The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-12-14
THE REPUBLIC.


the part of Hamlet omitted. This was pretty much
the case with the proposition of his colleague MIR.
| CARTER.) The play of Speaker, with the part of
Speaker omitted. ILaugbter.l If the House should
elect fit to be Speaker, he is not fit to APP
point the committees If this resolution should
prevail, the same old confusion would arise. The
| old demon would have his horns up, if the House
should select the Committees on the District of Co
lumbia and the Territories. If il intended for
Free-Soil Democrats, il will not operate. They
| won't face the music. He would not vote for any
body who was not competent to appoint these com
mittees. Ii looked suspicious the other side to
see them vote for man who was not competent to
do so. The speech of the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr MEADE) was like the one he sent to him in
print, and which had soporihc effect and cacu-
lated to save the Union. lfthere Is to be dissolu
ton of the Union let it come before the House is
| organized, or, his colleague said, while the
| House is in a disorganzed attitude. If il take
| place now, it would not be binding. II the Union
| should be dissolved after bill shall have been
passed to abolish slavery in the District of Column
bia, there would be no help for it. Then would
| come the time when we would have to fight for the
wife and the little ones, over our household gods
and all the other household furniture Laughter. /
| If any northern wished to stultify himself by
refusing to meet the question, and thereby insult
ing the whole North, let him prepare for martyr
| dom The fagots piled, and the fire ready !;
and if he has many children John Rogers let
him put on them their Sunday clothes, to their
father for the last time. [Iaughter.l If the Demo
| cratic party be in the majority why do they not
| unite their forces They came very near it yes
| terday. They kept on gaining far as they went;
why didn't they continued daughter. Mr.. EooT
| ridiculed the proceedings of yesterday. He said
| that he was not sufficiently acquainted with Mr..
| BRowN to express compassion for him. The battle
was almost won The gentlemans eyes glared
| fiercer and fierce. II that was not brought
to condition to De trusted with the slavery ques
| ton, who could he? [Ha ha u He said that he
| was Union mar and when the time came to dis
solve it, he would ask himself the question, on the
part OF his own State and the whole northwest ter
riory, as they furnished the water of the Missis-
fppa1 no" did happen that ran down that river
Mr.. DUER said that they had voted eight or nine
days. No party was in the majority, and it was
| certain that Speaker could be elected only by an
| arrangement between the two parties. The propo-
siton with This view failed yesterday, it failed to-
| day; members were forced, therefore, to abandon
the attempt o organize, or resort to the only mode
| by which the Speaker could be elected. The gen
! tleman from Mississippi, (Mr. BRowN,) called ON
! the Wings to make unconditional surrender.
As for himself he would vote for any body but dis
unlonist to occupy that chair. voice: "There is
| no such person in the Housc."] He thought So
| IA member: ''Where is he?''l
| Mr.. DUER pointed towards Mr.. MEADE, who was
standing in crowd of gentlemen in the main aisle
| Mr.. MEADE understood to say: eff you
charge me with being disunionist the assertion is
| false.''
| Mr., DUER instantly retorted: "You are liar"
Immediately Mr.. MEADE made an attempt to
! reach Mr.. DUER, but he was restrained by the in
| terposition of gentlemen. Mr.. MEADE gestculated
| as If he desired Mr. DUER to go out with him. The
Sergeant lat arms, with the mace, ION the top of
which is globe surmounted by silver eagle) ran
down In the turbulent concourse. boy crying
out in the galleries for moment excited fear that
| the sound proceeded from of the two members;
but there was no personal collision The spectators
| on the floor and above looked on with intense anx-
lety, and there was not a member in his seat All
| was confusion. Motions made to adjourn; and
| in few minutes comparative quiet was produced.
| MIR. DUER beggad pardon of the House for what
ha ha. II,
| would only appeal to every gentleman in the
| House, and ask whether, in consequence of the
| charge made against him. he could do otherwise
| than MAKE the answer he did. He had said that he
| believed the gentleman to be disunionist. He
had read he words in his speech, that, if certain
| state of things continued, which the gentleman
said existed, he loathed and detested the name of
| Union. There nothing personal in his (Mr.
DUER's) remarks He had risen for the single pur-
pose of not creating, but allaying excitement.
| The CLERK remarked that he had been called on
| to have persons who were not members to be put
| out if they did not walk out. There several
citizens and strangers within the bar, and they
| tired.
| Mr. DUER, in conclusion, said that if the House
should adjourn for day, members of the two par
| ties might be able to comic TO an understanding.
| Mr.. McLANE rose to move to lay all the propo-
| sitions the table; but, before doing So wished
briefly to suggest that the House should proceed in
the attempt To effect an organization, by the cleo
| ton OF a Speaker to-day. He was astonished that
diyidually dignhed in their intercourse, should
| come 10 such unpleasant terms have Just
| seen And again. that we without reference to
the merits OF the CONTROVERSY should become par
ties thereto, by proonging this state of affairs
He more difficulty-and in fact there was
| none-than existed on Monday week, when we first
met in this hall He was opposed TO any arrange
| ments being made between Wing and Democratic,
| or the Frce-Soil parties No such arrangements
could produce result such thing was out of the
question. All knew when met here on Monday
week, that neither the Wing nor Democratic eau.
| Gus nominees could be elected. We knew then
| as we know now, that neither the Wing party nor
| the Democratic party had majority upon this
floor; but he believed, satisfied that there was
| a decided majority on this floor opposed to the
present administration. 1t the duty of the
| House, instead of adjourning daily at three
| o'clock, and then discussing, over our dnncrs
or at our hotels the expected events Of To- morrow,
| remain here till a much later hour, and do all in
our power to arrive at an election. Let the House
vote In this way untrammelled by caucus bonds,
and an election would take place lie thought that
| If the gentleman from Georgia, (Mr. CoBBO had
never been the nominee OF caucus, he could have
been elected Speaker; and he could now be elected,
| If we went into an election, where every was
left free tovote as he thought fit. At the last Con-
| gress, the Speaker was not chosen by majority
composed Of the political friends of that gentleman
| hc was elected by the votes of two gentlemen who
did not acknowledge fcay TO either of the two par
ties. The nominee then Of the Wing party could
| not command majority. The Democratic party
could now elect a Speaker No friend Of the Adj
ministration could be chosen, and hence il the
policy OF the Democratic party 20 continue in their
exertions TO organize the House Nobargain should
| be made. AT the last session, the Speaker chosen
in the way mentioned was a party Speaker, there
was a partisan government Of the House, and in the
composition Of the committees, that partisan rule
was most evident. Every principal committee
composed OF six Opposition, and three Democratic
| members, and that, too when there a Demo
! cratic administration. The Military Committee,
| which had the whole subject Of the under its
control, was composed Of six Wings and three ad-
ministration members. Whatever man you choose
Tor Speaker, must necessarily carry out the views
of his party, in the organization Of the committees,
and II makes no difference by whom he be elected
It's important for us that there be antadmnis-
| traton Speaker; and bis advice was, continue TO
vote, and such could be chosen. He
was willing to vote Tor such man, come he
from Whatsoever section of the country, He had
no regrets for the votes he had given. He had
voted for the gentleman from Georgia with the
greatest pleasure, and would vote for him again.
he had voted for an accomplished gentleman from
Ohio, (hir. PoTrEH,) and he had voted for the gen
| temaD India \ On mt