New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-12-06
WASHINGTON.

|
| REVIEW OF TIE VARIOUS CHAIRMkN - THE
| DIVISION IN REGARD TO LOCALITY.
| lBY TELEGRAPH TIE TRIBUsEl
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-The Standing Committees
| OF the House were announced to-day, and rs was
predicted the list abounded in surprises. MI Blaine
| resembles somewhat an amateur chess-player, VINO
arranges his men on the board with view to seeing
| how They will look in new places and what effect
Will be produced by their combination, rs well
az with regard to the ultimate result OF the game.
| He likes to shift men from one Committee to
| another, and the reasons for the changes
| he makes are often obscure and probably in many
cases do not relate to the business of legislation at
all. Indeed, the considerations governing the de-
cisons of Speaker in preparing his committee list
are necessarily so numerous and contradictory that
1t is doubtful If he could himself set them out in
| due order. The claims of locality, the relative
strength OF the delegation from each State and OF
! the Republican members of 1t, the previous
services OF members, their general ability
and fitness for special work, their standing in the
dominant party, must all be properly estimated and
IN the end, the Speakers own ambition, his friend
ship for certain members for the friends of men,
beTs, and the personal dslikes from which no man
can entirely free himself, often come to turn the
SCALE Mr. Blaine has prepared the present list with
| more care than either of the two preceding ones
which he has appointed. Being sure of his reclec-
ton, he naturally gave much thought to the COM
position OF the Committees during the long vacation
The reading of the names was listened to by the
House with an intensity of attention and profound
silence that gave to the scene almost an air of
solemnity AT the conclusion, an adjournment until
Monday was voted forthwith. This evening, the
members have few opinions to express on the list as
| whole, that are worth reporting Every one looks
at 1t from the standpoint of his position. Ii he
Is pleased with the place given him, he thinks the
list strong one and praises the Speakers judg-
ment; if not, he says the list is weak and cannot
imagine what induced the Speaker to give so many
good places to men of no account, while members Of
ability arc put upon unimportant Committees 1t
was evident when the first Committee was read,
that the schemes of those who have sought to dis
place the old leaders of the House had not avaed.
Mr.. Dawes got his old place as Chairman of Ways
and Means His conservative views and his infu
ence and power in the House, give assurance that
there VIII be dangerous unnecessary tinkering
with the tariff for the next two years The other
members of the Committee arc Messrs. Kelley,
Burchard, Roberts, Kasson, Waldron, Sheldon, Eos
ter, Beck Niblack, and Wood. OF the whole II six
are Protectionists and live Free Traders, or very
moderate tariff men.
The Appropriations Committee remains under the
craftsmanship of Mr.. Garfield. which makes it GER
tain that the estimates of the Departments will be
rgidly scrutinized and the expenses of the Govern
mcnt kept within proper limits. While not dis
posed TO carry economy to the verge of parsim0ny,
Mr. Garfield in the last Congress stopped number
Of old leaks in the Treasury, and instituted far
more searching inquiry into the disposition OF the
public funds with a view of checking extravaganza,
than had ever been made by the Committee before.
With him upon the new Committee are Messrs. Hale
&. 80, IL.
ridge Tyner, Parker of Missouri, Marshall, Swami,
and Hancock
The Banking and Currency Committee which, in
view Of the unprecedented pressure this session for
legislation affecting the banks and the paper cir
culatng medium of the country, becomes of at least
equal importance with Ways and Means and Appro-
priations, is placed under the Craftsmanship of
Horace Maynard of Tennessee, whose long service
as a member of Ways and Means fairly entities him
to this promotion. His colleagues Messrs. Far
well, Merriam, Hawley of Connecticut Hunter,
Phelps Hubbel Miles, Randall, Mitchell and
Durham. The Committee is so nearly evenly
balanced, to all appearances, between inilationists
and anti-inhationsts that its action cannot now be
predicted Mr.. Hooper, the old Chairman, is given
a place Of much less importance-the chairmanship
of Coinage, Weights, and Measures. The change is
probably due to the increasing dissatisfaction OF the
Western members with the practice of giving an I'M
due number of chairmanshps to Massachusetts, and
also to the opinion often expressed of late, that
member with large banking interests ought not to
hold the place.
Mr. Butler as was predicted was made Chairman
of the judiciary Committee and has under him
number of the best lawyers in the House, including
Mr.. Tremain of New-York. Mr.. Wheeler is Chair
man of the important Committee on Commerce, his
old Commttee-Paciic Misunderstanding TO Mr..
Sawyer of Wisconsin. Mr.. Packer of Pennsylvania
is transferred from the head of Railways and Canals
to that of Post-Oces and Post Roads, hls old Com
mittee going to Mr.. McCrary Of Iowa, who is said
TO be i'll full sympathy with the Grange movement
in the West to reduce transportation charges.
Mr. Scofed remains at the head of Naval Affairs
Mr.. Cobun of Military Affairs, and Mr.. Poland OF
Revision of the Laws. Mr.. Hawley of Illinois. gets
Claims and Mr.. Lawrence of OHIO the New War
Claims Committee. The District of Columbia goes
into the competent hands OF Mr.. Hale OF New YORK,
and Foreign Aairsinto those of Mr. Orth. Mr.Towns-
end gets Public Land by regular promotion and, Mr..
Platt, Public Buildings and Grounds in the same way
while Mr. Conger transferred to the Craftsmanship
Of Patents Mr.. Monroe TO that of Education and
Labor, Mr. Mckee to that of Territories, and Mr.
Donnan to that of Printing. The agreeable position
of Chairman of the Library Committee if carried off
by Mr.. Frye. Mr.. Buifinton keeps his old Commit
tee Accounts. Mr.. Farwell is the new Chairman |
of Manufactures, Mr.. Hays OF Agriculture, Mr.. |
Averill of Indian Affairs, and Leonard Myers Of |
Private Land Claims. '----
The Committee on the Reorganization of the Civil |
Service was put into the hands of the enemies OF |
the objects for which it originally created. MI
Kellogg OF Connecticut IL Chairman, who, II he 10
in favor of Civil Service Reform theoretically, is
said to be practically supporter Of the old spolls
system. Mr. Willard of Vermont ought to have had |
the place, and undoubtedly would if il had been |
thought desirable that the Committee should do |