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

DO its chairman. Tue parsisans Of Kelley NOT only
denied this, but denied 1t with rampant vigor
that was refreshing. To-day Kelley was ruthlessly
slaughtered III the very house Of his friends and as
Blame wants to follow In the footsteps OF his smil
ing predecessor and 60 from the Speakers chair to
the otier seat Of the President OF the Senate. he
took his cue from Grant, and made this
committee, as these dispatches yesterday said
he would make 1t. q most potent enemy
OF extreme protection. Dawes lost no time IN
stepping forward as the lealer OF the House, and he
made himself so busy throughout the day IN moving
the reference OF bills to their appropriate commit
tess and In playing the part Of wether 10 an
congrous nock that ne had no time 10 think OF his
own queer, II not incongrous. committee. Mr..
Blaine ingcni ously pittcd all the tariff and anti
tariff elements against each other, and while he
allowed the second and third PLACES to Maynard and
Kelley ne associated Mr. Roberts, OF New York, with
al them as O man VINO w0nld not 60 far as either
the Tennessee or the PENNSYLVANIA Representative,
but would more nearly accord with his chief.
The Speaker seems to have grouped these men
together rs quartet who would favor remission
OF the duty on tea and conee, and placed them op-
posite to another equally happy quartet of the
democratic persuasion who Will not be content
with any such remission but want to take free
trade as well organized Americans take their wills
key, straight" The dem0cracyo OF Mr.. Brooks, OF
New York, Mr.. Kerr, OF Indiana, and Mr.. Beck, or
Kentucky is so well established that Mr. Ftnken-
burg, OF Missouri, who Ia . strict Schurz man. but
an extreme revenue reformer, may not blush 70 be
associated with them. The result OF this curious
arrangement is to make Mr.. Burchard, OF Illinois,
the real chairman OF the Committee OF Ways
and means, for, while he Is republican,
he is such an exceedingly moderate or
very low tariff man, that he has actually on all
In ann
holds in his hands the balance Of power for this
administration.
Grant always goes to Illinois for his states.
men, and this time he has sandwicned him
number six on the Committee of ways
and Means. The Speakers shrewdness IS
made still further manifest by the manner in which
he has contrived. In the makeup OF committees, to
crafty the pride OF each section. Though the long
experience ard ability OF their representatives
compel the giving OF the chief prizes to Massachu-
sets ami Ohio yet the Mississippi Valley
States are FULLY recognized. Massachusetts, has
four important chairmanships Those Of Ways and
Means. Foreign Afairs Banking and Currency and
Accounts. Connecticut Maine and Vermont have
two each-those the District Of Columbia and tho
House branch OF tine JOINT Select Ku Klux Investigate
ing Committee being the important ones. New York
has two Of lmp0rtance-Pacinc Railroad ana
Public Lands. The latter is OF great significance in
view OF the land grant lobby that walls In the halls
OF the House. Pennsylvania has four chairman.
ships Naval Affairs and Patents being included.
Ohio takes 1--WE places, and includes APPROPRIATIONS,
Judiciary and Commerce. Michigan and Wisconsin
have the lead on four committees, that of
Claims, with Ex-Governor Blair at les mead, being
well handled. The Illinois. Indiana Missouri and
Nebraska delegations have ten chairmen. These
include Elections, Post O1lces and Post
Roads, Manufactures Military and In
dian Affairs, the Territories and In
valid Pensions. Mr. Blaine has thrown q
considerable Vice Presidential sop to the Southern
Cerberus. and given seven radicals from that sec
ton Craftsmanship OF Indifferent committees, the
most important Of which Is that on Education and
Labor. E al
The most apparently disappointed man is
Mr.. Hooper, OF Massachusetts,, who gets
only the Committee on Banking and Currency
white he thinks he should have been made the
leader OF the House. The most displeased would
seem be Mr.. Lynch, OF Maine, who ought to have
been chairman OF the Committee on Commerce, and
only gcts place 80 far down that the country Will
be scandalizcd. 1I9k
TO DO with Mr.. Iyncn's appointment While bewail-
ing the fate Of General Butler, an this sympathy
was wasted, however for Butler Is as happy as .
clam. Indeed, he has again perpetrated one OF
hi huge jokes, and intends, even Chairman
of the Committee on the Revision OF the
Laws, TO prove TO the House ana the country
that where MacGregor sits is the head OF the table.
This committee Is the nearest approximation to
that old English parliamentary custom OF referring
all bills to o judicial committee, whose function 1t
is to inquire into the evil bill is designed to
remedy or the good It is intended to promote; to
ascertain whether the Dill viii eject It's object and
10 see what is the existing legislation on the sub
ject; above everything else to secure freedom
from ambiguity or dispute as to the intent and
meaning OF q new law. II Buffers Committee
had been allowed to perform its proper duties
In the past such egregious plumbers as were
pointed out Ill the HERALD q year ago in
regard to Mr.. Jenckes' unIntentional repeal OF the
Sub-Treasury act could not have occurred. Till
Mr.. Pollard, an eminent jurist. came to the
head OF the committee, 1t was in no
way among the working committees OF the House.
Butler, In his becose way, can improve upon It. as
1t comes TO him from Mr.. Pollard's hands, and
IL Is said he s in q temper not only
10 revise and improve upon everybody else's
bills, but to exert the really great power OF his
committee TO introduce any measure to which
he may choose to give Its sanction. Un0er
these circumstances 1t Is no wonder he
Is 30 wonderfully compacenr and before q
month he may be even moving the refer
ence of bills TO his committee for revision,
and playing the deuce generally as If he, and not
Dawes had been named the leader OF the House.
There is in this selection the promise Of great fun
and the session promises to be as dramatic and as
funny as those whose suddenly inspired hopes are
that 1t will prove useful.
everybody believes from what took place to-day,
that this Is to be indeed . rare Congress- and even
the lowering skies and falling rain could not damp
the artlor either OF the multitude near the skyghts
OF the legislative graccs on the floors OF the two
houses.
The scene on the floor Of the House for an hour
before the Speakers gavel fell was q lively one.
Greetings between members, congratulations ana
courtesies being freely exchanged. Specula.
tions ON the formation OF the committees
were the principal topics Of interest, quite
overshadowing the Presidents Message,
AMI uar1ona members received CONGRATULATIONS