The New York herald., 1877-10-30
sneaker Rand.lrs Com mittees.

majority, and upon him thereupon falls the
task OF selecting the committees who are to
| prepare business for the House. AT all
times the committees to whom the business
coming before legislative body is thus re-
ferred are ofgreat importance because upon
| their report often depends the favor OF the
whole body and the fortune Of a measure !;
but under the evil practice which has grown
up in the national House of Representatives
| it may easily happen that he who selects
| the committees controls the whole legisla-
ton of the House. The practice we speak
| OF is not only to refer measures to the proper
committees. but to allow each committee to
! control and monopolize the debate In open
| House on its reports, and thus to practi-
cally exclude in the majority of cases from
| the discussion all other members, no
matter how well fitted they are by
study or information to shed light on
the custom of the House. If any one
will look into tho Congressional reports
OF u quarter Of century ago he will dis
cover that the committees then played
minor part in the work OF legislation;
measures were prepared and reported by
them; but when they came thus before the
| House they were, if of sufficient interest
and Importance, referred to the committee
Of the whole House and there became the
subject Of general debate, in which any
members who chose took part, and which
| was not cut short after few hours as has
been the practice since, by moving the
previous question" In those days fewer
laws were enacted and much more time was
spent in debate than has been the case i'll
more recent years. But a Legislative body
is never so usefully employed as when
it is discussing measures; great and able
debate, which must necessarily be of con-
! siderable duration, informs the country,
| attracts its attention and enables it to exer-
else reflex influence on Congress which is
always wholesome. The 'previous ques-
tion," us it has long been used in the House,
| is only gag law, useful mainly to advance
jobs and legislation which would not bear
discussion.
Parties are SO nearly balanced in the
present House that there is likely to be an
examined Mr. Randall's committees with
some curiosity, not only to see in what di-
rection they seem to favor legislation, but
also, if possible, to see if he has framed them
with any desire that they shall encourage
rather than cut off debate on their reports
II seems to us that while the important
committees have a sufficiently positive
character to show what the Speaker means
by them and what are his ideas Of the re-
quirements of the country, he has still,
wisely, as we think, SO framed many Of
them, at least, that if the ADLER members of
both parties desire it they can easily bring
back into the House the old and good GUS
tom Of thorough discussion in committee of
the whole.
The Committee Of Ways and Means is
considered the most important in the House.
In making Mr.. Fernando Wood its chair
man the Speaker has in the first place
given this important position to New
Yorker. 1t is, SO far as we remember,
the first time q representative of the
commercial metropolis has held this
position and yet this committee rcgu-
lates the foreign commerce of the country.
Mr. Randall has chosen well. Mr.. Wood
has served long and ably in Congress he
understands the needs of our commerce ;
| he is industrious and faithful and though
in his long political career he has made some
strong enmities we are certain that his sclec-
tion will approve itself to both parties in
the House and to all who know his ability
and who have watched his Congressional
! career The committee has several new
members we are glad to see Mr.. Randall
Gibsons name for one It is easy to see
that the preponderance of sentiment in tho
committee strongly favors revision Of tho
tariff and simpli6cation of duties in fact
it favors, as it ought, revival of our for
eign commerce. Most of the members, re-
publicans as well as democrats, on it are
favor Of the much needed revision and sim
plifcation of the duties
The Banking and Currency Committee
has less decided look. Mr.. Randall ap-
pears to us to have given all currency opin-
ions pretty fair representation, with the
hope, perhaps, that this question shall in
the end be settled, not by the report OF the
committee, but by thorough discussion in
the House. If we nre correct in this view
he has dono we'll. Mr. Buckner, the new
chairman. is, we believe, a man of Western
views, but in moderation he fayors, unless
we mistake him, legal tenders as against
national bank notes but he is not IN tx-
| ,,t nj d. NJ
of Ohio, MS the representative OF the cx-
treme inhationists. has of right place on
the committee. On the other hand, we
notice n sufficient number Of hard money
men. chief among thom, perhaps, Mr.. Chit
tendcn. We suspect there will be some
lively discussions in this committee.
The Appropriations Committee is, it seems