Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-01-19
WASHINGTON.

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From cur Regular Csrrespsadeas. s. =. lssage..
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WAsHlNcrox, Dec. q, 1855. =
had little doubt when l last wrote but that a
Speaker would have been elected ere this but the
House now seems to be farther from an organisa.
tion than they two weeks ago, as there is less
good nature and more asperity manifested among
MEMBERS and the latter is daily increasing. Since
Monday last the time has been spent chiefly in
speaking. The steam had accumulated to such
an extent that there were many who must either
blow of or burst. The speeches which have been
made, the examinations and cross examinations
that have taken place upon the floor OF the House,
have ut least served to draw lines, and show the
precise positions Of members upon important
questions at issue before the country; and those
lines fast converging into great sectional one
that will divide the North from the South, and
the South from the North. The truth is and the
of the Missouri Compromise has opened the food
gates of bitter waters which have spread over the
whole country and raised up an issue between the
two sections of the country. upon which the feel
ings of the two arc much excited, and which over
shadows all other issues and party lines and the
more the subject is discussed, the more the peo-
pie North and South take sides against each 9TH
or, and the more irritable they become upon it,
1t is in vain that parties attempt to keep 81
khok. h:oL r. :rI: I,,
ais composing it feel most deeply. "0ut of the full
ness of the heart the mouth speaketh." a
1t has been shown by what has taken place here,
that there are at present in the House four par
ties between each of which there are more or less
points of antagonism. First beginning at the
North) there is the Republican party, which is
derstood to be the Anti-Nebraska, Anti-Slavery
party Sec"nd, the American party North; Third
the American party South, and Fourth, the Dem
ocratic party. For the present, the American par
ty North is acting generally with tho Republican
party there are some members of it, however,
who will not act with the latter, and who will not
support Mr.. Banks who is most favored by the
Republicans. If the Northern Americans would
all vote with the Republicans for Mr.. B. he would
be elected at once but that is not to be looked for
it will never take place. On the other hand, if
the Banks men would all vote for Mr.. Campbell
of Ohio, he could be elected Speaker, directly
Again, if the plurality rule could be adopted, or
the secret ballot, Speaker could be elected; but
neither of these modes will a majority Of the H',e
yet agree to, and so every thing must stand still
for an indefinite period. There is one hope, name
", that some of the members will break and 60
home to spend Christmas, leaving enough of the
LOG who vote for Banks, to place him in the
Speakers chair.
You will see by the proceedings that Mr.. Full
er of Pa. for whom the Southern Americans nave
been voting, thought himself called upon to make
an explanation in the House that in doing so he
declared that he was opposed to the further agi-
tation Of slavery that though opposed to the
repeal of the Missouri Compromise, he would
have voted against the Kansas Nebraska bill, yet
being opposed to all further agitation he would not
now vote to repeal that bill or restore the Com
promise; and that he would vote to admit Kan
sas as Slave State or Free State as the people
of the Territory should determine. This declar
alton made quite sensation in the Hall and GAL
leries-where there is little order and about as
much clapping of hands and stamping of feet 6y
those who approve what is said, there is in the
pit of theatre,-what have never witnessed
within those walls before. And by the way, l
may notice another thing perfectly in character,
the smoking in the Hall behind the Speakers
chair, to such an extent that the whole Hall is af
ly over ssthe smoke hole," have the whole benefit
of the cigars. There was time when no gentle
man ever thought of smoking within the walls Of
that Hall, but what place is sacred now from to-
bacco smoke, when gentlemen, or those who claim
to be such will walk into parlor where there are
ladies, with cigar in his mouth and continue
smoking, and when they will even smoke in u
close carriage by the side of lady!
But to return to Mr.. Fuller, having thus defined
his attitude, his colleague Mr.. Todd, rose and
said that he and his colleagues from Pa, had for
one week voted for their colleague, Mr.. Fuller,
under the belief that he was sound according to
their mode of thinking, upon all the questions
before the country, but had he then known that
Mr.. F. entertained the views he had now express
ed, he would have lost his right arm sooner than
have cast his vote for him. Mr.. Fps position
leans South to support him for Speaker.
As the Americans of the North and the Repub-
licans are in a measure forced to act together,
so the Americans of the South may eventually
be forced to act more or less cordially with the
Democrats. Should this be the case parties will
have become wholly sustained, the North against
the South, and the issue will be extension or nom
extension of Slavery. But hope it will not
come to this. 1t is likely that soon Speaker
and other officers of the House are elected, the
Americans Of the North will separate themselves
from the Republicans and act Independently of
them. They will however, vote together more
or less during the session, especially upon all
matters relating to Kansas, and the Southern
Americans and Democrats will do the same. On
this issue there are but two parties Northern and
Southern.
Mr.. Cobb, of Georgia, spoke among others on
Friday, yesterday taking occasion to open a
broadside upon the American and Republican
parties, accusing the latter of being opposed to
the constitution and laws Of the country in at
tempting to restore the Missouri Compromise
Whereupon Mr.. Campell, of Ohio, turned to the
Congressional Globe and showed that Mr.. Cobb
himself had voted to extend the Missouri Compro-
mise, which he, Mr.. Cobb, had denounced as un-
constitutional, to the Pacific, through California;