The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-04-26
From The Democratic Standard
LETTER FROM GEORGE s. HOUSTON.

.... AousA VI lsArishsAhIAINhs5 ohiihD oiAfAsa
MY sIK In your favor Of the 2sth ult received
two days ago you PROFOUND to the following CUES
LIST In the election Of Speaker did the
pledge themselves TO vote for Aiken7
I'd Did they vote with the democratic members the day
day of the election did any of them against him who
han voted Tor him the day beiore And So who, and
where do they live '" @.
Sd. Did any Of the democratic members from any of the
northern States vote against Aiken2 If 50, how many,
and where do they liver
II the know-nohings made any pledges to Gov Aiken
except snch might be inferred FROM their votes not
aware OF IT presume made ..
On the day before Mr. Banks elected 1.-THE first day of
February Mr. Ball of Ohio offered the following resolu
ton; Resolved That Nathaniel p Banks of Mrssachu-
sett be- and he is hereby declared Speaker of this
for the Thirtyfourth Congress- which defeaiedyeas
lo2 nays lis All of the democrats and Fuller know
nohngs who present and voting voted against that
resolution including, of course, Broom Fuller, and Mil
ward, of Pennsylvania Clark, Walk and Whitney Of New
lork, who regarded l2th-section
thus expressing their decided opposition to the election Of
Banks.
On the day. and Immediately after the rejection of
the Banks resolution Mr. Cobb Of Alabama presented the
ioowing "Resolred That the Hon William Aiken, rep
resentauve from South Carolina, be- and he is hereby
chosen Speaker of the House Of Representatv Mr.
Washburne Of Illinois, moved 10 lay the resolution upon
the table which motion decided in the negatveyeas
sS IT. The question then upon agreeing the
resolution which also decided in the negaiiseyeas
03 nays 10 The democrats and 18th section of Fuller
knownothngs who voted except Cullen of Delaware and
Mlward OF Pennsylvania voted for making Aiken Speak
e including, the affirmative vote Broom and Fuller, of
Pennsylvania, Clark, Walk and Whitney, of New York.
who as have before remarked, understood to be
twelh-section nothngs-thereby manifesng their
desire make Governor Aiken Speaker of the House
OF Representatives thus you will upon the tests of
strength shown upon the preceding resolutions Banks
received lo2 and Aiken les Shortly after these
proceedings were had the House adjourned to Saturday
February Previous the I'd day of February every
occasion when had been offered the resolution proposing
to elect Speaker by plurality vote had been defeated
On that day however which the day after the votes
were given 10 which have already called your attention
few of democratic friends believing from the sadca
tons not assurances thus publicly and solemniy given
that Under the plurality rule Governor Aiken could and
would have been elected determined TO vote for the adop
ton OF resolution establishing that rule. Their
added TO those which had been previously given for uch
resolution secured for it majority and it agreed to
as follows
Resoleed That the House will proceed TO the election
OF Speaker vira If after the roll shall have been
called three times, no member shall have received ma
Jory OF all the votes cas the roll shall again be called
and the member who shall then receive the largest num-
Der OF votes provided ii be majority of quorum shall
be declared duly elected Speaker Of the House Of Repre-
sentatives Of the Thirty-fourth Congress"
On the call OF roll the fourth time after the plurality
oution agreed to-he call which plurality 10
elect and did eect-Gov Aiken received the votes OF all
the democrats voting and who recognised demo
Gratis Mr. Hickman, Of Pennsy lyanis, voted or Wells Of
Wisconsin lie had previously voted with the democrats
brska man. and Of Of the democratic orgauiIa
ton lie Is not claimed regarded by the party here AS
Of its members. man who does not stand upon the
democratic platform cannot be a member of the party
such an idea Is absurd Gov Aiken also received the votes
OF the know-nothngs (who present and vo,ed from
the slave States except Mr. Cullen, of Delaware and
Mr.. H. Winter Davis, Of Maryland; of their course
in the important then pending it is my purpose
TO speak those whose right and duty IL is TO speak win
doubtless pass proper Judgment upon It, If they have not
already done Governor Aiken the vote Of which
speaking, did receive the vote of freeStae
know-nothng On the day previous Broom Clark, Fuller
Walk and Whitney voted for the Aiken resolution, while
.la D. he
Aiken alone Broom Clark and htuey voted for Fuller
Walk failed TO vote for any person and Fuller, as learn,
alleges that be paired off with his colleague Barclay Of
which will speak fully hereafter. On the call OF
the roll that elected Banks the vote was-for Banks,
lo3i for Aiken, 100 If Broom, Clark, Fuller, Walk,
and Whitney, l2th-secton knov-no,hings who had
the preceding day voted 10 make Aiken Speaker,
hsd voted for him the final vote, be would have
had los votes and Banks lo3-tbereby eecting him in
stead Of Banks But these gentlemen who presented
to by southern knownothiIgs as soand national men
and warmly recommended TO your favorable considers-
ton and kind regard in drec and siags contest between
national man. who lives in the South and black repub-
can who had rendered himself odious by his Hoorions
aaigamaon and absorption declarations could make
choice they either failed their for
man who had chance for success with full knowledge
that they throwing their VOTES away and by doing
they would elect Banks Speaker. These gentlemen
present 10 the country candidate Of their stripe for
the presidency, and ask national 10 support him
Their refusal to vote between Aiken and Banks the
more censurabe when remember that on the day
preyous they had voted for Aiken, and by bad
ateu Just expectation In The mlpdG OF democrats that
whenever the issue should ke presented between Aiken
and Banks they would vote for Aiken. They bad but
the day before not only voted for Aiken bot they had
also direct vote voted against banksthus saying in
emphatic terms acts speak that they would aid
in the election Of Aiken and the defeat Of Banks and while
they must have known that their conduct had induced
democrats to vote for the resolution establishing the pu
raty rule yet when The final struggle came they either
changed their votes failed 10 vote and in that way
knopinglg not iEssHoaatt elected busks They must
have khoWp well before a. after the voting that their
would control The election and that they could elect
that Fuller paired of with Barclay In good fsthwhich
presume beliertsye If the others Of his friends
bad voted they did the preceding day, Aiken would
have been elected by vote OF I04 10 l03 for Banks,
When members pair of-that is when two nemhers on
The opposite sides Of question agree that they will not
vote chat qucstionlhst fact Is very generally II not
universally announced in the House publicly and the
nonneement thus made is published part of the pro-
ceedngs in the Congressional Globe that the country and
especially their respective constituencies may know why
their members did vote Members pair with each othsr
when both desire 10 be absent from the Honse du
ring its sittngs where member may feel unable TO At
tend because Of sicknessin thst way gentlemen accom-
modate each other and the time preserve the rels
tive strength Of parties in the Housebut for two members
to pair with each other while both intend 10 remain in
the House. and do remain occurrence very nm
usual and strange thai II requires explanation not
but present the very extraordinary circumstances under
which ID done evidence 20 prove that IL
pairing in good faith hpi dgs and intended by him
Mr. Fuller did not vote either call Of the roll after the
plurality rule adopted Mr. barclay voted each one
except tbe last and while be did for Aiken he
also voted against Banks yet Fuller present during
the voting He addressed few remarks the House inn
medaiely preceding the coll Of the roll last time but
did not say what he intended TO dossd word about
having paired of or as to his Intentions in the then