Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-01-19
DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.

DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.
On Friday last, in the House of Representatives,
Mr.. Zollicoffer, of Tenn, X. N. Whig offered Res
oution to the effect that it is the duty of all candi-
dates for Office to state their opinions answer ques
tons, &c. The Resolution was adopted, yeas 1855,
nays 3S-all the members from North.C Carolina vot.
ing for it.
On Saturday, Messrs. Richardson, Fuller, and
Banks defined their POSITIONS in reply to questions
propounded by Mr.. Bingham, of Ohio.
Mr.. Richardson said he voted for the Kansas-Ne-
braska bill because he considered it right. He
in favor of the people Of those Territories deciding
the question of slavery for themselves and he should
vote for their admission States without looking to
whether they had slavery or not. In supporting
the " compromise of 1850 he had given his sane.
ton to the very principle of non-intervention embo
died in the Kansas Nebraska act He had voted, in
l848, with few Northern and the entire body of
the Southern representatives, to extend the Mis-
souri, line to the Pacific; failing in that measure, he
had afterwards voted that Congress should not in
terfsre with questions of slavery. He had never
voted for the Wilmot proviso-he had uniformly
voted against because he considered it unjust to the
people of portion of the Union. He maintained
that the citizens of the slavehodng States are as
much entitled those of Illinois, his own State, to
the protection of their property in the common Ter
ritories he recognized slaves property and con-
sidered the fugitive-slave law as applying in full
force to the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas Mr.
Richardson sad further that he was opposed to the
Know Nothing party, and to all secret political Or
CARNATIONS.
He was opposed to the abolition Of or interfer-
ence with, slavery in the District of Columbia and
he was also opposed to Congress interfering with it
in the dock yards, or any place else. He believed
that the Almighty had made the negro inferior to
the white man, and he thought that they could not
be placed on an equality unless the white man was
dragged down to level with the other.
Mr.. Fuller answered, that he did not consider the
Kansas Nebraska act as pronotive of the formation
of either free slave States that he never had and
did not now advocate the constitutionaty of the Will
mot proviso that the States, in forming the Union,
claimed the right and obtained it, to reclaim escaped
slaves that Congress had right to egislate upon
the subject of slavery in the States Territories
that citizens of all the States may enter the common
Territories and that the Territorial legislature had
right to legislate upon slavery, except SO far
perry. He said, further, that he was opposed to
restoring the Missouri restriction; that he
opposed to aboshing slavery in the. District of Co.
lumbia or in the dock yards, &c. that he did not
believe in the equality of the white and black races.
He said he was not in favor of prescribing men on
account of their religion their birth place but he
held that it was best to appoint natives to Office, and
that Americans should rule America"
Mr. Banks answered, that he believed the Wilmot
provso to be constitutional; that he would vote to
restore the Missouri line, and to prohibit slavery in
the Territories; that he not disposed to disturb
slavery in the States but thought the Constitution
did not protect slavery in the Territories that he
was elected to the House by combination of Dem
ocrats and Americans the latter being largely
in the majority.
We believe we have given the substance of what
was said on the occasion by the three gentlemen
named. The House soon afterwards voted for Speak
er, as follows Banks "a, Richardson SO, Fuller 81
scattering 10.
The Washington Union says:
1.-The only candidate for Speaker who answered
all the questions propounded to him by his adverse
ries in the double opposition, was the democratic can
didate. The report of the proceedings will show
that, whilst both Mr.. Fuller and Mr.. Banks failed
entirely to any of the questions of Mr.. Bng-
ham, (republcan) Col Richardson met them prompt
~ and fully. The questions propounded by his own
friends Mr.. Boyce Of South Carolina and Mr. Banks
dale of Mississippi, received similar prompt res
ponse. Both Mr.. Banks and Mr.. Fuller failed to
meet the question of the prescription OF ioreign-born
citizens and Catholics, which we attribute to the
instinct common to the order of which they are
members, of Withholding their position upon this
grave question. And to the same cause may be at
tributed the failure of both to admit deny their
membership of the secret order, though particular
| ly Intercepted in relation thereto"
GRATIFYING FACTS.
The New York Day Book, paper which has been
uniformly true the South and to the Constitution,
and which, though printed in free State, even JUS
fGas unru saus that since the first December