The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-12-08

1
There have been several warn contests
for the organization Of the House. Perhaps
the most memorablewa in 1889, when The
Twenty-si3th ConRfess-the second under
President Van Buren's Administration -
met Il Washington on the 81 Of December.
The House was evenly divided between the
Administration and the opposition. Every
member Of the House was present but one,
and there was q great dealof outside excite
ment. Mr.. Garland Of Virginia, Clerk, Of
the old House. and a Democrat called the
roll, commencing al Maine, down TO New
Jersey. There was q delegation certified to
under the "broad seal" Of the State, and
consisting Of. five Wings and one Democrat.
The Wings were opposed by iye Democrats
without certificates, who claimed the seats.
The Clerk said that there was eonhictingl
evidence as to the New Jersey election, and
asked if II was the pleasure of the House
that their names should be passed over and
the call Of The foil be completed.
II was claimed that the Democratic mem
bers had majority Of the votes, but the 90.
vernon had given certificates to the wings:
The vote was very close. 7
A 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 hand right to make 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 90 on with the roll, but put
the question to adjourn. l.
Things went on in this way until the 9TH,
when Mr.. John Quincy Adams, of Massa.
citusetts, rose and addressed the members as
mfellow citizens" He would not recognize
the Clerk or the House. He proposed that
a Speaker pro tenn, should be appointed.
Mr.. Rhett, of South Carolina, nominated
Lewis C. 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 ques.
} tion--announced that it was carried, and
. Mr.. Adams was chosen Chairman until a
Speaker should be elected. The debate
was resumed next day, and all sorts OF res
olutions and counter-reiolutions were intro.
!, duced. Nothing OF Importance was ELECTED
until the 10th, when one Of the New Jersey
: Wings acknowledged that the Democra's
had the majority Of votes. On test ques
@ ton the Wings were beaten. 1t was order
|. ed that the New Jersey members shoult
}, not vote, and eleven unsuccessful bailet'
9 were had for Speaker. On the sixteenth
o. r. NJ. T. Hunter, of Virginia, was chosen
7 receiving 1l9 vdteB to ll9 for oil others.--
He was an independent Southern State
: rights man, and his election disgusted th'
e Democrats and disappointed the Whigs.--:
u Although elected BY Mr.. Van Buren's friend
IS he was opposed to the Administrations Blu
Is in favor OF the Sub Treasury law. He
s- in the Senate now, and is candidate TO
J. President in 1856.
q The broad.seal controversy came up o
: fresh, and was debated two or three days
when the test came on q resolution request
= ing the Speaker to swear in. the Wings. Thi
10 resolution was lost, ll2 to ll6, and tn,
Democrats took their seats. The broad.sea
s. members were sent back to the next Con
a gress, fairly elected. The whole coptes
rt was very absurd, inasmuch as the "seal'
j. WAS good for nothing. The House is tht
5hly authority to decide upon the qualifica
!, tons of its members, or the fact Of their e
A. lection. Mr.. Garland was reelected Clerk
% and the House was finally organized tbre
u weeks after the time of meeting.
10 The next contest for Speaker was eve
more protracted. The memorial Thirty-frs
Congress assembled at Washington on tn
of ID of December, l549. The summing U
" of the House was--Democrats. liz; Wing
y and Natives, l05; Freesoilers, l9j vacancy
- /.
;. Mr.. Howell Cobb, OF Georgia, was III
!: regular Democratic candidate; Mr.. WinthroE
:" Of Massachusetts, the Administration (Tay
lor) tominee. There were some six or eigh
le Western Democrats who would not vote 70
n Cobb; and threw for Richardson, Of Illinoi,
o. and several others: Winthrop also lost tn
n to Gentry; of Tennessee. The slavery ques
: lion catised all the difficulty. some of tn,
- Western Dendcfats being too strongly ting
= cd with niggefieit to vote for Georgi
'e STAKEHOLDER, and some OF the Souther
r Wings thinking that TaylOr's Cabinet wa
1t not quite what they had right to expec
y from that glorious Old soldier and weak pol
n tician.
The ballotings cohtinded till the 9th, wit
no choice, when Mr.. Stanton Of Tennessee
attempted to carry the plurality rule, On
Mr.. Ashmun, of Massachusetts, proposed tn
Y ballot with it. OF course it failed.
lr On the 9th, Mr.. McClernand, of Illin6is
e nominated Mr.. Boyd, of Kentuckey, a
4 Chairman. This also failed, and the Clerl
continued to announce the votes and put tn.
questions. ..s..
y On the 9Th the Democrats deserted Cobb
u and Holmes, Of South Carolina, got Iearly
i all the straight votes of his party. Mr.
T. Winthrop rose from So votes to lO2. 1t wa
Y then proposed to make Mr.. Winthrop Spea
Is ker by resolution, and Mr.. Cobb Clerk, bu
e that also failed. Mr.. Potter, of Ohio, wa
taketi tip by the Democrats on the 9th bal
! lot, and had 76 votes. On the 38th ballot
Mr.. Winthrop, the Administration candidate
was thrown over by tho Wings, ard Mr..
Brown, Democrat, Of Indiana, Received lii
:. Democratic votes. Three more would hav,
r elected him. This was the first defeat o
9 General Taylo's Administration. The Whil
n votes were divided among four or five candi
: dates.
4 On the l7th-SUtb ballot-the democrat
I took up Mr. Boyd, Of Kentucky, who had on
!, ly 81 votes. Finally. on tie 22d, it became
evident that something must be done, an,
;, the Horse adopted the plurality, and Mr.
u Cobb, Of Georgia, was elected Speaker ol
0 the s4th ballot, very much to the grati6ca
Q ton oftbe conservative Union men all owe
It the co6utrv.
!. PEThtfAeTfoE "A correspondent Of tn
= Rushville ([a } Republican mentions the fol
!. lowing case Of petrifaction of human body
9 "A case of the kind was witnessed BY th
4 writer in this county few years ago Tn,