Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-02-14
Nathaniel P. Banks.

The election Of this distinguished gentleman
to the responsible post of Speaker ofthe House
of Representatives at Washington, has created
= strong desire to know something of his ante
cedents and his personal appearance. We are
/ happy to be able to supply this want. In 1859,
Geo. W. Bungay, Esq, published a small vol
ume Of 'CraJon Sketches and off hand takings
of Distinguished American Statesmen, Ora
ints,' dc. This work was published in Boston.
| Among the list Of eminent men we find the
| following short article on Mr.. Banks. 1t is
proper to state that since this work was pub
lshed, this gentlemen has served with distin-
guished ability as President Of the Consttu-
tional Convention of Massachusetts, and has
fully sustained his reputation as one OF tile
most accomplished presiding officers in the u
nion At the time this sketch was written.
he was Speaker of the Massachusetts House of
Representatives, probably the largest Repre-.
resenlative body in the UniOp,-[o. s. Jour
asl
NATHANIEL P. BANKs, Jr., Speaker of the
House, is the man for the position he occupies
Sharp, shrewd, impartial, polite, and thor
oughly familiar with parliamentary usages .-
He knows every member at a moments
glance, and while he looks at the man iris
ing to speak with one eye, be looks thro'
him with the other, and announces his name
Immediately end distinctly. Mr. Banks sell
dom makes blunder, and he has tact and
/ talent to conceal or correct many of the MIS-
takes made by those whose bad manuscripts
and worse grammar would be caution to the
ghost of LindIey Murry if read verbatim, ct
liberatim, ct punetuatim, from the Speakers
chair He usually wears brown fiock coat,
buff vest, and black stock. Mr.. Banks hes
dark blue eyes, uhcommoDly expressive; thin.
lpale, intellectual face: plentiful supply of
dark hair, (somewhat tinged with frost, though
he is not yet forty years Of sge,) Which is
brushed so as to leave one temple bare, while
it hangs down TO the eye brow on the other
is;de.
He is a native of Waltham, born in 1915
first entered the Legislature in lS4S: was elec-
ted Speaker of the House in 1851 and re-elec-
ted IN 1S52-probably one Of the youngest
presiding officers that ever graced the wool
: sack. He was brought up as mschiRist, and
toiled with bis hands, and exercised his brain
tby way of pastime. He is self educated. Ills
J said that al one sine be was an active fireman,
and ran with the machine aud on holiday oc-
casicns donned the red shirt, buff pants and
, eather cap--oflate so Distinguishing mark of
the brave and prominently cold water man.
He subsequently left the work bench for the
: office and green bag. and was admitted to the
MddIesex bar, where he has stipguished
himself more by the faithfulness of bis servi'
ces to his clinents than the receipt Of an inn
mensity OF business. He has always been very
: popular in his native town, and could always
be elected to represent it when every other man
failed. He is of Democratic. sympatbies. end
always has been, but inclined TO liberal views
He is entitled to great credit for working his
way so high in life under adverse eireumslan'
ces.