Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-01-28

ty said in the beginning it was folly for Speaker to
attempt to control the action of any delibetye body
over which he might preside by the committees he might
appoint In ordinary committees all parties may be min
ged butin grave affair like this, must exercise political
discrimination IN comforting upon the other power to
represent me and to utter the voice OF my constituency
This charge OF unfarness etc. shall not have any effect
upon me. lhave no malice to bear. Between the gen
tleman from Stafford and myself there has long existed
the best OF relations too well remembered and too near
to be heedlessy broken up.
But, there was another ntimation OF the gentleman
dspeasure and dissatisfaction in his remaks-that the
House would go further and give 10 the SPEAKER no
further control over the question have only to say
do not court it. But if future occasions the House
imposes on me the discharge of any duties shall not
shrink from them; and when guilty oil anything nm
just, will submit to the correction Of the House. aud
when do anything personally offensive TO any gentle
here, will be answerable to him personally. Then,
aud not tell then give up the prerogAve invested
in me.
Mr. DICKINSON ofP F., said he did not eIpec. to be on
the Committee, and did complain OF not having been
put upon it. But he did complain OF the appointments
upon that Committee for the part oil the country from
which he came. lie thought the slayehodng portion OF
the State should be represented in that COMMITTEE lie
had supposed when l3 were indicated Tor ITS formation
of course one would be chosen from each Congressional
district But by singular coincidence three Conges'ona
districts entirely unrepresened in tins Commission
representation in it, district having ,l22 900 slaves
has representation at all The district OF Petersburg
with Its thousands of slaves had only one representative
and he might be regarded only commercial represen
tative. On the Committee there were eight represent
ves representing scarcely slaves than he indvdu
ally.
The SPEAKER said he was glad to hear the gentle
mau not disappointed in not being one OF the Com
mitee but he little expected to have seen and heard So
broad line drawn between the east and the west as bad
just been drawn by the gentleman from Prince Edward.
For his part, of the 900 slaves OF Virginia, ID
400 900 were to be concentrated in of the two
TONS he would them in the hands OF the
of the east Did the gentleman intimate that
the west had no interest-no share in the matter?
Mr.. DICKINSON dsclaimed any such intimation; but
thought the confidence should be mutual.
Mr.. PRETLOW, OF Southampton, represented large
savehodng section and protested against the unequal
distribution at the appointments Ii seemed strange at
in selecting from the different sections, the lst and
districts interested than all Others should be en-
trely ignored.
The SPEAKER said there on the committee scy-
gentlemen from the West and for his part he would
be willing to trust twelve on it, But far as he was
concerned in the natter he had request TO make OF
Mr.. Hopkins chairman OF the committee viz, 10 ask the
House TO discharge the committee and let the House form
another. Cries no, no.
Mr. HOPKINS said he should certainly not be lndluc-
rent to the suggestion but the contrary, had every
personal inclination to conform to it, But il is well
known to yourself sir that have no more control over
the subject than any other member of the House. am
perfectly Indifferent as TO what direction the House hi
give the subject deeply regret any ground Of complaint;
but it is due TO myself say that in offering the propo-
.tOn which did, | did not intend to cmbarnss the
proposition offered by Mr. Seldom. ] content be-
should submit his the first II that adopted would
supercede mine Not content with his, however offer
ed which cOnformed more to my views Il is due to
YOU say sir that had one word Of conference
IN rl fhn al Ip
Of the House | may be permitted to remark further,
that in Offering my proposition this great almighty qncs-
tcn of negro never entered my mind never thought
of it, looked to the consideration Of other questions,
and willing that every Congressional district should
be represented aud will now, if the House permit it,
gladly surrender my position upon it TO any other mem
Der. Objections were heard from every side
Mr. RAYMOND also objected to the committee as APP
pointed
On motion, the House Adjourned.