The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-11-01
THE HOUSE COMMITTEES.
Organised to Facilitate Business, not
to Please Individuals.


The general complexion Of the commit |
tees shows that they have been organized
to facilitate the business Of the house, and
not to please individuals or retard action
upon any measure, nor to force the house
along the line Of any special policy. In
making up his committees the speaker kept
his own counsel. and up to within few
hours Of the announcement by their read
ing, few of the members knew how they
were assigned. The only instance where q
mistake was made was in putting Mr.. @.
N. Potter, Of New York, on the chairman
ship Of the Pacific railroad committee,
which would have been avoided, had Mr..
Potter any idea of the speakers intentions.
He has since declined. No hasty or incon-
siderate action is likely to proceed from any
committee organized as the committee on
banking and currency and the committee
on ways and means are for the coming con-
gress, nor is it probable that either will sit
two years without producing single
measure Of practical legislation. They
will prepare business for the house-they
will not stine discussion. The strongest
pressure was brought upon Mr.. Randall to
give the committees decided aud extreme
membership which should lead to precip-
itate action ia several directions. An ex-
animation Of the list will show that he has
refused to be guided by this advice.
1t is believed that the committees will
be found to reflect the temperate and sober
views of a majority Of the Representatives
over whom Mr.. Randall presides as
speaker, and for the despatch of whose
business committees are appointed. The
committee on appropriations is made up so
as to secure the utmost economy in the
administration Of the government and re-
trenchment in expenditures, Mr. Foster,
Of Ohio, who retains his old place on it,
being the only man inclined to increase
appropriations. The committee fon mill.
tary affairs is organized to secure the re.
duction of the army, and the complexion
OF the committee of Indian affairs insures
early action by the house on the removal
of the Indian bureau to the care Of the war
department. The leading names on a
number of committees are as follows:
The committee on elections retains its
present chairman, John T. Harris, of Vir-
GINA. Fernando Wood is at the head
Of ways and means, and Saylor, Of Ohio,
and Tucker, of Virginia, are on the same
committee, with Garfield. Kelly, and
Burchard of Illinois Atkins, of Tennes-
see,ls chairman of the committee on appro-
priations, Hewitt, of New York, being also
on this committee with Blount, of Georgia,
and Singleton of Mississippi Buokner, of
Missouri, is chairman Of banking and cur
rency, Chiuenden, of Brooklyn,leading the
republican members, and Fort. of Illinois,
following A. M. Waddell, Of North
Carolina, is chairman of post Offices and
post roads, and Williams. of Michigan,
chairman of Ethe District of Colum bia.
Scales, of North Carolina, retains his place
ut the head of Indian. affairs, and Banning
is at the head of military affairs %
foreign affairs the first two names are
Swann,o Maryland and Cox, of New York,
who have places on other committees,
Carter Harrison, of Chicago, is chairman
Of the committee on civil service reform,
with Hewitt the second on the list