Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-12-27
MORNING, DECEMBER 27, 1856
A Spicy Debate.

A Spicy Debate.
The telegraph gives but a faint idea {
what actually transpres in Congress. Th
reports are SO limited and superficial that w
are frequently compelled to guess as to wha
actually took place. On Saturday of las
week, for instance, debate extending +
some three columns of the WASHINGTON mn
pers took place in the House on resolutio,
offered by Mr.. Hickmsn to the effect that af
ter certain number of ballots should hay,
been taken, the lowest candidate should b.
successfully dropped till the contest shoule
be narrowed down to two, when, of course.
cholce would necessarily be effected. A pro
ceeding so unusual and extraordinary-coa.
Peff'ng members, as it would, to choose be
tweenm men whom they might consider equal
ly objectionable, WAS, as a matter of eourse
opposed by the minority of the Know Moth
ings aud Fusionists and by tho Democrats
In this debate, two of our Indiana Repre-.
sentatives-Messrs English and Dunn-par.
tieiPated. No report of Mr. Eugish's re-
asfn heeR : transmitted BY the tele.
graph we herewith sdbjoin tiems V-s--zs
Mr.. English. Mr.. Clerk, desire to soy 9
few words in reference to this question.
hope no extraordinary expodient will be re-
sorted to for the purpose of electing presi-
ding officer of this House, and shall be much
surprised if any such proposition shall NEE
with favor from the democratic sidei Sir, Il
is not the fault of this side that many days
of valuable time, and thousands OF the peo.
pies money, have been squandered in a fruit
less effort to elect presiding officer. No, sir
the responsibility is with the majority upon
this fioor-wth those men who have filled
the land with clamor about Americans ru.
ling America; and who are now manifestine
to the country their peculiar fitness to admin.
lister the affairs of this great government
since, with an overwhelming majority, and
twelve days trial, they have been unable to
elect even a Speaker of the House of Rep
reseEtatlyes
A Voice. Have the opposition major
ity?
Mr.. English. Yes, sir; the opposition
claim to have a majority Of fifty or sixty
votes. 1t is conceded that they have. Re-
verse the existing condition of affairs, and
give the democrats majority-yes, major
ity of but one-and we shall have presi-
ding officer elected upon the first calling of
the roll And why? Because the demo-
well-defincd principles, which are as broad
the republic, and as dear to the true men
of one section of the Union as the other
again repeat, let us have no extraordinary
expedients. We have had too many in
stances, since the organization in this country
of a certain modern party, of extraordinary
expedients being rcsorted to in order to carry
elections-some Of them, regret to say, as
disgraceful as extraordinary. Let us have
none of it here. Let us abide by tho usages
of this and other Legislative bodies. Let us
stand by our principles aud the nominees of
the democratic caucus.
For myself, | have no concessions to make
no propositions to offer or entertain. /
shall continue to stand where | have always
stood, upon the old-fashioned democratic
platform-thc platform of tho constitution
and the Union The opposition may come
to this platform, but shall not 60 to theirs.
nor shall meet them on any middle ground;
and even it the twelve apostles differed with
me in this instance, snould hesitate about
compromising with them unless thoy sub
scribed fully to the democratic diced. Laugh
ter.
Col. Humphrey MARSHALL, of Ky, followed
Mr.. English, in vindieation OF the course
which his section Of the Know Nothing par
ty had pursued in relation TO tho election.
Col. NJ. was succeeded by Mr.. Dunn, Of In
diana, in opposition to the proposition to
drop the lowest candidate on each successive
ballot He said, in answer to MIR. English,
that though they might now be wasting
thousands of the peoples money, II was
quite possible that, were IN organization
speedily effected, the noodgates would be
opened TO robbers and the country plundered
of millions Ii this il to be the result of or
ganizing the Fusion Know Nothing House,
we pray you. Mr.. Dunn, to pursue your
present course and stave off an organization
as long as possible.
Mr.. Wheeler succeeded Mr.. Dunn, and
went into long explanation of his position
as an anti Nebraska Democrat and In justiii-
cation Of his course i'm refusing To vote foI
Mr.. Banks Upon the whole this was quite
a spicy little debate, and il ominous OF what
is to come when the members will have the
privilege of addressing "Mr. Speaker in
stead of ''Mr. Clerk"