Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-02-24

National Fall, on the Sth inst [ beg leave to
state, that was not present nc the meeting,
and that my name used without my
knowledge or consent.
THOMAS D. SMITH.
Sheriff s Office, Phila., Feb. IS, 1858.
The Lecompton Committee and Speaker Orr
From the Washi ng ton Union, Feb 10th.
The opposition newspapers more especi-
ally the Pbi!adel phia Press aud New York
Times, are assalhng Mr.. Orr with great Bit
terness Of invectlve for the manner in which
he thought fit to constitute the Harris Com
mittee on the Lecompton Constitution 1t is
pretended that some ancient and inviolable
parliamentary rule has been disregard in the
selection of this Committee
We are at loss 20 know what rule is relied
OH for this assertion, in what manual of par
liameDtary practice it is 10 be found and on
what ground of reason it rests
There is parliamentary rule which requires
that when any bill or measure or matter is
referred to committee it shall be refereed
to majority of friends it being parliament
tary maxim that ''as child is not to bo put
to nurse that cares not for it, so no man is
to be employed in any matter who has de-
clarcd himself against it." But this rule cuts
up the objections against the Committee in
question by the roots; for, as the Lecomp-
ton Constitution is the subJect-matter refer
red to this Committee, for inquiry into the
whole facts of Its origin and history, this very
very rule rendered it imperative upon the
Speaker to constitute the Committee 80 that
it would contain majority friendly TO this
Constitution
The regular course Of proceeding with thi.
instrument and the special message of the
President, would have been, to refer them to
the standing Committee on Territories of the
House; which might have been presumed
| fully competent to deal with the subject
matter they Embodied as any special commit
tee that could be raised We can conceive
of but one objection. that could have been legit-
imately urged against giving the Lecompton
| constitution this ref6rence-and that is that
| the committee opposed to the matter re
! ferred, and, and that the reference would be
! like committing child to an inimical nurse
| This objection did not exist however, in fact;
| and, not existing, there there was no sutfi-
clcnt excuse for raising special committee
| \ committee, however, having been raised
| it was not only, as We conceive, incumbent
upon the Speaker to to so constitute it as to
! give the friends of the special message and
the Leeompton Constitution majority of its
|
tary rule we have cited, but it would have been
monstrous to have referred those papers to u
hostile Committee. In tho opinion of great
many, the House did violence to parliament
tary usage or courtesy in refusing to refer
this subject to its own appropriate Standing
Committee; it was expecting too much of the
| House, parliamentary body. to refer the
matter to Committee positively hos.ile--far
| too much to expect of the dominant political
| party IN the House to commit leading meas
ure of policy to the hostile nursing of an i'm
| placable enemy. The outcry against Speaker
| Orr is, therefore, not only unreasonable,
puerIle, and petulant but it is at war with
most wise and just canon of parliamentary
practice.
a glance at the composition ofthe Commit
tee in its relations to parties and sections will
suffice to vindicate the impartaity of the
Speaker The rule to which We have allu-
ded required him to constitute a majority of
| the Committee of the friends to the matter re-
ferred That requirement being satisfied, let
us scan the Committee with reference to It's
sectional and party relations, 1t consists of
| the following named gentlemen, from the
localities and of the political athnities indica-
! ted:
Thos. L. Harris. Chm, Illinois, Douglas
Alexander III stephens, georgia. Democrat.
Austin S. Morrill,, Vermont, Blk Rep.
John Letchcr, Virginia. Democrat
Edward Wade, Ohio, Blk Rep
John A. Quitman, Miss. Democrat
Warren Winslow, n. Car. Democrat
Henry Bennett, New York, Blk Rep
Allison White, Penn Democrat
David S, Walbridge, Michigan, Blk Rep.
Thomas l.. Anderson, Missouri, American
John W Stevenson, Kentucky, Democrat.
Garnet B. Adrian, New Jersey Douglas.
James Bufinton Mass. Blk Rep.
| William F. Russell, New York Democrat
The mover of the resolution for the Special
| Committee was made Chairman, of course. in
accordance with parliamentary usage, The
| Speaker being himself from the Southern
section of the Union, the Northern section
was liberaly allowed nine members against six
allotted to the South The dominant poll
tical party in the House was alowd but sew
en- members; while the deserving Democrats
were allowed two. The Black Republican
party were given FIVE members which, with
the two Gesertng Democrats. gave the coal-
ton seven, and put them even in number with
the dominant democracy of the House The
casting vote and balance power Of the Com
mittec gwen. not to the dominant party
! IN the lfouso. who were the especial cham