The New York herald., 1875-12-27
Committees OF ways and Means.


an error 70 suppose that they have always
the same meaning in the practice Of the two
governments Our Committee of Ways and
Means-a designation which we have Of late
years modernized by substituting on for
''of'-bears little resemblance in its duties
and functions to a committee Of the same
name in the House of Commons. The Eng
lish Committee of Ways and Means is
not, like ours, q special standing COM
mittee charged with an original inyes-
tigation of matters of revenue, and
required to form plans for meeting
the expenses of the government. but
committee of the whole House for the
consideration Of the budget la the Parlia-
mentary reports the introduction OF the
budget is always prefaced The House having
resolved itself into Committee OF Ways and
Means, the Chancellor Of the Exchequer
rose and said" The revenue Legislation IS
prepared by this officer and not by the COM
mittee, and he takes the same leading part in
the discussions which belongs to the Chair
man of the Committee of Ways and Means
in our House Of Representatives. He
needs clear head and good de-
batting powers to discharge his duty
with credit, and, in point of fact
the Chancellor of the Exchequer is
always an expert debater as well as q ca
pable tinancier. He would make disastrous
failure both for himself and his party if
he did not combine these two kinds Of
talent.
In our government the Committee Of Ways
portant part in the machinery of legislation
which belongs to it at present. Indeed, it
did not exist at all as regular standing COM
mittee until about the middle of the admin
istration OF John Adams. In the First Con-
gress the only standing committee was
one on Privileges and Elections, and
our present system of apportioning out the
business of legislation to numerous standing
committees grew up very gradually At the
beginning Of Jefferson's administration not
more than five or six regular standing COM
mittees were appointed at the opening of
new Congress- instead of the forty-four
which we have at present. A Committee of
Ways and Means was occasionally appointed
during Washington's administration, but
only for some temporary purpose. The du-
ties which are now performed by that most
important Of the committees were discharged
by other methods. In the First Con-
gress, which had to devise q system
of revenue, before the executive depart
ments were organized and a Secretary of the
Treasury appointed. Mr.. Madison took the
lead to which his talents entitled him, and
united in himself nearly all the functions
which at present devolve both on the Com
mittee of Ways and Means and its Chairman.
He prepared the first revenue bills and was
their foremost expounder and advocate, dis
playing financial and debating capacity
which has been rarely equalled and never
surpassed even by the ablest finance minis
ters in the English House of Commons.
The great figure he made would have
been impossible without his remarkable
talents as a debater which, in the language
of Jefferson, 'made him the first of every
assembly Of which he became a member"
The description of Madison's eloquence is,
perhaps, worth pursuing Never wander
ing from his subject" said Jefferson, into
vain defamation, but pursuing it closely in
language pure classical and copious, sooth-
ing always the feelings Of his adversaries by
civilities and softness Of expression, he rose
to the eminent station which he held in the
great National Convention of 1887 and in
that of Virginia, which followed he sus-
tanned the new constitution in all its
parts, bearing off the palm against
the logic Of George Mason and the
are sorry that one Of our contemporaries is
forced by its advocacy Of weak cause to
describe such consummate powers as ''gab"
and to pour contempt on faculties which its
prOt6gt does not possess Even 50 solid an
understanding as that Of Chief Justice Mar
shall held Madisons .'gab" in the highest
estimation. Having been asked in one Of
the last years Of his life which Of the many
public speakers he had heard he considered
the most eloquent the Chief Justice replied
'Eloquence has been defined to be the
art Of persuasion. If it includes per-
SudSlO1 bg convincing III. DIhulSOn was
the most eloquent man ! ever heard
This was the opinion Of a man Of the most
robust structure Of faculties who had listened
70 Henry Ames, Pinckney, Clay. Webster
and every great orator of America, whether
forensic or parliamentary. Until the erudite
World condescended to correct the error it
was the prevailing opinion that Mr. Madi-
sons "gab" on financial questions was the
most valuable part Of the proceedings Of the
First Congress.
Our modest and courteous contemporary
is distressed at our mentioning 'the able
succession Of men who have acted as chair
men Of the Committee OF Ways and Means
in our House Of Representatives as worthy
Of comparison with the Peels and Glad
stones Of English finance, and, with