Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-11-28
STAUNTON SPECTATOR.
-.1s,TAUNTON:@
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER as, 1855.
nIs.tinC OF Congress.

CONGRESS will assemble on Monday nex', and
commence its operations by an effort to organize
the House, which, from ell accounts, will be at
landed with much difficulty, no one party having
j majori,y of the whole vote. The two gentle
men most prominently spoken of for the Speaker
ship, are Mr.. Haven. of New York, the former
law partner of Mr. Fillmore, known 10 be an en-
inenily national aud conservative man; and MIR.
Etheridge, Of Tennessee, American, upon whom
it is supposed the opposition to the Administration
will unite, il they cannot agree upon Mr. Haven.
Il is said that portion of the Northern members
vii! refuse to support Haven, on account of the
nationality of his views, but would support Ethe-
ridge because of his Anti Nebraska position. The
Administration being in hopeless minority, can
scarcely hope to succeed even in the event OF dis
cord and disagreement among the opposition
Appearances indicate protracted contest, but we
trust that they may be deceptive, and that some
sound national man may be selected for the Speak
ership without excitement or difficulty. For the
Clerkship of the House, Mr.. CullOm, Of Tennes-
see, and Mr.. Boteler, of Virginia, are spoken of.
Of the forthcoming Message of the President,
correspondent of the New York Herald says,
al. will be tull of sound and fury signiying
s.:enm proslivity for re election" We can
scarcely credit this rumor. Tina. Mr.. Pierce
should entertain the slightest notion Of reelection
strikes us as supremely funny.
The settlement of the Kansas difficulty, growing
out of The contest for the seat claimed by Whit
field and contested by Reeder, will occupy the at
ten,on of Congress at the opening of the session,
and will doubtless give rise 10 much excitement.
The facts in regard to this matter are simply
these The Legislature appointed day for the
election of Representative, which election was
held aud Whitfield was chosen. From this elsc-
ton the Free Sellers absented themselves, no'
recognising tho acts of Legislature that they
considered an illegal body as binding. Without
4 shadow of legal authority they afterwards open
ed the polls and elected Reeder to represent them
in Congress. Both now claim the seat, and Con-
gress will decide which is entitled TO it. il 10
nronosed that both Do rejected, and that the whole
matter be referred back to the people is Is
thought that tho Democrats and the Fillmore
wing of the American party, will favor this mode
of settling the matter correspondent OF the
Courier and Enquirer" says that it will be de-
cidcd in caucus bsfore the organization OF the
House, and that solne compromise Of the matter
will enter largely into tie contest for the Speak
ership.
10 the Senate the Clayton Bul@er treaty VIII
be under consideration. A correspondent o. Inc
Commercial Advertiser" considers it certain
that tho Senate will object to its abrogation and
thinks that the question is narrowed down to small
points which may be settled without difficulty
upon renewed negotiation.
After all, however, the great business of Con-
gress during the coming session will probably be
president Making" All sorts of wire pulling,
and scheming will occupy the time of those who
ough, to be more proitably engaged in the service
of the country, and the public treasure will be
squandered by tens of thousands, while the repre-
sen,atives Of the people are making long wnded
speeches for "buncombs," and engaged in every
imaginable species of political trickery.
The next Congress, will be composed Of an
unusually large number of new members. Or
the 234 members of the House of Representa-
ti7e,, only 81 were in the last Congress.