The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-11
COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE..
SPEAKER REED ADHEREs TO PRE-
CEDENT-sOMETIMEs

Speakership, Reed WOuId Have
Been the PresideRt-The Possible
Arrangement of the Committees
whenever They Shall BE Appoint
ed.
Washington. July 1O.-The refusal Of
the House of Representatives to express
the opinion that the speaker ought TO APP
point his committees as soon as possible
has apparently settled the agitation on the
subject There is no longer any doubt
that the speaker will withhold the appoint
ments until the tariff bill is at last sent
to the President. The plea made by Gen.
Henderson that the speaker required time
to become acquainted with the members
and ascertain their adaptabnity for the
various committees is ingenious but hard
| ly ingenious. The action of the speaker
is probably foreshadowed by his action in
the Fifty-first and Fifty-fourth con-
crosses. 1t is customary to Sc
lect chairman Of a commit
tee, when a change Of administra-
ton has been made, the leading member
Of the minority Of the committee in the
preceding congress Mr.. Reed, with very
few exceptions, followed this precedent in
the Fifty-first and Fifty-fourth con-
crosses.
In the Fifty-fourth he made Jonathan
H. Rowell OF Illinois chairman of the COM
mlttee on elections. Mr.. Rowell had dem
onstrated his merits as a leader OF the mi
nority in the Fiftieth congress. The speak
er followed precedent in his appointment
/ rFf OH s.f4
and means. The leader of the minority on
that committee in the preceding congress
was William d. Kelley of Pennsylvania.
! The speaker selected as the chairman in
the Fifty-first congress Mai. William Nc
Kinley. Jr.. of Ohio. Judge Kelley was
said to have been very indignant because
| he had been set aside. He had served
| thirty years in the House, and as father
| Of the House." had administered the oath
| to the new speaker when he took the chair.
| The selection, however. was made an
strict consonance with precedence. Maj.
Mckinley had been the leading contestant
| in the struggle for the nomination for
| speaker. Etiquette seemed to require that
the new speaker should place the major
| at the head of the ways and means. At
| all events in full fairness he had a right
to choose between the major and the
| judge.
| Ut was fortune for the major that the
| selection fell upon him. 1t made him
President OF the United States eventual
| ly. On the other hand, ii seems to be I'M
! fortunat for Mr.. Reed that he was
| elected speaker. If Maj Mckinley had
| secured the nomination Thomas B. Reed
would probably be seated in the white
house to-day.
| Illinois chairman of the great committee
on appropriations to succeed Samuel j.
! Randall. Cannon was the leader of the
| minority on that committee in the pre-
| ceding congress. Ezra B. Taylor of Ohio
was made chairman of the judiciary COM
mittee, strictly following precedent II
| precedent had also been followed, Nelson
Dingley, Jr.. of Maine, would have been
| chairman of the committee on banking
| and currency. For some reason George
| w. +. Dorsey, a banker, of Fremont, Neb.
| was chairman of that committee. Dorsey
| had not even been a member of that COM
/ mittee in the preceding congress. Mr.
! Dingley was placed fourth on the COM
mittee of ways and means, and was not
made chairman of the committee on mer-
| chant marine and fisheries, although the
head of the minority there in the preced-
| ing congress. He had not previously
served on the ways and means. The
Ohio chairman of the committee of bank
ing and currency. He was the only repub-
| lican member of that committee who was
reelected. Following the same precedent
he made Lewis K. Payson of Illinois chair
| man OF the committee of public lands
| The chairman of the committee on COM
MERGE was Charles s. Baker of New York
| He had never before served on this COM
mlttee. If precedent had been followed
| Charles O'Neill of Pennsylvania would
have been chairman of the committee.
! O'Neill however, requested the speaker
to give him the craftsmanship of the COM
mittee on library, as the duties of the
chairman of the committee on commerce
were too arduous for him.
In making the appointment on rivers and
harbors precedent was again followed.
Thomas j. Henderson of Illinois being
made chairman. The new chairman of
/ the committee on merchant marine and
fisheries was Maj. John NJ. Farquhar of
| New York. He had previously served on
the committee, but he was not the rank
ing member after Mr.. Dingley. Edward
II. Funstan of Kansas became chairman
Of the committee on agriculture. He was
| the ranking member In the previous con-
gress. Robert r. Hit of Illinois was the
new chairman Of the committee on foreign
! affairs. The ranking member In the pre-
ceding congress was John II. Ketcham of
| New York, valiant union general, with
] twenty years service IN the House. Ten.
Byron NJ. Cutcheon of Michigan became
chairman OF the committee on military af-
fairs. He was entitled to il under prece-
dent. The chairman Of the committee on
naval affairs was Charles A. Boutelle Of
Maine. The ranking member was Alfred
c. Harmer OF Pennsylvania, who had
served seventeen years on this committee.
The appointment OF Mr.. Boutelle gave
rise TO much newspaper comment. II was
said that Mr. Harmer had been sighted
because he had been an ardent supporter
OF Maj. Mckinley In the republican eau
Gus as n candidate for speaker. Although
| ono Of the Oldest republican members Of
the House. Mr.. Harmer was placed third
! on the committee on Indian affairs and
second on the committee on expenditures
in the interior department, the latter OF
/ which never met. He had not previously
served on either OF these committees. He
Is to-day one OF the intimate friends OF
/ President Mckinley
Gen. Harry Bingham Of Pennsylvania
| was made chairman OF the committee on
postofices and post roads. as he had been
| the ranking minority member In the pre-
ceding congress The same precedent was
/ Faf lf. "