Weekly Minnesotian and times., 1859-12-31
SectiOnaIism In the Senate.

From the N. Y. Evening Post.
The Senate of the United States is a body
consisting of sixty-six members, who repre-
sent thrty-three equal and independent
States. The free States have a white popula-
ton of over thirteen million, and the slave
States white population of about six million.
In the free States the electors amount to three
million, in the slave States to little over one
million.
Now in the constitution of the Senate, &C
cording to all principles of equality and justice,
the free States ought to have a prepondcrance
proportional to their superiority in number
and power. OF the twenty-five committees to
which the legislative business is distributed,
they ought to have the craftsmanship, and a
majority of members of at least thirteen of
them But let us look at the arrangement OF
the committees as it has just been made by
the Senate:
On Foreign Relations-Messrs. Mason,
Douglas, Slidell, Polk and Crittenden.
On Finance Messrs. Hunter, Pearce,
Gwinn, Bright and Hammond.
On Commerce - Messrs Clay, Bigler,
Toombs, Clingman and Salisbury.
On Military Atairs-Messrs. Davis, Fitz-
patrick, johnson, of Arkansas, Chestnut and
Lane.
On Maoal affairs -Messrs Mallory, Thorn
son, Slidell, Hammond and Nicholson.
On Judiciary-Messrs. Bayard, Pugh, Ben
jamin, Green and Powell.
On Post O6ices-Messrs. Yulee, Gwin, Rice,
Bright and Hemphill.
On Public Lands-Messrs. johnson, of
Arkansas, johnson, of Tennessee, Lane, Pugh
and Bragg.
On Prioate Land Clainss- Messrs. Benja-
min, Polk and Hemphill
On Indian Afairs-Messrs. Sebastian,
Brown, Fitch, Rice and Haun.
On Psnsions-Messrs. Thomson, Clay,
Salisbury and Powell.
On Revolutionary Claims Messrs. TOombs,
Crittenden and Nicholson.
On Claims-Messrs. Iverson, Mallory and
Bragg.
On the District Of ColumJia-Messrs
Brown, Mason, johnson, of Tennessee, Yulee
and Kennedy.
On Patents-Messrs. Bigler, Thompson,
Toombs and Hemphill.
On Public Buildings-Messrs. Bright, Da-
Wis and Kennedy.
On Iewitories-Messrs. Green, Douglas
Sebastian, Fitzpatrick and Haun.
-McsSrs. johnson, of Tennessee. and Powell
On Printing-Messrs. Fitch and Davis.
On Engrossed BilLs-Messrs. Lane and Big
ler
On Enrolled Bals--Messrs Haun and
Salisbury.
On the Library-Messrs. Pearce and Bay
ard.
Here are twenty-five committees, of which
the Craftsmanship of sixteen is given to the
slavehOlding members, and the chairmanshiE
of the six others to members who side with
them in politics. Not a single committee o.
any importance is assigned to the free States
either in the Craftsmanship or in the majority
of its members The Republicans, who have
twenty-five representatives in the Senate, OF
considerably more than One-third of the whole
body, arc allowed two members on each com
mlttee of seven. Could anything be more
| sectional than this?
The slave States have fewer people, fewel
| votes, fewer representatives than the fret
States, and yet they take majority of thu
committees. In the foreign relations of TIN
government, those questions fpeace and war
amity and commerce, in which the great cit
les of the North, and its vast producing ant
manufacturing classes, are so deeply interest
ed, the business is initiated and controlled b,
Mr.. Mason, of Virginia. For its fnancia
policy, the Senate looks to Mr. Hunter, Q
Virginia. Commerce is committed to Nj
Clay, of Alabama; Military Affairs to Mr.. Da
Wis of Mississippi; Naval Affairs to Mr.. Mallc
ry, of Maryland; and so on with all the othe
committees of mark.