-thirds-and in
other instances, where the opposition have
nominaHy, more than one third, realiythc Ad-
ministration will have the support Of two
thirds For instance take the Committee on
Territories must have charge Of the
most exciting political topic of the session
1t is constituted as follows:
Mcssrs. Stevens of Georgia. Dem Smith
! Of Va, DEM Grow of Pa, (Republcan) {;
Branch of N. C., Dem Granger Of n y,
! lRopub.) Hughes of Indiana, Dem Zol-
licoher Of Tom, Ann Knapp of Mass,
(Repub.) Clark of Mo-. Dem.
Nominally Dem, Repub., and Amer
icani but really, suppose the American is
counted in with Denis, making C to g. Nor
is this all the objection to this Committee
AT the last Congress, Mossrs. Giddings of
Ohio and Morrill, of Vermont served on this
Committee; both are dropped, and Mr.. Knapp
of Mass. takes the place of one of them
However good may be the will and the ability
Of Mr.. Knapp for service-and many of the
readers Of the Waterman will have no doubt
of this,-it is nevertheless palpable that he
of either Of his predecessors who have been
removed from the Committee. 1t is quite
i,tu.-e..,rv i'T7 ttuuings uesrrcu be re-
lieved for although at present he appears
vigorous, it is well known that severe labor
or great excitement would expose him to in
slant death. Mr. Morrill,, however, is both
fit and ready for arduous service and it is
not too much to say that no member Of the
Committee in the last Congress, the Chair
man excepted laborcd more constantly or ef-
tciently than Mr. Morrill,. His translcrence
to another Committee was great surprise to
his friends though have good reason for be-
/ lieving that the Speaker did not act at all in
/ this matter upon personal considerations. The
Committee is very strong for the Speakers
side of the question to be acted upon-and
the nine are from the South, while ofthe four
Northern men, one is of Southern opinions
Mr. Morrill, was placed on the Committee on
Agriculture, and he endayored to make good
use of his position by securing to it his bill
for distribution Of the public lands to col
lcges for agricultural and mechanical instruc-
ton. Mr.. Royce is placed on the Committee
on Foreign Afairs--ranking in dignity with
Committees Of the highest class Mr. Wal
ton is placed on the Committee on the Public
Expendturcs-a committee sufficiently impor-
tant and sufficiently exactng in labor, If the
expenditures ever can be overhauled. The
majority, however, viii be quite likely to keep
the keys in this matter.
On Wednesday the Senate Committees were
announced, and the majority were severely
handled for their injustice and partiality--not
political merely, but sectional SO palpable
was II, that one of the Democratic Senators
(Mr. PUoH of Ohio was forced to condemn
his party openly, as he had before done in
caucus. Senator FooT is placed on the Com
mittee en- Foreign RI tious, and Senator COL
IAMER on the Judiciary, and on Territories
None of the Republican Senators were more
honored in this matter.
The Ne,c Hall.
On Wednesday, the House for the first time
occupied the new hall-contrary to the iudg-
, heht oi tAt superintendent, VINO SAID To me
few days ago that he hoped nobody would
think of occupying the Hall before SPRING
For some reason, which do not understand,
the Superintendent and Architect seem to
have been quite willing to have the Hall ac-
cepted-as it has been 1t is, inproportions,
a noble hall i'm dimensions about 100 feet
by so; roof of iron panels, the central be-
ing filed with glass, richly ornamentod, Civ
ing abundance of light through the whole OF
I the vast apartment Roof, ceiling, panels,
+ and door-irames, galleries, chairs, corridors,
retiring rooms, and smoking room, blaze in
, gold, and paint, and crimson cloth aud leath-
er,-all Of the costliest kind, all applied with
I the highest artistic skill, and yet all, cannot
, help thinking, in very bad taste for a legisla-
. tive hall. II reminds me of tho gin palaces
of London, the drinking saloons of Paris,
and the gambling " holls" of New York-ol
= all of which have read, though not one have
! ever entered-rather than ofa place for grave