Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-02-23
Hon. Percy wa,asr- The speaker



We have received FRONT gentleman, and
read with great pleasure. and no small edi6ea- I
ton, letter addressed by him to his constitu-
ents in reference te the late election of Speaker
Mr. Walker reviews the whole ground, and
leaves no doubt upon the mind of any candid
person, that to the so called Democrats party
! is doe the election OF Mr. Banks We subioin
passage which we consider expressly in point
| We do it with the more pleasure, that il con
veys an incidental defence of the six Americans
who continued TO vote for Mr.. Fuller. Having
| defined our own Position on that subject We
DO not feel authorized TO withhold the testimo
| ny of those who differ with US.
Having expressed his reasons for refusing TO
vote for Mr.. Orr, which were the same that
| influenced him in voting against Mr.. Richard
| SOD. Mr.. Walker says:
| Before asking you 70 follow me through my
subsequent votes, will call your attention to
other proceedings, which form a material and
very significant portion of the history of tie
organization of the House. The first nominee
of the Republican party was the Hon Lewis
| D. Campbell, of Ohio. He continued as such
| for twentythree ballots, and them on the 9Th
! of December, formally withdrew his name.
| and Mr.. Banks was nominated 10 his sfead
| After the thirty fourth ballot, upon which
! Mr.. Banks received one hundred vO'es, lacking
eleven of being elected, Mr.. Thorington, a Re-
! publican from Iowa, offered resolution to
: elect 10y plurality vote, but subsequently
withdrew il. After the fifty ninth ballot, a
! plurality resolution was offered by Mr.. Hick-
man. q Democrat, from Pennsylvania This
resolution was laid upon the table. A similar
resolution was at various times offered BY mem
bers of the Republican party, but was AS often
defeated by the united votes Of the Americans
! wit IL e G
| Republicans who were opposed to Mr. Banks.
In the progress of the struggle, however, it
became evident that several members of the
Democratic party were preparing to unite with
the Republicans in carrying the resolution, and
this impression doubtless determined the Banks
men To cling To him. That the latter regard,
the passage of such a resolution as ihslrinq his
election, was evidenced by the fact that they
uniformly voted tor it, and that he so consid-
cred 1t was manifested by his invariably voting
for it. The Americans constantly Op osed il,
because they felt convinced that the adoption
would place Mr.. Banks in the chair and they
resorted to every parliamentary expedient to
defeat it.
On the 10Th of January, Mr. Washburn, a
Republican from Maine, renewed the PROPOSE
ton TO elect by plurality vote. Mr.. Cling
man, or North Carolina, a leading Democrat
stated that for two weeks he had been ia ia or
OF adopting such a resolution, but was diSin-
! cllned TO It after hearing the answers of Nj.
Banks, on the 18TH to the questions PROFOUND
ed by Nj. Zoc fer and others to the several
candidates. On motion to lay tho resolution
on the table, two Democratic supporters of
Mr.. Richardson-to-w Messrs Barclay and
Hickman, of PennSy lvanis-voted in the neg
alive, but the resolution was tai led by vote
of one hundred and five To one hundred and
one. After this plurality resolution was
several times pressed upon the House, but was
defeated. On the 30th of January, Mr. Cling
man introduced it, aud upon cOuntiDg the votes
there were 100 yeas and 10 nays; the follow
Democrats voting in the affirmative, viz: Bar
clay, Clinginan, Hickman, Kelly and Williams
OR the I'd of February, Mr.. ). A. Smith, of
Tennessee, Democrat, renewed the PROPOSE
ton, and it was adopted by tie following vote,
viz: yeas IS, nays i04; Messrs. Barclay, Cling
man, Herbert, Hickman, Jewett, Kelly, 5. A.
Smith and Williams, Democrats, voting tor
it. And thus the election of Mr.. Banks was
insured, as he on the same day received the
number of votes necessary under that resOu-
ton to elect him.
Before this triumph of e-Soiism was
achieved, the American members had, for the
purpose OF preventing such a catastrophe,
made OVertures to the Democrats To unite with
them in supporting men of the latter party
other than their caucus nominee. Twice they
proposed the name of William Smith, of Vir-
gnia. Then they offered the name of Mr..
Porter, of Missouri, who, though he had gen.
orally voted with the Americans, did not be-
long to their organization. A motion was
made to lay this proposition on the table, which
was carried there being IA yeas and SO nays.
In favor of tabing the proposition there were
thirty nine Democrats. If they had voted in
the negative, the motion would have failed by
a vote of one hundred and eight to one hun
bred and five.
On the lst of February, Mr. Cobb, Of Ala
baRS, proposed the name of the Hon. WIN.
Aiken, of South Carolina, as Speaker, aud he
received all the American votes except one.
When the final struggle came on, on the Eext
day, Mr.. Akin and Mr.>Banks were the con-
testanls. Upon the last ballot, Mr.. Aiken re
ceived all the American votes exceRt six, who
voted for Mr.. Fuller, and all the Delnccl attic
votes except two. lie was beaten by three
votes.
The illiberaity manifested by the Demo
cratic party towards the American during the
whole contest for Speaker, the slur cast upon
them by the resolution of the Democratic eau
Gus, and the rejection of every overture made
by the Americans for Cancellation and harmo-
ny, and the agency of Democrats in passing
the plurality rule, were the causes that induced
the six Americans not To cast their votes for
Mr.. Aiken. They never doubted that Mr..
Banks would be elected Speaker in the event
of the adoption Of the plurality rule, and upon
that conviction steadily opposed it. But for
the adoption Of that rule, be never would have
been elected. | leave you to judge whether
those who united with his supporters in forcing
that rule upon the House are not justly re
sponsble for result so much to be deprecated.
But will no longer dwell upon this sub
ject. | have endeavored to lag before you
truthful, if not very connected, history Of this
unprecedented contest. You have seen wi at
my course has been. If it secures your appro-
bstion, shall be gratifed; should it not,
shall be content with my own conviction that
| have borne myself as became me as a man
and as the Representative Of au enlightened
constituency.