The North-Carolina standard., 1849-12-19
SENATE.


THURSDAY, December Is.
The Senate assembled, but there being business
of importance to transact, that body adjourned
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
After the journal of the previous day had been read
Mr.. A. G. Brown offered Resolution providing that
Mr.. Cobb, of Georgia, shall be the Speaker of the
Thirty-First Congress. MIR. Brown advocated his
Resolution at some length. He said every one ad-
mitted Mr. Cobbs high qualifications for the office
and that on the broad principles of republican pro-
prety, the Democrats, having the majority were en-
titled to the Speaker.
True, Mr.. Brown continued. we have been unable
to unite our forces but it is also true that you have
failed to unite yours If some of the free-sol demo-
Gratis of the North have refused vote for our cand-
date, some free-soil wings and five southern wings
have refused to vote for yours.
A VOICE. How do you make majority on your
side: by counting the free-soilers!
Mr.. Brown. Not necessarily. If we divide the
reesoil votes according to their party predictions,
we have majority of fve If you exclude them
entirely, counting them on neither side, we have
still larger democratic majority; and having the
Joty, we are, upon all proper principles. entitled
to the Speaker. We cannot command all our votes !;
you cannot command all of yours; and the result is
that no election be made. What, then, do pro-
pose, (said Mr.. b. That the two great parties Goa
esce for the purpose of procuring that sort of order
in the transaction of public business which is so de-
sirabe, and which we have sought in vain for nine
days. Did he ask anything unreasonable? He
thought not. He did not ask the wings not to elect
whig Speaker; that they had no power to do-they
had tried in vain. He asked them to abandon vain
effort do what they all admitted they never could
accomplish, and to join him and his party friends in
doing the next best thing that could be done-the
election of gentleman splendidly qualified in all
respects to preside the deliberations of the House,
and, far as he had the power, to guide correctly
and safely the destiny of the nation. Imay be asked
why we do not join the wings in the election of their
candidate for Speaker. In all contests, (said Mr.
By when it becomes necessary for of the con-
testants to.give way, the weak yields necessarily
and he thought properly, to the strong. We are the
strong party numerically. If every seat was occu1
pied and every member voted his sentiments on the
old whig and democratic issues, we have majority
certainly of one. 1t is your misfortune have four
members absent This gives us an advantage by
five. Now, who shall yeld-you or we? l appeal
(sad Mr.. b. to the sooer judgment of discreet men,
of pure hearts and sound heads the other side to
put an end to this struggle by accepting Speaker,
than whom they could not get better in the House
or out of it.
Other Resolutions were offered. with view to or
ganze the House, but action was taken upon them
uh prolonged and thrilling debate sprang up on the
Union of the States. Mr.. Meade said the foundation
OF this difficulty was the Slavery question. He said
he was willing to unite the conservatism of both
sides of the House, in opposition to the propositions
abolish Slavery in the Dstrctand restrict it in the