The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-01-01

rom the free Statee three arg Whotiy MIN
Committees on Enrolled Bills,
sngrossed Bills, and to Audit and Control
he Contingent Expenses Of the Senate
eaving, therefore, in fact, the proportion Of
thirteen to six. i
Tracing the matter along still further.
find that the party with whom net on this
floor consists Of twenty, being within sfnhc-
ton Of one third Of the Senate. They are
entitled, upon terms Of equality. 70 thirty
nine places upon the committees they have
thirty. three assigned to them. Seven Of
those thirty three are on unimportant com.
mittees to which have alluded, leaving
them actually but twenty.six ON committees
Of any considerable Importance. l ind chat
on sixtee, committees OF the Senate the
chairmen are selected from the slave States,
and on six FROM the free States. Ind, TO
guard the succession, (for can come to no
other conclusion,) precisely Nm equal number
Of men from the slave States stand ssssnd
upon the committees " insure the succession,
when, BY declination, resignation, or the
expiration OF their term, they shall withdraw
from the Senate.
But numerically, rlthongh important, 1t
is a matter of much less importance than
the particular manner In which the indIvid.
ual committees are cast With only Two
exceptions. land compared with the Others
they are somewhat unimportant,) the great,
the principal committees, that reject she
Government, that establish its policy abroad
and ut home, are all cast with major ties Of
southern men. 1t is u significant fact il
rs q fact pregnant with. assehis(; itiss TACT
Of which the country w ~ Eil to take
notice. I say. sir, thne>51t 6kDcutivS end
judicial apartments dths 0pSernment are
now ut the foot OF the slave power Here
We have the Committee Oh Foreign Relations
that shapes and directs the foreign policy Of
the Government we have the COMMITTEES
On Military Affairs, that looks to'its Army;
we have the Committee on Naval Agiirs,
that has charge Of its Navy; We have q
Committee on the Judiciary, which gives
constructions to laws and shapes the pJlicy
(so far as the Legislature may) Of the Gov
ernmenr We find them ail constituted OF u
majority Of men who represent the slavehold
lug States. make NO objection personally.
| want these facts to 90 to the country, that
thew may know the mode and manner IN
which the legislative business is prepared lnd
shaped, and how 1t is that 1t is perverted to
the behrsts. and to subserve the purpose Of
the slave interest in the country. Who can
not Sue the objects to be accomplished plain.
" foreshadowed? The majority Of the Sen.
ate, it is frankly conceded, are entitled " q
control IN the organic ,tion of the committees
But it is this sectional manner Of which We
haye a light to complain, and against which
we enter u protest and from such IN Ut
ganization We have right to infer the OBJ
iect to he effected.
Another fact find that the Committee
on Commerce, with majority Of southern
men, is entirely without representative in
all the far Northwest, including tho great
lakes and rivers. With four Of its members
from the South, there Is not man to repre-
sent the internal commerce Of the lakes, that
is counted by its hundreds Of millions
More, sir, I would like very well. indeed, TO
know why the usual rule was DEF arted from
in this case. and why the Senator from
Michigan, mfr. Stuart, who 80 ably and
faithfully las represented the commercial
interest of the Northwest, was made to give
place, if it DO not for the purpose Of shaping
the legislation OF the country TO PROSTATE
the commerce. of that section of the Union :?
think we have a right-all Senators have
u RICH, to their op'nions-to come to the
conclusion that the committee was formed
and instituted for that purpose, from the
known public opinions that majority OF
that committee, | think, have uniformly ex-
pressed against internal improvements OF all
kinds. But single position on that com.
mittee has been assigned to this side Of the
Chamber, and none for the large section EN-.
bn,ced in the northwestern LAKES, and the
commerce of the lakes and rivers.
Again. sir, | look ut the Committee on
Patents and the Patent Office, and find q
majority of that committee constituted Of
southern Senator'S. They are worthy men
II make no complaint Ct the Senator's who
occupy the positions ON these committees
but il is to their sectional cast that object.
and the purposes which We have light to
believe are designed to flow from that organ.
iza,ion. That committee Is COMPOSED OF
three gentlemen from the southern States
and two from the North giving to that sec
ton the control Of all its action. While |
know that, if thee is an honest man in this
body who will devote his energi-s honestly
to lis purpose, say cheerfully IL Is the
worthy Senator from South Carolina Mr..
Evan i still. when we look ut the fact that
of the inventive genius and enterprise OF the
country, more than four tiiths, IL not nine
t.ntbs, come from another section Of thu
Union, ask il it were not right that they
might reasonably ave expected men who
icel q local and personal us well us nation.
al interest in that department OF our Gov.
crnment in what relates 10 arts and inven.
tive genius?
Again, sir, | look to the COMMITTEES on
the Library, and find there no Representa-
tive whateyer from the North. Is 1t because
the North are not qualified for the position ?
Is il because they have not rs deep, rs broad
AN interest in whatever relate to the ah'irs
Of our library, to the literature and learn.
Ing Of our country, Us Southern Senators!
Why is it, unless it DO for the purpose Vi
taking care of your library 30 that &c be not
tainted with those doctrines OF the fathers
who formed the Constitution Of our coun.
try? !
1 say that the whole form and shape OF
.h,se committees mark and stamp them
with "a sectionalism which had hoped nov.
,r to have witnessed in this body. They |
,one to mo in that way and in such circu,n.
tances that cannot command my apprUba
ion or my vote. But | do not propose to
AXE up the time of the Senate in discussing |
hem in detail. | have only risen for the
purpose Of stating these objections to the
ommitt es. and presenting these fctsas the
eason why shall withhold my vote from
no resolution, and shall vote against 1t on
he question Of its adoption.
SALKy BAY STATE Brass BAND CoScERr.-
III. IA, nd ,,nys THAR second ,s.rinl concert |