Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1838-03-17

MISSISSIPPI ELECTI0N--MR SPEAKEF
POLK'S CASTING VOTE.


On one Of the questions taken in'the House Of
Representatives on the Mississippi contested cleo
ton, VIZ the amendment declaring that MeSSrs
Prcntss and Word were not entitled 10 seats IN the
House As members Of the Twenty-hith Congress
the House was equally divided, there beng yeas
III nays III, when Il became the duty Of the SpCa
Ner 20 give the casting vote. lie voted with the
yeas, anl carried the amendment. Had the House
ncgn fdl. there would have heen no necessity for
the Speaker 10 vote, a. was proved shortly alter
wants. Mr.. SNYDER Of Illinois, who had been alb
sent. came nte the Housr from siek bed, shortly
after the Speakers casting vote had carried the
amendment; aud on the vote 10 agree "a the real
luton as amended, beng he deancai same question,
Mr. SaYIsr gave has vote. when the resolution, as
amended, was carried hy yeas Is, 10 nays ll6.--
Mt. Mercer one Of the nays beng ont of the House,
am rot voting,
Further, it "a well known that the friends Of Prem
tiss and Word had their iull strength present in the
House. whist several nfthosc opposed 10 their right
80 stats were absent. II is well knowa that the OPP
position DELAYED taking the question: t,r iuany DAYS
upli they could get MIR Sergeant from Philadelphia
who was absent attending the Pennsylvania Con-
yenion, and until Mr. Philips Of Massachusetts,
Whn was also absent, could return. These gentle
! meUarnved in Washington on Saturday, the 81 Of
| FEBRUARY, MI. Sergeant deeniny his vote 10 be Of
50 much Importance as 10 induce him 10 leave the
contention now sitting in Philadelphia, OF which he
is PRESIDENT, and coue to Washington. When the
vot, was taken, Mr. liamer aud Mr. kdgnFe Of
| Ohe-whose opinions arc well known TO be ~ IA
/ gorofthe right Of aessrs. Claiborne and Ghaisou
autaeaust the right Of Mcssrs pren,lss and Word
to eats IN the Housc--Here absent, both Of them
| la'lnr been called home II visit their sick families
! General Ripley Of louisiana too, was absent, Mr..
| T,Yi's Of Georgia was necessarily absent from the
| set oT Government, end though, II he bad been
present. he might have voivu ~ az az - Oetobsri
sdlar a. the right Of Claiborne and Gho13g was
Concerned, vet il is believed that he could not for n
nnmcnt have entertained he idea Of Iayoring the
chin OF Prenss and Word So that if Mr. lamcr
NJ. klgorc, Gen Ripley and Col, Towns, had
| bon present, their votes added 10 The us against
| prntss and Word, would have made the vote l22
against them to | Is for them; and It, possibly Col
TtNns had not voted with them, the vote would
haze been III against prcnti5s and Word i; and, in
eitlrr event, jority Of the numacF Of members
eeqad TO tie Twenty-fth Congress would have
votd against them.
BIT "a the aoual state Of the House, nj the mo-
| mcn the amendment was voted for, MT. Folks vote
| was not necessary 10 exclude Mr. PrentisS. The
Houp excluded him by a lie as eilrctualy as by a
bundled MAJORITY Il was necessary Ihat he should
have majority to decide the question IN hi3 favor,
! and tits he could not get although circumstances
gave hun the advantage Of every Federal vote that
would snsian his claim, and the absence OF two op-
posed 70 him in OHIO, ono in Georgia one IN Louis
sua, on, in Illinois to say nothing IT the stiled vote
Of mississippi herself itNr, Pom had also been de
med a vote there would have been eight Rcpubt
can votes lost and still MI. Premise would hay
been MINIS one yoie-~tht re excluding him Ant
who produced this tic 4 lie might say That the yot
OF Mr. Wbite OF Indiana, "a political ifend) pradu
ccd it, and that he bad THE GLORIOUS IsfkMY 9
deciding against him. He might Iave said the saal
! thing ID - N.4.ssAie Acre itioh@Fe@e''f q
South Carolina ut. Gfantllnd Of Georgia Gen
eral M'kay Of North Carolina These nln,cg,r
had eac- voted to reverse the first decision OF IT,
liouga, @Nd 10 Yacsiir the seats Of Claiborne MI,
'-uoi5on, but rot 70 I'LL them by vote ofthe House
by two men in a minority OF the votes poIIcd ~ tn
election al which they were candidates without com
pettoFs. Each of these gontcmCn voted to yacat
the seats, to enable The people Of Mississippi 70 Il
them, unenbarrassed by any obstruction oil satia
members put in by Congressional votes and yet, !
the scurriious language Of Mr. prentss, each .
| these Republican members TO whose votes alone h
il indebted for the opportunity IN fair election t
obtain place in the House, have " the gariou
mlamy Of deciding against the people Of mississippi,
because each ot their votes was necessary to nv
the people The power 10 decide the question betwee
ther contcstng Representatives,
The Speaker held thai the first decision was righ
that Prenjjss and Word, who had canyassed ale
the first election was declared valid for the ia
7 term, aud had come 10 claim the seats supported b
4 minority Of the votes gwen were not Representa-
tives; that ftac decision Of the House and iirf
election were made void, justice required that tn
whole matter which had been complicated BY tn
; condemned conduct of the Whig Covcrpor of Mlss.
, sippi, ratified by the Whig votes ~ the House .
The September session, oughtto be referred back
the people Of ssslssipp who alone could Techiy III
wrong Of the first election, and the freud OF the las
if Prentss and Word were made members by a
act of the House which withdrew thcir competitor
! from the canvass So thinking, how could the sre
! ker do otherwise than give his vote to refer Ii
question back 70 the people when il became his d.
! ty to vote? Does the insoent individual who u
suits the whole House in the person Of its presld!t
officer. suppose that tic Speaker has dshonors
vote because he votes only when there Is ne 2
I that be aan dcude the people with the idea th1
i because the majority was made up by the addIue
" | OF the Speakers name 10 that Of tho other menbe
\ voting with him ifom other States, the "gforl0
!, | IHGgag Of decl2bag' tie Question: attached 70 h
: vote alone and that "a single representative fro
another State erercised the poirer If denying On
sissippl's) rght To any representation; When y u
false Suggestion were true, the act was that 81 81
hundred aud seventeen members, as well as that
. the Speaker (thc Representative from Tennessee
a | ana ihe V0tt VI Nt optHh"T d~SothNiJ hhEhtVi
without the support ofevery one Of these III mel
! bers g The glorious nlany," then, imputed
~ Mr. Pgentiss, beion-s TO each man Of the mel0rli
and he takes with slim the glorious MANY
attempting 10 insult majority Of the House, wi
=, with Ike Speaker, INDUCED his vulgar coarsch'
= during its siinngs, with too much patience and le
u tv. TO the marked courtesy and orbearance WI
d which Mr. Prentiss was treated both by the Spe
p ker an the majority, they doubtless owo The vng
rudeness with which they are now assaiied BY h
ic The House is told that their decision IS "a 70
Y. high-hauded and tyranaical usurpatlon + that
10 looks 9Th scorn and dcrlstoa upon the juggh
It and hUocrtticat pretence Of sendlag back ne 81
ton for the purpose Of astertaintng The afsshes"
the people Of Mississippi and that they have has
: delrauded (the people Of mississippi Of thciF q
l.aranL.c utt.1r.l, Icon (nl.l dlI ehnl