New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-26
A Committee OF Mean Members.

/ ~
The Washington correspondent of the
Indianapolis Journal gives the following
interesting history of the manner in which
the House Committee on Accounts was CON
structed:
A good story is related at the expense Of
Mr.. Williame, Of the second Indiana dis
trict, chairman on the Committee on Ac-
counts, and his colleagues of that commit
| tee. After Mr.. Fitzhugh, the d0orkeeper,
was qualified, and before the standing
committees were formed, his predecessor,
Mr.. Buxton, in advising him as to
his duties, informed him that he had
better look after the construction
of the Committee on Accounts: This"
said the retiring doerkeeper, "is q very
important matter to you, and if You desire
to get along smoothly and have financial
affairs with the House glide along like still,
deep waters, look to it that no three cent
men are selected by the Speaker and range
their niggardly cOuntenances around the
table of the Committee on Accounts"
Fitzhugh thanked Buxton for his kindly
advice, and assured him that he would not
be slow to profit by it.
Unfortunately for the gallant Fitzhugh,
this interesting conversation was overheard
by q Democratic member of the House.
This faithful representative of Democratic
constituency, having occasion to call on
Speaker Kerr the following evening, in
formed the Speaker that he had q sugges
ton to offer touching the construction of
the Committee on Accounts. ~ respect
fully urge you to hunt out the three-cent
men of the House and appoint them on the
Committee on Accounts" He then ex-
planned to the Speaker the conversation
overheard between the dOOrkeepers de
facto and ex OfficiO. The Speaker smiled
his cold smile aud said he would consider
the suggestion in constructing the commit
tees charged with wrestling with the &C.
counts of the Forty-tourth Congress. An
other member who was present suggested
that if he could find q twO-and- a half-cent
man he should appoint him chairman.
Again the features OF the Speaker relaxed
into smile as he acknowledged the value
of the suggestion.
The Committee on Accounts was duly
constructed and announced, Mr. James ID.
Williams, of the second Indiana district,
being the first named on the list. The two
Congressman who suggested to the Speaker
that committe should be constructed thought
no more Of the matter until Tuesday last,
when Mr.. Williams reported to the House
resolution providing for clerks to the stand
ing committees. The gentleman who sug-
gested the two and one-half cent man for
chairman of accounts is himself chairman OF
q committee which has hitherto enjoyed
the services of . clerk. The Committee
on Accounts did not think that par
ticular committee of sufficient Importance
to be entitled to the exclusive services of
a clerk and in their resolution clerk was
distributed between the jokers committee
and one other. After the resolution re-
ported by Mr.. Williams from his committee
had been adopted on Tuesday last. the
statesman who suggested two-and-one-
half cent man for chairman of accounts
sought out his colleague. who suggested the
construction of the committee out Of three
cent material, and with melancholy visage
exclaimed: "The Speaker acted upon our
JOINT suggestion in reference to the con-
struction of the Committee on Accounte,
and succeeded in finding a two and one
half cont man for the chairman" And now
there ia one Democratic statesman who pro-
foundly regrets he interfered with the form.
alton Of the standing committees