Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-06-18
DAVID FULTON, Enron.
VOL. 3.---NO. 40.

III HIS HIShL cap, pare, 1dngulQ ana nervous.
who demanded order, and brought the house
to state of sober complacency. Although
Mr.. Speght entertained a political detestation
Tor Mr.. Adams, he personally esteemed him,
and on all private occasions treated him with
all the respect he SO readily commanded
AS dispenser of parliamentary law, Mr..
Adams was not a whit more accommodating
or courteous than Mr.. Speight. In theyear
1910, when the house was unable to organize
because Of its inability to elect speaker IN
consequence of the appearance IN Ms hall OF
two sets Of representatives from the state OF
New Jersey, and the refusal OF Mr.. Hugh II.
Garland, the clerk, to call the roll beyond the
state of New York. Mr.. Adams was made
temporary speaker, " ct arms, and placed IN
the chair by actual force. he soon made those
who had elected him repentant OF their acts.
He was speaker, by the courtesy of the mob,
and, as such, was like old Lear,
- "every inch king"
He would not be seated because, as he said
the chair did not belong to him, and he held
his place by involuntary usurpation. For
three long and tedious days did he act as
speaker, standing in front of the speakers
chair.
One day Mr.. Richard Barnwell Rhett, of s.
Carolina, at whose instance Mr. Adams had
been made acting speaker, and who supposed
he had consequent influence with him, rose
and sent to the chair a resolution. Mr. Ad-
ans received it, read it, and very quietly laid
it on the table. Something interviewed, and
the body, for it could not, whilst it was speak
erIess, be called house, was proceeding on
ward, when Mr.. Rhet lose and said,
Mr.. speaker, | --''
"Mr. chairman,'' said Mr.. Adams, inter-
rupting him, Z" If you please, sir, am no
speaker"
"Well, Mr.. chairman resumed Mr. Rhett,
81 sent a resolution to the chair, and | viii
inquire if it was received %
Yes, sir, I did receive it,
"And will the chair be pleased to submit it
to the house,
emo, sir, the chair will not''
"Will the chair be pleased to cause it to be
| read for the information of the house p
No, sir, the chair will do no such thing .
And may be allowed to inquire the rea-
son why
"Bccause the resolution is unconstitutional.
And we are taught, sir, by high authority, that
we must not do an unconstitutional thing,
! though cannon of the enemy be pointed at
the gates of the capitol .
Caroiinian, amid the CONFUSING laughter of
the whole assemb2age.
But 10 return to Mr.. Speight. He was a
candidate in caucus for the speakership in
1884, when Mr. Polk distanced him, and was
elected by large majority OF the house. He
was d!spleased with the result, and thought he
had been unfairly treated in caucus. After
the house was organized, he was placed on
two very important committees, and much
pains was taken to cOncilate his wounded
sensibiitics. On all occasions, when there
was hard job TO carry through the committee
of the whole house on the state Of the Union,
he was placed in the chair. One day, one Of
these ugly affairs came up in the order OF but
siness, and MIR. Speight was of course in his
usual place as chairman.
A long, tedious and profitless political de-
bate ensued, which bored and teased every
body to death. Night came on, and there was
no prospect of lis being terminated. Numer-
GUS attempts were made to get the committee
to rise, but all in vain At length the scene
became languid and monotonous: some found
relief in the library, others found it in the res
taurants of the capitol, whilst others nodded
and slept at their desks. The chairman nod
ded with the rest and was only notified of
his position by the cessation of the croaking
voice of Mr.. Ninton, of Ohio, who had con-
cluded ion-win1ed speech for his constituents
and that interesting Individual, Major General
Bunkum.
Immediately, the chairman was aroused by
the common low tone and nasal tWang of Mr..
Amos Lane, Of Indiana.
g Mr.. Checrman! - exclaimed Mr.. Lane.
Mr. Speight rubbed his eyes, and nodded
recognition.
(Dir. Lane was a lawyer of the old school,
ana whose Randolph nose, pimplcd face and
oniony eve reminded one of the days of the
old English bar, when law, liquor and loqua-
city Were SYNONYMOUS, opened his green bag.
pulled out his notes, and rubbing his specks
with a silk bandanna, was preparing himself
for regular set-to-an old fashioned political
action. He had adjusted his hair, placed a
tumbler Of water before him, placed his hand
in his bosom, cleared out his pipes, and had
half articdlated,
MIR. Cheerman, rise with dihilence -
when he was thunderstruck, coEfounded,
blasted, by the voice of
Mr. Speight, which, in clear and round
notes, announced,
The gentleman from Virginia., (A1r. Mer-
cer)
did I, understand the cleermon," ejacu-
lated Mr. Lane, & to announce the gentleman
from Virginia, on my left!"
Yes, sir, you certainly did"
"And had | not the floor before that gentle
man rose -
You certainly had"
"Anl may then inquire, why it is taken
from me and given to the gentleman from Vlr-
ginia -
Yes, sir; and the chair viii explain. Aiftc1
the gentleman from Indiana had addressed the
chairman, he saw that the gentleman from
! Virginia was pregnant with a speech, and, IN
the language of the dramatist of the times OF
Charles the Second, was struggling with the
big thought The chairman was Of opinion
that that gentleman would suffer some, if he
were not permitted to deliver himself He
we'll knew that the gentleman from Indiana
wanted the floor; he also knew that the speech
he had to deliver would not spoil by keeping
therefore, he gave the floor to the gentleman
from Virginia!'
"The gentleman from Virginia will pro-
coed -
Mr.. Lame But sir, appeal
Mr.. Speght-'' The gentleman from Vlr-
glnla has the floor Order
Mr.. Lane, equally amused with the rest OF
the house, joined in the laughter that ensued
! quietly packed his green bag again, deposited
his spectacles in their case. and said no more.
In the month of June. 1886, a bill 10 admit
Arkansas and Michigan to the Union, was