Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-12-04
From the New York Herald.

from inc New lork ntIuiu.
The Exciting Contests for the speakership.
There have been several warm contests for the
organization Of the House. Perhaps the most
memorable was In 1889, when the Twenty-sixth
Congress the second under President Van Buren's
administration, met at Washington on the I'd OF
December. The House was evenly divided be-
tween the administration and tho opposition.
Every member Of the House was present but one,
and there was great deal of outside excitement.
Mr.. Garland, Of Virginia, Clerk of the cid House,
and Democrat called the roll, commencing ut
Maine, down to New Jersey. Here was delega-
ton certified to under the broad seal" of the
State, and consisting Of five Wings and one Dem
ocrat. The Wings were opposed by five Demo-
Gratis without certificates, who claimed the seats
The Clerk said that there was conflicting evil
dence ms to the New Jersey election, and asked if
IL was the pleasure of the House that their names
should be passed over, and the call Of the roll be
completed.
II was claimed that the Democratic members
had majority of the votes, but the Governor had
given certificates to the Wings. The vote was
very close.
long and acrimonious debate sprung up The
clerk was called upon to decide several questions
such as whether there was any House before the
oaths were taken, whether any one had right to
make a motion, and whether the broad seal Of
New Jersey was to cover the rest Of the Union
The Clerk refused to decide, but left it to the
House. He refused to 60 on with the roll, but
put the question to adjourn.
Things went on in this way till the 9th, when
Mr.. John Quincy Adams Of Massachusetts, rose
and addressed the members as fellow-citizens."
He would not recognise the Clerk or the House.
He proposed that Speaker pro tenn. should be APP
pointed.
Mr.. Rhett, of South Carolina, nominated Lewis
G. Williams, of North Carolina, the Oldest member,
as chairman pro tenn. There was great row, and
Mr. Williams declined the honor. Mr.. Rhett then
nominated John Quincy Adams. Mr.. Rhett put
the question--announced that it was carried, and
Mr.. Adams was chosen chairman until Speaker
should be elected. The debate was resumed next
day. and all sorts of resolutions and counter reso-
lutions were introduced. Nothing of Importance
was elected until the 10th, when one of the New
Jersey Wings acknowledged that the Democrats
had the majority of votes. On a test question the
Wings were beaten. 1t was ordered that the New
Jersey members should not vote, and eleven I'M
successful ballots were had for Speaker. On the
sixteenth, r. NJ. T. Hunter, of Virginia, was cho-
sen, receiving 1l9 votes to lib for all Others He
was an independent Southern State-rights man,
and his election disguised the Democrats and dis
appointed the Wings. Although elected by Mr..
Van Buren's friends, he was opposed to the adj
ministration, but in favor of the SubTreasury law.
He is In the Senate now, and is q candidate for
President in 1856.
The broad seal controversy came up afresh, and
was debated two or three days, when the test came
on resolution requesting the Speaker to swear in
the Wings. This resolution was lost, liz to ZIG,
and the Democrats took their seats. The broad
seal members were sent back to the next Congress-
fairly elected. The whole contest was very absurd
inasmuch as the "seal" was good for nothing. The
House Is the only authority to decide upon the
qualifications of its members, or the fact of their
ole Mr. vvaa tod lark
the House was finally organized three weeks after
the time Of meeting.
The next contest for Speaker was even more
-protracted. The memorable Thirty-first Congress
assembled at Washington on the Sd December,
l849. The summing up of the House was Demo
Gratis, liz Wings and Natives, 100; Free Sellers,
%; vacancy, !.
Democratic candidate; Mr.. Winthrop, of Massa-
chusetts, the administration (Taylor) nominee.
There were some six or eight Western Democrats
who would not vote for Cobb, and threw for Rich
ardson, of Illinois, and several others. Winthrop
also lost the votes of five Southern Wings, who
adhered TO Gentry, of Tennessee. The slavery
question caused all the difficulty-some of the
Western Democrats being too strongly tinged
with niggerism. to vote for Georgia STAKEHOLDER,
and some Of the Southern Wings thinking that
Taylor's cabinet was not quite what they had a
right TO expect from that glorious old soldier and
weak politician.
The baIotings continued till the 9Th, with no
choice, when Mr.. Stanton, Of Tennessee, attempt
ed to carry the plurality rule, and Mr.. Ashmun, of
Massachusetts,, proposed the ballot with it. OF
course Il failed.
In the 9th, Mr. McClernand, Of Illinois, nomina-
ted Mr.. Boyd, of Kentucky, as chairman. This
also failed, and the Clerk continued to announce
the votes aud put the questions.
On the 9Th the Democrats deserted Cobb, and
Holmes Of South Carolina got nearly all the straight
votes Of his party. Mr.. Winthrop rose from SO
votes to l02. 1t was then proposed TO make Mr..
Winthrop Speaker, by resolution, and Mr.. Cobb
Clerk, but that also failed. Mr.. Potter, of Ohio,
was taken up by the DEMOCRATS on the 9th ballot,
and bad rs votes On the 3sth ballot, Mr.. Win
throp, the administration candidate, was thrown
over by the Wings and Mr.. Brown, Democrat, Of
Indiana, received liz Democratic votes. Three
more would have elected him. This was the first
defeat Of Gen. Taylor's administration. The Wing
votes were divided among four or Ave candidates.
On the fTth-s0th ballot-the Democrats took
up Mr. Boyd, Of Kentucky who had only 81 votes.
Finally, on the $50 II became evident that some
thing must be done, and the House adopted the
plurality, and Mr.. Cobb, Of Georgia, was elected
Speaker on the cath ballot very much 70 the graft
fcatioa Of the conservative Union men all over the
country.
Naturalization and the Right OF Suffrage.
Among the questions which win be opened at
the approaching session Of Congress for perhaps
protracted discussion viii be that Of The Natural
inat;o, oannncfod 18th tha rioht If auffra