The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-12-05

l
Standing Ceunistees-The Presidens's An
nuai Message.
The machine which sometimes goes by the
name Of the assembled wisdom Of the nation"
was again set In motion yesterday at Washing
ton. where it will keep running with occasional
holiday intermissions for the next six or eight
months. The organization Of the House was
completed by the appointment of its regular
standing committees. The constitution OF
those committees is given in our regular report
of the proceedings. Mr.. Dawes, Of Massa-
chusetts, the oldest and most respected mem
Der Of the House, stands at the head Of the
most important of them-that of Ways and
Means-and will, therefore, continue to be
regarded as the leader Of the House. Mr..
Dawes is protectionist in policy, but not
to 80 great and mischievous . degree as to
resist any proper measure Of reform in our
tariff or internal revenue laws. The second
| and third members of the committee-May-
nard, of Tennessee, and Kelley, of Penn
sylvania- will make up in their devotion to the
principle of protection any lack of such devo-
ton that may be found in the chairman.
Fourth on the list is Mr.. James Brooks, Of
New York, as fiery and ardent champion Of
free trade as Kelley is Of protection to coal
and iron and other Pennsylvania interests.
But the trouble is that Mr.. Brooks is now
where he can only preach free trade to China
men, Japanese or other Orientals. Then comes
Western man-Finkelnburg Of Missouri-who
& 10 ~ thoi md nth
industrial interests Of that State, but who is
just as ready, if he cannot do so ef-
fectually, to join the ranks of the
free traders. Burchard, of Illinois,
and Roberts. of Utica, N. Y, ere the
next on the list, and 60 probably under the
same category as Finkelnburg does, while the
last two members of the commttee-Kerr, Of
Indiana, and Beck, of Kentucky-are tho
roughly imbued with the principles of the free
trade school aud have the ability and energy
to make their views and influence felt. 1t
will be seen, therefore, that the Speaker has
not laid himself open to any charge of par
TALLY or unfairness in the constitution of this
important committee, or, If any leaning to
either side is observable, it is not to the side
of the monopolists.
The chairmanships of the other principal
committees are allotted as follows THAT of
Appropriations to Garfield, of Ohio; that Of
Banking and Currency to Hooper, Of Massa-
chusetts; that of the Pacific Railroad to
Wheeler, of New York that Of Claims to
Blair, of Michigan; Commerce to Shellabar-
ger, Of Ohio; Public Lands to Ketcbam, of
New York; Post Offices to Farms
worth, of Illinois; Indian Affairs
to Shanks, of Indiana; Military
Affairs to Coburn, of Indiana; Judiciary to
Bingham, Of Ohio; Naval Affairs to Scofeld,
of Pennsylvania; Foreign Affairs to Banks,
Packer, of Pennsylvania; Revision of the
Laws to Butler, Of Massachusetts,, and the
Select Committee on Insurrectionary States to
Poland, of Vermont. 1t is not to be supposed
that these appointments or the general consti-
tuition of the committees give complete salts
faction to members but, on the whole, we
think that they have been as fairly and impair
TALLY distributed as it was in the Speakers
power to distribute them.
The principal business of the day in both
houses was the reception and reading of the
Presidents annual Message, the main feature
and impress of which is the sentiment OF
peace and Cancellation at home and abroad
which will meet with general approval are the
revision and reduction of the tariff, the aboli-
ton of all internal revenue taxes except those
on spirits, malt liquors, tobacco and stamps,
the absorption of the telegraph into the postal
system, return to specie payments and the
San Francisco to China and to Australia. The
Message discusses concisely these and great
many other points of public interest and i'm
portance, and does so in vigorous, terse and
pointed style, which does credit to its author.
| Among the miscellaneous matters introduced
into either house were resolutions of inquiry
into the Presidents reasons and justification
for his suspension of the habeas corpus and
the establishment of martial law in South
| Carolina, and bills to repeal the income tax,
to grant bounty lands to the soldiers and sailors
of the late war, to revive the navigation and
commercial interests, and to provide for the
resumption of specie payment. Each House
remained in session for about Two hours and
a half, and thus got fairly started on the work
Of the long session.
The Report Of the Navy Department..
Secretary Robson in his report submitted
yesterday to Congress states that the Navy of
the United States now consists of one hundred
aud seventy -nine vessels of all casses-sailing
ships, steamers (sidewheel and screw, moni-
tors, cruisers, despatch boats, hospital, store.
receiving and practice ships, and tags and other
small vessels-carrying in all thirteen hundred
and ninety guns. Out of ifty-two monitors