The Portland daily press., 1882-08-15
Congressman Reed.


The Washington correspondent of the Lew
the Representative of the First Maine Dis
trict:
Looking over the House of Representatives
at the close of the first session of the 47th Con-
gress about the most prominent hgure TO the
EXPERIENCED eye is that OF Mr.. Reed 10 be
sure, the figure does not move about SO much
as some Others nor is it so noisy; but it is no.
ticeable that when it moves large portion OF
the House moves in the same direction, and
when it speaks others are silent and listen.
Mr. Reeds work for the session has been
such that it is hard to give correct idea OF it.
1t has been largely in committee and in coun-
sell where work makes no show. He is chair
man of the Judiciary committee and a member
of the committee on Rules the membership OF
which is limited to five. Mr.. Reed is the man
who was selected to do the most important
work of this committee for the session. He
drew up, reported and advocated the rule by
which filibustering against majority on cleo
tion cases is cut off. OF the great and exciting
day when that rule was adopted, and of the
important part which Mr.. Reed took in the do
bate wrote you full description at the time.
At Iorty-three, Mr.. Reed is young man to
be chairman of the Judiciary committee. All
but three of its fifteen members are his seniors,
and the three are his juniors by but year.
Around the committee table sit in consuta-
tion such well-known lawyers as Robinson, OF
Massachusetts, Judge Taylor, of Ohio, Willis,
of Michigan, Norcross, of Massachusetts, Ham,
mond, of Georgia, Proctor Knott, late chair
man of the committee, and Converse, of Ohio.
To be able to preside with dignity over such a
committee and to command the respect of such
men as these, great legal ability is absolutely
necessary, for the Judiciary is as much court
as committee.
was talking the other evening with men,
Der of the judiciary committee, and the con-
versation drifted to Mr.. Reed. "Mr. Reed"
said the gentleman, ''iS conservative, and tries
to preserve the conservative reputation OF the
committee. Such man is necessary as chair
man. for We have some members from the
South and West who are apt to get pleased
with new point, and to follow it altogether
too far He does not like to take things re-
ported on by subcommittee for granted, but
looks them up himself as far as possible. When
some matter comes up which has been before
the committee before, but which seems to have
but one side, and to be plainly entitled to fa-
vorable report, he looks into it most carefully,
and tries to find the reason for which 1t has
been kept back by former committees Such
matters are the ones which need the most care
full watching"
1 suppose it is largely due to this care on the
part OF the chairman that no measure adgocat-
ed by the judiciary committee has been de-
feate6 during the session, and nothing upon
which it has made an untaVoraple report mas
succeeded. This, too, while the other commit
tees of the house have been getting 'Dlack
eyes, to an extent unprecedented
When the Geneva Award bill, which Mr..
Reed introduced, was discussed in the Judiciary
committee, the general opinion was that 1t
could not be got through the house, but MI.
Reed made the report and supported it, and 1t
went through by vote of two to one-a result
to which his personal influence must have con-
tributed largely.
The subject of the forfeiture of lands grant,
ed to the Pacific Railroads. occupied the atten-
tion of the Judiciary committee for weeks, be-
ing considered purely in legal aspect. The
committee arrived at the conclusion that the
Grant to the Northern Pacific was clearly non-
forfeitable, but that the grants to nine other
roads must beforfeited. Mr.. Reed made the
renort. The resolution declaring the Northern
Pacific lands forfeited was laid on the table, on
his motion, while the matter of the grants to
the other roads went to the calendar, to come
up in their regular order
Were it not for the nnisrepresentauohs OF
Democratic papers, the country would know
that Reed and not Robson is the real leader
of the I'll, use. The latter is the WHIP whose
duty it is to enforce the decisions OF the caucus;
the former has the weIghtiesJ voice as to what
those decisions shall be. Mr.. Reed is the man
of all others upon whom Speaker Kefer most
leans when he sees difficulties ahead. Had the
former been elected from Ohio, he would no
doubt be Speaker.