New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-07-01
IT,. u,vxu Contest.

hin, over William Thompson, Jr. The Yea
and NAYS on Mr. Van Dykes motion Il
strike out the name of VIM. Thompson, Jr
and insert that of Daniel F. Miller as the
| Member duly elected were as follows:
YEAs-Mes.rs. Alexander Allen, Anderson. Aodrews
Bsisr Bennett Bohee Bowie Breck. Briggs, Burrows.
Butler, Csbell ?. Caldwell, Calvin, Campbell Casey
ell Deberry, Dictey, Dixon, Duncan, Dtrtee A Evans
Nsthsn Evans, Fowler, Ffeedev, GiSdiE9' Cot Gould
Henry, Hoimo Houston H,oe James l.. Johnson, Kerr,
Daniel King George King Jane. Q, eng !oha A.
Mc6sugbey,, MeKi.socs Flns T. Mclean, hsachsm,
! Moore. nor.bes,, Mellon. Newell Ogie GUS Vanaw'
Prmsn Putnam, Reed Reynolds Risley, Rockwell Ko.t
Runsey, ssckeu. scherck schermsrhorn, sthcocrsn
shepperd Sylvester spsuldpg sprogrs smnly Alex "a
TsdE UndertiI, van Dyke, Watkins White, and Winthrop
H1;s-Mes,r. Albert.On. Ashe. Avsrea Bay, Bsyly
Besle BlsselI Booth, Bowdon, Bowin, Boyd, Albert o.
csdwen, Carter oolcocs, W; + W; CObb, Dsuiel D m
mief Disney Dofy Durham, Edmundson. Ewing, Festh
er,ton Fitcb Gerry, Gilmore. Go,msn, Green Hamilton,
Tsoss H ssI hbsss Holiday Howars
Hubbard, Ingc Joseph w Jact'on, Andrew Johnson,
Robert w johnson. Julian La Sere, Lei " Little
field. Job Man, Mason, mcolsrnsnd, Mcdonald, acDow.
ell, McLanshnn BcmulleD, Mcqueen. Melville, Meade,
Phelps. Potter, Richardson, Robbins Robinson, Ross
Savage seddon, Richard II Stanton, Strong Sweetser,
Jacob Ttompscn James Tho~p.on wslasn Wsld9
Woodward, Young-91.
The result being-Yeas 95, Nays "a,
The SPEAKER r0ted in the negative, making
tie so the question was decided in the nega,ire
Wings absent o, Not Yoting-Messs Aston Of Ala Ash
OLA Duer ofNY Gentry Of Tenn Goodeno y Of Ne Hill
Hard Of Ala Hunter OF Ohio, VIM T. Jackson ofN Y Levin
Y Rose ofN Y Tbsd stevens OF Pa Vinon OF Ohio G. d
Williams Of Tenn. Wilson ofN. H.-Total FL.
Loco FOoOs Absentor Not yOting- Mess" Bingham OF
H.chet Of Ga. Hal DINO Hsrai.on Of Ga Hsrman.on
OIL Kaufman Of Texas McLsDe Of Md. Parker OF Va.
se,soD ofMe Thomas Of Tenn vensble OF N C. WELDON
Of Ga-Totsl IL.
mr. VIM Thompson, jr. of Iowa did not vote, bis
seat being In question; seat from Massschuse!sl
cant1
Thus a Wing Member elect, as fairly
elected as any man on that floor, who has
been kept out of the House and subjected
to enormous expense, while LocO-Foco not
chosen but returned by the theft of a poll
book, which, after being concealed in his
hands and those of his lawyers for more
than year, was at last discovered on one
of them by accident, is thrown out when
his case is at last reached, and in defiance
of all justice and decency, sent home I'M
seated to try bis luck in new contest in
District whereof the voters are at least one
third changed since the regular election
when he was fairly chosen.
Why is he thus thrust out? Because
t,centy-one Wings elected ike himself and
in honor and duty bound to be there, 'cere
not in their seats to rOtc for him when the
trying hour came, while only eighteen Lo-
co.Focos were thus absent. That and that
only has deprived Mr.. Miller of his seat and
his pay, and sent him back to the chances
and changes OF new election. Readerl do
you blame us for calling attention so fire.
quently to the gigantic evil of Congressional
absenteeism?
True, it was morally wrong for Speaker
Cobb to vote in such case and under such
circumstances. lie had had the selection
Of the Committee Of Elections he had had
the advantage of Mr.. Thompson's vote to
make him Speaker, when, if Mr.. Miller had
been in the seat of right his, no Cobb could
have been chosen. Thompson had had the
advantage of partisan Committee, which,
after haring decided tie seceral questions IN
dispute between the contestants so as to elect
Mr. Miller, turned about and reversed one Of
its otcn deliberate decisions in'order TO report
in .faror Of Mr. Thompson! That's to say
it was found that, having voted on the
Kanesville and other disputed points sepa-
rately, the general result of their decisions
had established Mr.. Miller's right to the
seat so the majority went back, rerersed
one of their earlier decisions, and so justi-
fed their predetermined resolution that Mr..
Thompson should have the seat! But we
Wings had no right to expect decency from
Speaker Cobb or his Committee. lie had a
legal right to vote-they had legal power
to resolve that twice two are five if needful
to subserye their purpose.
Neither had we much reason to expect
that Messrs. Booth Of Conn. and Julian of |
Ind. who represent decided Wing districts
by the aid of Wing votes, should vote as
Justice dictated, nor that Messrs. DOtN |
Wentworth and IVilmOt, who at times affect
and devotion to Free Soil,
should vote without prejudice in contest
between Wing Free SOiler and an anti
Prcviso Cass-man. Precious little was any
intelligent Wing ever dupei by them. Mr..
Booths hopes Of future distinction constrain
him to give such votes as this; so do Mr..
Julian's; so Of the rest. ne had no claims
upon them.
The Massachusetts, vacancy is an isolated
misfortune. Had that seat been filed no
matfer whether hv Mr. Palfrev or NV NJ