Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-12-15
Proceedings of To-Day.

In the House, to-day, after the reading of
the journal Of yesterday
Mr.. Hickman offered resolution providing
that if the House did not elect Speaker on
the next ballot, all but the two highest candi-
dates should be dropped, and that he of those
two who received the highest vote on the next
succeeding ballot, should be declared the
Speaker.
Aspirited debate on this resolution instantly
arose
Mr.. Hickman tits author) defended it on the
ground of the necessity for organizing the
House as speedily as possible
Mr.. McMullin opposed it earnestly.
| that it prescribed the only national party,
and put the organization of the House GER
tainly in sectional hands.
MIR. Letcher offered a substitute; the SUBJ
stance Of which is, that all the members should
resign and return to their constituents, being
evidently unable to transact the public bust
ness in the present condition of their minds.
Mr.. Giddings proposed, instead, that If the
friends of Mr. Leteher's proposition would only
retire from the hall for five minutes, the rest
would soon organize the body.
Mr.. English addressed the House with great
elrncstness, opposing Mr.. Hickman's PROPOSE
ton, and proeaiming his intention Of stand
ing by the policy on which the Democracy of
the House had acted throughout the contest.
He referred to the fact that the American
party of the House had shown their unitness
to govern America" by the manner in which
they had bungled In the work of organizing
the body. He was quite severe on the short
cominSs of tho American party, as demon
strated by their way Of conducting affairs here
s. far.
Mr.. Dunn declared that though il was we'll
known to his constituents that he differed
widely from the American party on some points
he was for helping them to organize the House
lie thought, however, that Americans should
rule America; and if they could not lie lid not
know who could.
DIR. Wheeler next took the floor, and de-
Tended his course in this election at lsngth;
urging that he was no man 9 and no party !
slave, and that when he voted against the Ne
braska bill, he did not bond himself to sec
tional party. He defcd all those who were
eSsaying to shake lash over his head, and
proclaimed his intention of being governed in
this election only by what he believed hon
estly to be his duty to his country and his con-
stituents.
Mr.. Smith. Of Tenn, commented on the
speech of Mr.. Campbell, of Ohio, made some
days since, wherein that gentleman had de-
clared that he had Withdrawn his name from
the list of candidates for Speaker because he
could not longer continue in that position with
any hope of success, without compromising
mis- honor or falsifying his Congressional rec
ord. He was sure that no proposition had
gone from the Democratic party, or any mem
Der Of it, to that gentleman, inducing him to
make this declaration. He wanted him to
say from which of the parties or factions of
tHe House such propositions had come to him.
H. was content with the state Of things ex-
ting, If the responsible majority were; and
would steadily vote as he had done, in this
election, until March 4, 1857, if necessary
Mr.. Campbell, of Ohio, addressed the House
in a few remarks, in which he expressed his
disapproval of the existing state Of things,
and urged the obligation resting on the House
to the country, to organize speedily. Under
present circumstances he did not feel 1t inc UNI
bent on him TO submit to a cross-ire of ques-
tons as to his own course, &c.
Mr.. Rcade urged the necessity for an immc-
date organization; and, as a compromise, pro-
posed that the South would let the North
choose Speaker from among the Southern
members; or that the North would consent to
elect any Northern man whom the South
might select for the position. [Great laughter
over the hall
Mr.. r. then moved to adjourn; not agreed
to.
The resolution of Mr. Hickman, and Mr..
next laid on the table
The House proceeded to a sixtieth ballet
for Speaker with the following result:
Whole number Of votes cast 225; necessary
to "a choice ll3.
Mr.. Richardson "a, Banks IO5, Fuller, of
Pa, 40, Scattering 6.
No choice having been effected, they pro-
ceeded to sixty-frst ballot, on which they
were engaged as we went to press.