The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-12-27

The House, Immediately resumlng the bust
ness of voting, proceeded to a sixty-seventh
vote. with the following result:
Mr.. Banks, of Massachusetts l04
Mr. Richardson, of Illinois 70
Mr.. Fuller, of Pennsylvania "a
Scattering 10
Whole number of votes given III
Necessary to a choice III
No candidate having received a majority OF
the whole number of votes given, there was con-
seouently no election.
Mr. Smith. of Alabama, did not now rise for
the purpose of making a speech, but merely to
submit proposition of his own humble concep-
tion-a proposition, not to organize the House,
but TO promote by degrees It's business. His
nlan was, that the House should proceed to the
selection of two standing committees-the Com
mittee of Ways and Means, and the Committee
on Foreign Afairs-to be composed OF gentle
men belonging to the various parties of the
Vonse These committees were each composed
of nine members, and he proposed that the Re
publican party, indicated by its one hundred and
i've votes. should nominate four OF the mem
hers of each of these two committees; that the
Democratic party, with its seventy-four Repre-
sentatives, should nominate three OF the mem
hers of each committee and that the corporal
,,nard oe the South, aided by those men Of the
North who had stood by them, should have the
humble privilege of nominating the two mem
beers that would then remain to be appointed.
Tbese committees having thus been constituted,
he proposed that they should select their own
chairman by majority vote, and that these two
cbsirmen should alternately preside over the
ordinary business Of the House until Speaker
should be elected He further proposed that
,be House should then be sworn in by the chair
man Of the Committee of Ways and Means, and
proceed TO the election of a Clerk, Sergeant-at-
arms. Doorkeeper and last, though not least,
a Chaplain, by whose prayers perhaps some oil
might be thrown upon the troubled waters.
Laughter.
Mr. Jones. of Tennessee, said, that the lazy
If Congress required that Speaker should be
elec5ed. aud that some one member should ad-
minister the oath to him required by the Con-
s.itution. and that then the Speaker should ad-
minister the oath 70 the members of the House.
He would ask the gentleman if the House had
any authority whatever to authorize, by Fesoiu-
zion. any individual to administer the oath to
nembers2
Mr.. MeNullen replied at some length to the
remarks heretofore made by Mr.. Giddings and
Mr. Whitney, and expressed his concurrence
in the remark of the gentleman from Alabama
Mr.. Smith, that thAis "ss- not the time fol
Nr,ZoIicof,f, ofTenrs, (K. N, said he was
Southern mani, but had come here prepared
a ct the national and patriotic men of tn
f1rth upon a middle gsound-ppon Q basi
d, would secure to men in the South and me
n Ne North those rights which our fathers G
h. sevolution determined should be protecte
l7 Ahe Constitution. But what had occurre
The national organ of the hdpinistra
l Democratic party, few days after tn
L.. Al III cd Nj
g RlzrGson. had declared that that party ha
~ ted themselves upon their platform, an
~ look to no compromise with the nationa
ss- Of the Union. And what was that pa
II, II? it attributed to gentlemen occupying
IA position disposition to deprive porto
e American people of their civil aud rel
III, liberties Gentlemen who professed t
e,r with him for the maintenance of tn
rn the Constitution, the rights of the pee
No birth and South, had undertaken to sits
Matte MIN as occupying that position. An
vbs 3se had occurred? 4 few days since,
geu,leu Pm, Mr.. Walker, with whom he ha
the homo to act, looking to the present state c
AFse.. a Id to the fact that in ali prosabiEt
the W.. b aiority OF members here who wer
wiling b stand together Qpoa oo9servativ
pnucipleA had suggested that it was time &c
\ NATIONAL hen to have a conference. But wha
III was he response? Why, the author Of til
IL Democratic platform, Mr.. Jones, of Pennsy
ysnia and the leader of the Administratio
party. repealed, spurned the suggestions, an
declared that the Democratic party would col
fer with no men unless they should stand upo
the Democratic platform; and the same asse
ton had been made by one of his colleague,
Sir. smith, IN view Of these facts, was it nc
manifest that, as man who had respect for hi
personal honor, he could not walk up to tn
condition of standing upon that platform Will
stgmatzed him unjustly-he would not sa
:alsey, as it was not his habit to use such Ian
.aage-as being willing to deprive portion o
r, +i..erican people of their political and reli
,io.s lberties1
There was now, therefore, two platforms pre-
>ented for the consideration of gentlemen-th
administration Democratic platform, taking
party position upon one of the most exciting
Questions before the American people at thi
ume, when the tendency was to sectional organ
N4lons such as threatened the stability of tn
Ion, and t.at of the republican party, pledg
ing themselves to vote for no man who woul
MOI secnonalize the committees of the House
with the latter party he could not possibly vote
Whl'e. It he were disposed to act with the form
eT' Tie language and action of those who SUP
lou We're such as to preclude him from S
dong.
ar Wright, of Tennessee, administration
80 Ct The opinion that his colleague who ha
jlsi addressed the House, and those who wet
%elns with him, having denied that they wer
ueslrous OF restricting civil and religious libert,
re making the principle Of a change in tn
na'uranLauon laws paramount to every othe
issue before the country.
WI. "oLlcofer replied that had he, disregard
ING the resolution adopted by the Democrat
PH,y' voted for Mr.. Richardson, it would in a
nooaolLty have resulted in the election of NJ
Banks. "
Mr. Wright said that he had come here, not 8
-9oatnlrn o. Northern man, but vita the d
tfmlnat.on to cooperate with all who were
''or Of maintaining the Constitution and Ii
l2rantied rights of the States. He was n,
NE OF those who believed that this Union wou
w dissolved, but at the same time would war
r7-'emen that there was a point beyond whic
T-4arance ceased to be a virtue. He believe
- The ;orthern people would not sustain the
'rRfeSentatlves in any extreme course, but won
Tally 10 the support of the Union, and sustai
~e resolution adopted by the Democratic ca
Gus.
Mr. Smith, of Alabama, then submitted Il
position he had this morning suggested
y House, modified, as he stated, to suit t
'gSs OF some of the members of the House.
M Cox, of kentucky, know Nothing,)
=. think the adoption of the resolution won
'-e'e tie House from the responsibility viii
sto upon them, for it was their duty to u
Try effort to effect an organization by the ele
S1 SS Of Speaker. His position on the questi
slavery and that of the Democratic par
I'd IDENTICAL. He believed that that par
- tAAea national position, and the only o
-tu YES safe and I,ra cti "a hla for the harr1O