The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-02-23
OUR REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS

The speech of Mr.. WELLBoRN, Of this
district, referred to by our Washington
correspondent, pronounced in the house OF
representatives Tuesday from which we
will publish extracts in day or so, seems
to have been a most satisfactory and most
logical elucidation of proposed methods
for the distribution OF congressional repre-
sentatives among the states. Mr.. SEAToN,
who succeeded GENERAL WALKER as super
iutendent OF the census bureau, had sub
mitted a plan for the apportionment of
members of congress among the sew
eral states, which, added to the
potency of the great states like New
York and Pennsylvania, and le,sened
in the same ratio the representative and
legislative power of Delaware, Rhode Is
land ana Florida, In substitution for this
scheme, Mr.. WELLBoRN would allot an add
tional representative to the state having the
largest fraction of the number Of people en-
titled to a representative, and an additional
representative to the state having the next
largest fraction, and so on until the total
number of representatives is made up. Mr..
WELLBoRN must have been graft.
fed, not only by the extraordinary
fact that the whole house listened
intently to his speech, and once
at least co-operated with the galleries in APP
plauding his utterlnces, but when he sat
down the shrewd clear-headed thinker,
Mr.. RANDALL, of Pennsylvania, rose in his
place, and stated that, though his state
would be profited by the SEAToY method of
apportionment, he must now prefer that
commended by the gentleman from Texas.
Mn. RANDALL presented a resolution 10
tins effect, to be considered hereafter.
When Mr.. WELLBoRN had drawn his
conclusions in reference to this question Of
apportionment, and fastened them, as con-
victions, upon the minds of his listeners,
he devoted five or ten minutes
of the time allotted him TO an arraignment
and criticism upon the conduct OF the house
for its concession of lawless, limitless
power to the speaker. The speaker is su-
preme in creating committees, and these
committees, and not the house, do the law
making of the land. The time was when a
member could Compel the consideration
aud rejection or adoption Of proposition
of law or tact by the house; but now the
introduction Of bill into the house signi
fies nothing. IL goes 20 some committee;
there it sleeps the s'eep Of death. and there
is no Gabriel 10 evoke it from the
tomb alike Of wisdom and patriotism
and Of folly and peculation. The speaker
by shaping the committees in accordance
with his own personal convictions, suffers
only such measures 10 be reported and
brought forward as he originally approved.
He fixes the fate Of every great measure
from its birth. He has placed the tariff be-
vond the rude hand Of vigorous reform.
Mn. WELLBOEs's invective at the close Of
hi most fortunate and admirable speech,
against this despOtic power exercised by the
speaker. will not be forgotten till the knife
has been applied 10 tins hideous ulcer upon
forms ana facts q federal legislation.
In truth no utterances d one
member 81 the house during
f, be session have been more elective. more
earnest. and more universally nfp.auded
than fbsse q The brilliant. youthful rsIre-
sentative ri tie Dallas district A. CoEE,
in the senate lat week male cnnisss-
eur. ns sEstTsn PrsH. of Alnt1-ia.
.raf.i. ths abiesi sret'eh pronounced
fr year. Dob nili buir. even 81
hss Mr Wuluols. of Teras- made tie
mos neaerfabie and successill speech 81
ti.s session in The h1nsti and Texas T. 20 -
became ofths fafle sbe Eins
through her representative men