New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-01

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"Tf, IL. thsrk,of ~. Hoa,- due sad te-by
eHsa d. 9s h,th'5i'. s'a. u ,i "a. .'s s'.,
Of Speaker dUrIz tee pf-sert Congress-
Immediately on its presen'aticn, storm Of Oppc-
sition broke oct. Conspicuous in this uprosr were
most of the colleagues Of james l.. Orr. Under
tie operation Of the previous question. the yeas
and lass being ordered, TIE resolution vas sdOp.ea
By vote Of 10 to 81. Only ten Southern DEMO
crdts recorded thar MANS in the Gtirmatre. Six
teen Americans from the South did the sane.
Twenty Southern Democrats, who are leading
member. of the present House, voted in the mega
tive. Ne give their n,mes:
h-.rs B.l..tse Book Boyoe Burnett, Cobb Of Ma.
K,.r L-her McQusen Mnson. Ruin. s,s.se. Sao':ef,
Wilsm Smith. srd Stewart Of Nj
Those who were present and lodged the vote
were:
Meus lowell Cobb. Crawford, Good-. Clancy Jones,
JAMES L OAR Phsl.., QUi.Gsn, .li Alex H. Stephens
Now, il il notorious that, throughout the last
Congress, Mr.. Banks was specially liberal in his
treatment Of the above named Members, who
voted against this resolution or refused 20 vote st
all. This Vas peculiarly the case with Messrs.
Orr, Cobb, Phelps, Stephens, Quitman, Letcher,
Faulkner, BoJce, Bccock, and Mlson. He was
also very forbesrrg, sgain and again, when under
extreme proyOcation, toward Mesns. G. ". Jones,
Houston. Keitt, Savage, Vim. Smith ard Others.
1t should be specially noted that of the four col
le.eues of Mr. Orr, one, Gov. Aiken, voted for the
resolution, and three, Messrs. Boyce, ke.tt, and
Mcqueen, voted against it, lille the other South
Carolina Member lodged, to Wit, James l.. Orr.
Mr.. Banks took the chair of the last Congress
under peculiar embarrassment. No party had
majority in the House The Democrats hd only
one third of the Members. Whatever other charges
were brought sg.inst the Speaker, all, friends AID
foes admitted that he held the rens of power with
rare impartisliy. For instance of the ten leading
Committees, be gave the Republicans majority
on only FIVE. The Ways and Means was composed
Of one Republican proper, three OF the strongest
Democrats in the House. four North Americans,
and ore South American. On all important Com
mittees be placed the sblest Democrats, giving
that party rot barely their numerical, bat their
mental and moral weight, upon them
When the House ordered Select Committee to
investigate affairs in Kansas, he, Of course, gave
the control Of it to such as had voted for the IN
vestgaton: but he gave the selection of the minor
ity 70 the Democrats in the House. In the chair,
he was specially urbane and generous toward bis
opponents Indeed, it was c0mplsiGed that bis
eye was always open to recognize gentlemen on
the Democratic side of the Chamber, while 1t WAS
sometimes closed to his own friends. He occasion
slly called such Democrats as Cobb, Orr, Letcher
and Phelps to preside temporarily in the House;
ard. in Committees Of the Whole, be was more apt
to invite Democrats than Republican, to the chair.
Let US now turp to Mr. Orr. The Standing
Committees are generally composed of nine men,
bers. On the Ways aud Means he has placed six
Democrats, two Republicans and one South Amer
lean. On Public Lands, seven Democrats, one
South American and one Republican 1.-TWO st the
last session. On the Judiciary, six Democrats,
two Republicans ard one South American. On
Military Affairs, six Democrats, two Republicans
ard one South American. On Naval Affairs, six
Democrats and three Republicans. On Terrific
lies, fye Democrats, one South American, who
always goes with his section" where Slavery n
concerned, and three Republicans. We might go
through the list, striatim, and compare Col. Orr's
Committees with those of Gov. Banks, and prove
that while the latter constituted them with rare
ponerts, the former has been grossly partial and
hberal.
In the chair while presiding, his conduct has
been little better He seems incapable of reccg
nizing his opponents in any struggle where Slavery
or Democracy are concerned, until the friends Of
Slavery and Democracy cease TO clamor for the
floor. And be has never called one Republican to
the chair Of the House for single moment; aud
tas never called one to preside in Committee Of
the Whole where general debate could be allowed,
but has confined bis courtesies in this particular
solely to private-bl days, when the House was on
the private calendar, and general discussion was
out of order. The annals of Congress may be
searched in vain for parallel 10 such marked dis
courtesy.
But the great outrage Of Mr. Speaker Orr, his
GROWING crime in the chair, is yet TO be men
| toned. In February, 1853, the House afttr con-
test of two or three days by vote Of rs to III,
ordered the appointment Of Select Committee Of
fifteen with special instructions to inquire into all
the facts connected with the form,tion Of the Le-
compton Constitution, the enactment Of the laws
under which it was framed, the vote Of the people
of Kansas thereon, &c. In word, it directed the
Committee to probe this whole matter to the bot
tom, and report all the facts to the HOuse. By
every principle of parliamentary law, by the rules
of sl deliberative assemblies the msjOrity Of that
Committee should have been selected from those
who voted for the investigation. Mr. Orr, after
much delberatOD, appointed this Committee. A
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