Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-12-08
THE house Committees.

Speaker Blaine was confronted by a diff
cult aud inyidious task in the assignment OF
his fellow III smbers to the respective Stand
ing Committees of the House, and he has
performed it wlth judgment and tact. OF
course, every one could not be placed as he
wished to be--indeed, few we persume, were
entirely suited in the arrangement we here
with announce; for Mr.. Dawes, who is Chair
man of Ways and Means, is understood TO
have preferred his Old place at the head of the
Committee on Appropriations, where he did
such excellent service in the last House. We
do not know another man who would be SO
generally acceptable as Mr.. Dawes in his
new post; but, unless we are misintormed
with regard to Mr.. Burehard's views, the
Ways and Means Committee is no longer
Pfotecti0nlst, as we think it ought to be- Mr..
Is. stands about midway between Protection
and Free Trade; but that We understand, Is
where the House chooses tor the present TO
stand; SO the selection may be tar one.
Gen. Garfield is made Chairman of Appro-
priations, and will prove good one. He has
10 choose between pleasing the ax-payers and
obliging the tax consumers; but MIR. Dawes
has set him SO admirable pattern and been
firmly upheld in his upright course by the
country that he can hardly 90 wrong if he
would, and we think he would not il he could.
Retrenchment wherever possible, but especi-
ally in the expenditures in and about the Capt.
tol itself, is the work plainly demanded Of
Gen. Garfield and his Committee; we hope to
say at the close of the session that Gen. u.
has proved a worthy successor of Mr.. Dawes.
Our State has two important Chairman
ships; Mr.. Wheeler retaining that OF Pacific
Railroads, while Gen. Ketcham is advanced
to that OF Public Lands. We urge both to
bear in mind that the policy of land grants
for whatever purpose is gravely questioned
nay, fercely contested-while j1dlcious
friends OF that policy Gas we claim to be) hold
that so much has been done of late that j,
were wise to pause and consider before grant
ing another acre. We cannot afford to make
Railroads faster than we are now doing, since
every additional mile increases our foreign
Indebtedness; and we could not find settlers
for all creation if it were finely gridroned by
railroads. Let us stop and think.
OHIO has three leading Chairmanships-
Appropriations, Garfield; Judiciary, Bling
ham; and Commerce, Shellabarger. This il
generous allotment; but Messrs. Garfield
and Bingham rank as members of long con-
tinuous service, while Mr.. Shellabarger
though not in the last Congress, is one of tn
ablest men in the House. Mr.. Bingham ha.
few suferiors as a ready and fluent debater.
Massachusetts, has three leading Chairman
ships Dawes, Ways and Means; Hooper
Banking and Currency; and Banks, Foreign
Affairs. We had guessed that Mr.. +. Clarl
OF our State would preside over Banking ant
Currency, but that seems 10 have been pre-
cluded by removing Mr.. Hooper from The
Ways and Means. Mr.. Clark is assigned tc
duty on the Committee on Appropriations.
Indiana has. the Chairmen of Indian Affair.
(Shanks), and of Military Affairs (Coburn)
Gen. Shanks has already filled the former
post with eminent fidelity and industry.
Our own State has representatives on near.
~ every important Committee, with two each
on Ways and Means, Judiciary, Banking ant
Currency, and Pacific Railroads.
Pennsylvania has Scofeld, Naval Affairs
and no other of frst-rate Importance. Mr.
Blaine cannot be accused of Partially to his
native State.
The complexion of the Post Office Com.
mittee gives assurance that the war on the
Franking Privilege is to be prosecuted witt
vigor. SO mote it be
On the whole, we consider Mr.. Blaine's
cast of the Committees good one. 1t might
we think, be improved in two or three in.
stances; but we do not know from whom a
better might have been expected, and we con
gratulate the House and the country on dis
tribution of labors which promises sigma
energy and efficiency in the dispatch Of bust
ness.-New York Tribune.