The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-02-07
THE WEEKS PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE.
CLOSE OF THE STRUGGLE.

CLOSE OF THE STRUGGLE.
Last Saturday evening, the telegraph an
nounced to the country the election of n. P.
BANKS, the Republican candidate for the Speak
ership of the House. Before comment on this
event, destined to be historical, we must review
briefly the important proceedings Of the House
for several days preceding.
MOVEMENT TO RULE OFF MIR BANKS
Tuesday, 29th, Mr.. Whitney, TX. N.Y. of New
York, introduced proposition to report a res
olution for the election of -, Speaker.of the
House-the blank to be filled by any name
that might be moved, with the condition that
any candidate once voted for, without receiving
a majority of all the votes should not be named
again, without the consent of majority Of the
members, and not so long as any member might
desire to fill the blank with name not before
voted upon.
The first effect OF the proposition, if adopted,
would have been to exclude Mr.. Banks 1t was
laid upon the table-yeas 1873, nays 40. The
forty nine voting nay were chiefly the Fuller
men, with the .tollo,oing supporters Of Mr..
Banks-BIsHoP, of N. j.; CAMPBELL, HAeRI
SON, and MOORE, of Ohio; DUNN and SCoTT,
of Ia; EDIE, TODD, and Tyson, of Pa.
PLURALITY RULE.
Wednesday, Mr.. Cingman offered the plurality
rule. A motion to lay on the table failed by a
tie vote--Mr. Campbell, of Ohio voting nay, so
as to make it a tie, for the purpose Of giving
to its friends direct vote upon it. He also
voted to order the main question. The ques-
ton being on the passage of the resolution, it
was lost-yeas 100, nays 10. Barclay, Cling
man, Hickman, and Kelly, (Ad.,) voted yea
others of the opposition voted nay, for the pur-
pose of seeing whether something more could
not be tried before the adoption of the new rule.
ATTEMPTS AT COALITION BETWEEN THE AID
MINISTRATION PARTY AND SOUTH AMERI-
CANS
Thursday, Mr.. Hickman, of Pennsylvania,
again offered the plurality rule. A motion to
lay upon the table failed-yeas 10Y, nays
lO8-Campbell, of Ohio, voting yea; Barclay
and Hickman of Pa, Clingman of N. c., Her
bert of Cal, and Kelly of N. Y, (Administra-
tion,) voting nay.
Now began the overtures for a coalition be-
tween the Administration men and the Know
Nothings-the more remarkable, as both par
ties had but two or three days before been bit
terly denouncing each other, and declaring per-
petual adhesion to their respective positions.
Mr.. Trippe, tx. N.Y. of Georgia, moved as a
substitute for the plurality
"Resolred, That the Hon. William Smith, of
er 81 tHs House d Of tie T6r
ty-fourth Congress-"
Upon this he demanded the previous ques-
ton. Strenuous efforts were made by Admins
tration men to induce him to withdraw the de-
mand, but he was memorable.
The greatest confusion prevailed, and for a
time there seemed to impend over the House a
sceae of violence. AT last order was restored
By vote of 1872 to "a, the House refused to
lay the subject on the table, and all motions to
adj ourn were rejected. Mr.. Smith begged the
House to ad journ, to give him time to prepare
speech, but his petition was declined. The
administration men were brought to the test,
and the question taken on Mr.. Trippe's amend
ment, which was lost-yeas 100, nays Ito. Our
record presents the yeas and nays. Barclay,
Hickman, Kelly, and Wells, were the only Ad-
ministration men voting nag; Haven and Will
liams were the only Fuller men in the negative.
Mr.. Smith has been, and still processes to be,
we believe, all Administration man but during
the canvass in Virginia, he refused to support
Henry A. Wise, was denounced by his Party,
was complimented by Know Nothings, and
made speeches boldly advocating their dogmas
in regard to foreigners. Holding such senti-
ments, and not standing upon the Administra-
ton caucus platform, he was proposed by a
member of the Know Nothing Party, sustained
by it with two or three exceptions at the North,
and sustained by the whole Administration
Party, in disregard Of their caucus nominee
excepting Barclay, Hickman, Kelly, and Wells /
The House then adjourned.
RENEWED ATTEMPTS AT COALITION
The next day. (Friday,) the House again re-
jected the motion to lay the plurality PROPOSE.
ton on the table-yeas lO7, nays lOS; but, sub
sequently, in order to try the effect of other
propositions of coalition, refused to pass it
yeas lO8, nays ll0-Barclay, Hickman, Cling
man, Kelly, and Wells, administration, again
voting yed-Campbell of Ohio, Dunn, Scott,
Moore, Harrison, and Haven, nay
Mr.. Jones, of Tennessee, then proposed a
resolution, to elect as Speaker, MoRDEcAI OIL
YER, of Missouri. Mr.. Oliver was formerly a
Wing, has been acting all the while with the
Administration, is thoroughly Pro-Slavery, in
heart and soul with the attempts to make Kan
sas slave State, not standing on the Admins
tration caucus platform in relation to Know
Nothingism, not obnoxious to the Know Moth
ngs. The proposition again involved an aban-
donment, by the Administration men, of their
caucus principles and nominee.
1t was laid upon the table-yeas ll6. pays
l0l-Barclay and Hickman, administration, J
and Clark, Etheridge, Rivers, Lake, and Sneed,
X. NJ voting yea, together with Scott, Dunn,
Moore, and Harrison.
A resolution to elect N. P. Banks was reject
ed-ysas 1902, nays ll5-the Administration
and Fuller meD, together with Bayard Clark,
Dunn, Harrison, Haven, Moore, and Scott. vo-
ting nay.
Then came the decisive movement of the Co
alitonists "a resolution, by Mr.. Cobb of Ala.
bama, to elect as Speaker, Hon. VIM. Aiken,
OF South Carolina, one of the largest slavehold-
ers, II not the largest, in the South. understood
to belong to the class of Nullifers, acting with
the Administration, rather as an ally than a
member OF the Party, not member of any
Democratic caucus, standing upon no platform
but that of Slavery, not obnoxious specially to
Know Nothings. In disregard of the caucus
PiatloTm and nomination, this resolution was
moved by prominent member of the Admin