, 1865-12-12
TUESDAY, DECEMBER IL, 1855.
NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION.
THE HOUSE COMMITTEES.

THE HOUSE COMMITTEES.
The Chairmanships Of the principal COM
mittees Of the House nre announced. Inc
result Is not greatly different from that Which
We had expected
The Chairman of the Committee Oh WAYS
ASp MEANS is Mr.. Morrill, Of Vermont. Mr.
Morrill,, rs VIC hare remarked in previous ar-
ticlcs, is perfectly upright gentleman. No
member Of the House commands the conf.
dcncc Of his fellow members more thoroughly
He was the most influential member Of the
old committee, although not Its Chairman.
He Is more responsible for the existing sys-
TEN Of taxation, both customs and Internal
dutics, than any other member, perhaps than
any other ten members. A man Of great in
dustsy, Of extensive information, OF long SER
vice on the committee, and peculiarly identi-
fed wiihthe revenue system nov In vogue, We
suppose that Speaker Col1ax felt constrained
to assign thc place to him, although The usage
in such cases Is 10 rcappoint the chairman Of
the previous Congress. Perhaps 1t occurred
to the Speaker that Mr. Morrill, md Nj. Sic
vens could no longer servc together on this
committee to the advantage Of the country
both representing the highest Of high tarif
notions-and that If only one Of them could
he retained, that one who was best fitted for
the practical business Of the committee should
be placed upon It. As "lcader Of The
House," Mr.. Stevens is perhaps the superior of
all other members Of the body. He Is certainly
The superior Of III. Morrill,, who has few claims
and makcs no prntens1ons TO distinction rs a
dcbaicr. But in all Other respects, Mr. Nor
Till Is much better fitted to discharge the
duties OF Chairman Of the Ways and Means
than his Pennsylvania colleague. On the
question Of protective duties, which Is really
the great question Of American finance, Mr..
Morrill, is, in our Judgment; u propagator OF
error, not to say injustice. But We do not
propose TO discuss thnt question now. We
trust that the composition Of the committee,
OF which MIR. Morrill, is the chairman, Is such
that the Views and interests Of tho West will
be more fully represented than they have
been during some years past.
Mr.. Stevens is, the Chairman of the new
Committee On APPROPRIATIONS By the diyis
ion Of the Committee Of Ways and Means
into three commit tccs-thc other two being
Appropriations, and Banks and Currency
the old committee has been shorn OF some O.
its functions, but has lost little Of Its power
The entire business Of raising revenue by
tariffs, tnxes and loans remains within IT
Jurisdiction. The Committee Of Ap
preparations can report no G1pen
diturc Of money to The Hous,
that Ia not authorized by some pre-existins
law, or asked for by some department Of tht
Government, for which detailed estimates arr
submitted. Any other appropriation mus,
1Yn} }Utr 3v
sion, after the I'LL bas been reported. Hence
the duties Of the Committee Of Appropria.
tions arc main1y clerical. Alr. Stevens will
undoubtedly retain The position of leader o
the House, by common consent; and by virtue
Of Lis eminent qualifications
The Chairman OF the Committee on BASKs
AND CURRENCY Is Mr.. Pomeroy, Of New
York. MI. Pomeroy Is one Of the youngcs!
members Of the House, He Is not specially
identified with the matters thus committed
to his charge. He has never served on the
Committee OF Ways mud Means, nor given
evidence of distinguished ability in any de
pnrtment of legislation. We do not sec why
lie should be made the Chairman Of this very
Important Committee.
Mr. Dawes, of Massachusetts, retains ths
Craftsmanship OF the Committee on ELEc
T1oHs. In = political point OF view, this
perhaps tie most important committee OF tn
House, for tu IL lnuxt 60 tho credentials Of tn
Southern members now or soon to npply 70
admission TO Congress. Ar. Dawes Is q ma,
Of acute intellect and good powers as dc
bater. Although representative Of tn
most radical State in the Union, he belong
TO the conservative wing Of The Repub
1ican party, and his votes on some question
during the last Congress gave great oticnc
to his political friends. Yet there Is no rea
son 10 suppose that his action on the queatio1
Of admitting the members from the lntG1,
rebel States will be otherwise than acceptable
to the majority Of the House, Indeed, tht
conservative tendency of his mind would Leaf
us to expect that be would be very slow K
admit members OF such Questionable autece
dents.
Mr.. Wilson, Of I,Ra, remains Chairman o
the JrDlc,AEs. This is likewise very i'm
portant cenm,ttec at this juncture, mas
much ~ The numerous questions affecting tn
stptus Of the lately rebel States will come vi
before 1t for determination, and when th
Freedom Amendment Of the Constitutio,
shall have been declared adopted the Com
mittce On the Judiciary will hare Il
matnrr the measures for giving il
elect. There il not a member OF til.
House more nbundantly qualified, In point o
flrmness, humanity, legal attaiumcuts ant
comprehensive craftsmanship than Mr.. Vii
son. The existing lest oath, Of which ht
ex.rcbcls complain so bitterly, was conceivee
and introduced by Mr.. Wilson. as was alst
the Constitutional Amendment declaring
slavery abolished and prohibited throughout
the United States, although the bill subse
gueutly introduced In the Senate by Mr.
Henderson, Of Missouri, was the one which
passed.
Mr.. Nashburne retains his old place a
chairman of TIC Committee on CouNEnci
Nr. Jullnn OF Indiana that Of PCBL1c LANDS
Mr.. Ashley Of Ohio TERRITORIES, Mr.. Win
dom Of Minnesota INDIAN AFFAIRS, 70 fin
opportunity for this sagncious md exccllen
member to do his country and The Indians
good scrviccl Mr.. Hice of 3Iassachusett
NAVAL ArFAJns, Mr. Alley Of Massachusctt
Posi- OFF1CCs~ The craftsmanship Of the Com
mfttee on the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, former
1y held By the lnmcnted Lovc3oy, Is given L
his successor, Mr.. lngcrsoll of Illinois. Til
committee is likely TO have plenty OF work
and Mr. ngcrsou Is The man TO do It prompt
and do it right MI Price Of Iowa ia I'll
chairman Of the PACIFIC RAILROAD Commit
tee, now one Of the n.ast Important In til
House. We trust he will see 70 It, that
the vigorous prosecution Of this great cnteI
prise, the Government gets its money s wortt
Mr. Schenck rcta1ns the Craftsmanship {
the Committee On MILITARY AFFAIRS. Nj
Banks Is appointed Chairman of FonEIo:
Affairs, filled In the Last Congress by uenr
Winter Davis.
In the absence Of information at this wr]
ting concerning the constitution Of the Com
mittees, aside from tho chaIrmaoshfps. III
work Of the Speaker seems to have been yer
satisfactorily performed. In some partlcu
lars we should have preferred different a:
stgnment, but the duty md r,srousib,lit
were his and not ours. We look forward 1
m earnest, dnigcnt and reasonably hur.no,
ious session.
AFFAIRS IN GEORGIA.
Our correspondent IN Georgia, whose pr
vious contributions of the same nature hat
secured him high place In the favor Of OF
readers, gives graphic inside view Of Il
situation In that State, II could not be othe
wise thnn dark, for Georgia is flied with IL
WRECKS Of the rebellion, and manifestation
Of The halEtamcd spirit Which caused i
From excellent facilities for information, til
writer presents facts Of far more than ord
nary importance nnd transient interest, r,
Earding the future Of both the white an
hlnck races. The test is yet to come Ehctht
1he power Of The Southern oligaschy