Demoine courier., 1856-01-03

"
FROM .he ~ .Aiielaia.
SAetencS vi Une CandidaCeS ior
go speaker,
NArHASiEL BASKs.
Mr. Banks was born in WAi!ham. Mid
|clssex coun'y, Massachuseits. or The
Ii3 Of Jaruaiss.. 1916. AZ his middle
nam e ,indicases, he Is descsaded, % one
side, from the Prentiss family, Of New
Hsmpshlrc.
AZ Vie ageof twelve yeats he began
10 work In a cotlon factory. Ala later
age he assisted bis fasher, who was q
house carpenter. lie next learned The
machinist's trade, and worked al ~ IN
IWalthans and Boston. He never had
any schooling after he was twelve years
Of age. Prior TO thai he attended tho
public school in his native town. and
was considered an apt and quick scholar.
In 1915 Mr.. Banks entered his name
in The Office o. The Hon. Robert Rantoul.
jr., then United. Statee District Attorney,
Ia Boston. In 1918 he was am ited 10
the bar, cod commenced practice 10 Bos
ton. Mr.. Banks commenced his politi-
cal life in 1910 as a supporter, of, Marin
Van Buren and lhe sub treasury scheme.
In 1913 he was elected . member Of the
Legislature Of M~assachuseits, from. The
Town Of w altman. There were only
about twenty democrats. in the House
that session. Ii was the yesr thai the
party ran down under Cushing aud Cass.
Mr.. Banks took an active psrt in The
proceedings, Of the House-sustaining
Case and hias Nicholson letter, and
Cushing. 81
Ia 1851. Mr.. Banks was elected to both
The Senate and the House in Msssschu-
sets, bui accepted q seal in The House,
and was chosen Speaker by the cosliion
between barnburner democrats and the
free s%oilers. He bad been a leader of
the coalition movement before the peo-
pie. aud made a very large number Of
popular addresses. He was thu most
scliye liberal democrat In the Stats. fiis
s,yle OF ora.o,ffy was effective and he
seemed to be a general isvori,e. on whom
the ditreren, political fac,ions were allin.
ci.aed TO look kindly. In 1859 he wss
reelected Speaker of the Ilouse.n Ia
1853 he was a me mber Of the conyen-
lion called to revise the constitution Of
Massachusetts. and was chosen to pre-
side over Us deliberations. This conyeu-
ton numbered among lie members Judge
Allen, Rufus Choa,e. Judge Sprsgue,
Gen. Wilson. Gov. Boutwell,, Mr..
Knowllon, Gov. Morton, Gov. Briggs,
and Others Of the most distinguished men
Of oil the political parties in the Sta,e;-
A, this time Mr.. Banks was also a meo,
Der of Congress; having been elected a.
a democra, the previous tall.
Of Nj. Banks as a candidate for speak.
err, Of Congress-. The Boston Daily I'D
perhsn-a shee. of concentrated wing
hnnkerism-of Thursday last, speaks
as follows:-
Our,owu Stale Of Massachusetts. al
though We are sorry 10 say ,ha,
she is not. SO we'll Represented in this
Congress- as she generally hiss been in
former years. yethias !. candidate Tor The
S~psakesship 10 offer in the person Of
Hon. N a,hanislP. Banks, Jr ,thcablrss
nembes Of her delegation. and q gentle
man Of much ability and parliamentary
experience. Mn Banks; although !
young man, hastwice been chosen speak
or Of the Msssdchusetis House Of Rep
rcsenta,ives. asbody numbering four hun.
dreG members. where the post of the
presiding officer is no ssinecure. Here
he proved himself in the discharge Of
tho duties Of The Office, a worthy suc-
~cessor of Daniel p. King, Robers q.
Winthrop, Samuel H. w Valley. and the
other distinguished men who have occu-
pied the same chair in former times.-
When the Convention for the Revision
OF the Constitution arsembied ia 1855.
Embracing among rs members retired
statesman called back from the shades d.
private life. judges summoned from The
bench, and pnii,icians'of grea, experience
Mr.. Banks, although one Of The young
est delegates, was elected 10 be its Presi,
dent, and he discharged the duties Of the
position, with signal Z Gty. la fac, he
truly seems To- posse1E an especisl sge
Mus fol the difficult arr Of presiding over
a deliberativc assembly. This fact will