The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-10-10
REMARKS OF MR.. ROBT. HATTON, OF
:. NNII CON-


Oct 4th, the following preamble and resolution, of
fered by Mr.. HATToN, and adopted in lieu of res
olution offered the day before by Mr.. DoRTcH, were
OIL motion of Mr. CAvIrr, laid on the table:
"WuEREAs, The interest of the State requires
the speedy organization of this House, and prompt
discharge of the duties devolved upon repre-
sentatives of the people; and whereas, three days
have been spent in useless efforts to elect Speak
err of this House, and forty-five Intellectual ballot:
have rendered it wholly improbable that said officer
can be chosen in accordance with the practice here
tofore prevailing, of requiring majority of al
the votes cast to elect therefore, for the purpose Of
enabling this House to make said election,
BE At Resolved, That the House will Immediately
proceed to the election of Speaker VivG coee; and
if after the roll shall have been called three times,
no member shall have received majority OF the
whole number of votes the roll shall again be
called, and the member who shall then receive the
largest number of votes, provided it be majority
of quorum shall be declared to be elected Speak
err"
Mr.. WILSON, of Carroll, moved to reconsider the
vote laying the preamble and resolution on the ia
BILE, and the Clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HArroN, when his name was called, obtained
leave to explain his vote, which he did in substance
as follows:
! Mr.. Hatton said that he dsliked to consume the
time of the House, but 10y permission of the chair,
he would submit briefly his reasons for the vote he
intended to give, upon the motion then pending.
He was anxious, if possible to prevent the defeat
of the Resolution which he had offered in lieu of
the one offered by the gentleman from Fsyette,
Mr. Dortch.) He had introduced it for the purpose
of putting end to unpleasant and Improbable
contest on that floor Three days had been, already,
spent in fruitess efforts to make an election; and
without the adoption of the Resolution, there was
but lttle if any, prospect of better success in the
subsequent ballotings. The treasury of the State
was being taxed-the time of the individual men,
bers of the House, who were absent from their
families and business at home, and who were desi-
rous that the present session of the Legislature
should be short, was being spent, in what was but
little better than themeTest childspay. FOrty-five
ballotngs lad been had-the last and every interme
date one, with, perhaps two exceptions were iden
teal with the first He inquired of gentlemen, what
was the necessity for this state of things? Was
not the individual for whom plurality Of the votes
had been cast, qualified for the position? No man
upon that floor, had any doubt of it. Upon that
gentleman he had no euogium TO pronounce. He
needed none. He had, however, remark to make,
connected with the manner in which his name
had been presented the candidate of that side Of
the chamber for the Spealership. That gentleman,
he supposed, no one who knew him, would imagine
had desired, much less sought, the position. On
the contrary, he had desired, and so repeatedly ex
pressed himself that some other person Of his par
ty should be presented as the candidate. The po-
sition though one of Importance, SO far below,
in point of dignity, other stations to which that
gentleman had been called, that it could hardly re-
feet any additional honor upon HIM. Once Cover
nor of Tennessee successful and highly esteemed
Minister at one of the most important courts of Eu
distinguished not merely in party politics, but
at the bar-an ornament TO the social circle add by all
who knew him. respected for his integrity and hon
orable bearing, why should he seek the position of
Speaker? He has not. These remarks have been
made for the reason, that some may have imagined,
because Gov. Brown had not voted for the gentle
man from Sumner, that he was anxious himself to
be Speaker. He was prompted by the incest sense
of delicacy, in not voting for Gen. DOnelSon. Had
he thus voted Gen d. would have been expected
to reciprocate the courtesy, and this would have
made Governor Brown Speaker at once The
claims of his party upon his vote, on the one hand
would have been brought in conflict with an Obga-
ton to reciprocate a courtesy on the other. Gov
B. had determined to place him in no such situa'
ton. He hoped gentlemen on the other side of
the chamber would appreciate the motives control |
ling Gov. b. This vindication of his course had |
not been solicited by Gov B. 1t was, however,
none the less proper thatit should be made.
He thought the resolution should be adopted. It's |
Justice. majority of those votingfo the two cand
dates put in nomination desired the election of Gov.
Brown. Should the adoption Of the resolution
result in his being selected for that position, |
who could complain? Could it be expected that
the thirty-sx members voting for Gov. b., should |
surrender their choice ?-permit the thirty-fve vOt-
ing for Gen. Donelson, to control the election, and
determine who should be Speaker? Should the ma
ority be expected to make a concession to the mi
41,o, tharr 10
concession to the majority? No principle was in
volved. 1t was merely as to who should be the
Speaker ofhe House, decide questions of order and
preside over their deliberations-that they differed
No dshonor then could attach to the minority in
making such a concession, and thereby rendering an
organization of the House practicable.
He would refer gentlemen on the other side Of the
House, to Of several instances, to be found in
he history of the Legislature of Tennessee in which
hose having it in their power to prevent an election
" presiding officer as the minority in that House
we're then doing had determined to act quite different
y At the last session of the Legislature there
welve Wings and thirteen Democrats in the Senate.
Jpon the first ballot the Wings voted for one of
heir party, Mr.. Carriger-the Democrats voting for
dr. Polk. There no election. 1t was in the
,ower of the twelve Wings by continuing to vote
S they did on the first ballot to prevent election,
nd obstruct the organization Of the Senate. They
hose TO act differently On the second ballot eight
f the Wings voted for Mr.. Polk; there by confer
ing on him an honor which be said, in his address,
pon taking the chair, greatly enhanced in
alue by the singular unanimity with which it had
een given"
But it had been objected, that it was not ldrtid
0 elect the Speaker by plurality vote as contem-
lated by his resolution. He could not see why.
Where was the difficulty? It would not be pre-
ended that there anything in our federal const
ution, or the statutes passed by our National Lee
isature, having even a remote reference to the
question. The Constitution of Tennessee contained
mt one clause in regard to elections made by our
ieneral Assembly. That clause provided, that such
lections should be ViUa Voce and that the names Of
hose voting shonld be entered on the journal. 1t
ontains nothing as to whether majority should be
equired to elect, or whether plurality should be
efficient The trainers of the Constitution intend
merely 10 direct the manner IN seteA the Uotcs
hOuld Be giVen-by ballot, uiUd voce, and not TO
determine uhdt number should be necessary TO make
n election. There was then difficulty In the way OF
he resolution, in State Constitution. Was there
my in the statutes of the State T.? Every lawyer
pom that floor, he presumed, knew that no statute
lad been enacted on the subject. BY resolution