New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-06
REPRESENTATIVE DRIFTS PROTEST.
THE spTAKEas COMMITTEE MPoNrMENTs NOT
SATISFACTORY.
Try TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUNE.

SATISFACTORY.
rBY TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON. Jan. j.-Ihe discomfort OF some
,,o,,,r, If the House Of Representatives with the
committee appointments appear 10 nave hlcre'S'U
r,tb.r tb,u diminished during the holiday recess
in qhc ch it was hoped they would become recon
c;cd 4, soon as the Journal had been read this
y, ming. representative Ortiz of Indiana, claimed
tbe floor ON question of privilege. As he mani
tested some svmptoms of unusual although sub
dncd excitement he immediately arrested the
otto,tion of the members, and stimulated Their
interest by his opening sentences, III when nc
rave notice of an intention to present
hereafter and advocate a proposition that the stand
ing committees Of the House shall be app0Inleu ny
That BODY itself instead of by the Speaker. Mr.
Ortbs voice could not be heard in remote parts OF
1ho hall. and he came forward TO the area imnedi-
st,lv facing the Speaker. Thnn, in response to
cries of louder he took his place at the clerk
disk and in voice not quite a. firm as usual, ana
in which il was not difficult to detect traces OF IN
dgnant emotion, proceeded to read his remarks
which had been carefully prepared.
Hc said that it is well known that the people Of
the country are deeply interested in the formation
of the committees upon which almost wholly the
lci.lation Of Congress depends and that to ignore
or slight Representative in making up the com
,nitecs is 10 disregard the interests and dignity
his constituents Judge Orth then said that he mad
served twelve years a. q member of the House, and
had lust entered upon his seventh term,
and that he had been a member ana
chairman of several important committees,
iuclndng that Foreign Affairs. In
view of these facts he declared that Speaker ketcr
had done him and his constituents an injustice by
giving him only the second place on the Committees
ON Foreign Affairs and on Rules and the chairman
shin on the Select Committee on Reform In the Civil
Service. tie therefore entered hls public protest
arainSt this unjust treatment well aware th1t ther.
was no remedy for II under the present system OF
oue-lnan power which rules the House.
Judge Orth also asked 10 be excused Tor obylouS
reasons. from serving a a"mb, OF the comm. Tee
on Rules, OF which committee TIE Speaker Is ch3ir-
Sneaker who remarked that, while he did not
desire 10 comment on the statements maze DN Mr.
Orth he did not wish It to be undeTstoon taJh ne re-
W{ii, a Good many members Of the House thiol,
thrt they hoye been badly treated, and IN private
freely cliic,a some of the committee appointments
thcv do not generally think that Mi.
Ortl's public protest WIS either eNpcdient
or wise. Some Of them declare that for party Tea-
sons the Republicans must make the best Of what
they may consider nntoru1atc appolntments ny
thr Speaker and Loyalty support him I'm ms admins
tration Of his Office; but they privately say that
this is not duty which they can perIorm very
There IS no doubt, much personal feeling at the
bottom of the criticisms upon the committee s"ltr-
tons, but beside this there is another reason.
good many of the Republican meubcrs feel
and do not hesitate to say in private
conversation that they fear the Speaker has so
stI.uted some of the committees as to place in
jeopardy the interests OF the Republican party of
the House
At In, own request, Abram s Hewitt was excused
from service "a a member Of the Committee on Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds. In the ALlFth Congress
Mr.. Hewitt was assigned to this com
mittcc by Speaker Kerr, and was
excused thcrcfrom at his own request
manufacturer of iron beams and girdcrs, materials
largely used in the construction OF public buildings
and that as a member of the committee mentioned
hc would whenever he should advocate or vote for
the erection OF building, he using hlS inilu-
ence as "A legislator TO further his own business
interests.