The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-17
No choice having been effected


the ten minutes rule. He submitted that if
they were to have electioneermg speeches such
as had been made here tonight, having refer.
ence to the approaching Presidential election,
it would be well to repeal the ten minutes rule,
and allow an equal opportunity to every gentle
man to express his sentiments, without the dis
elimination which had been exhibited during
this days sitting. They were not only gagged
by the ten minutes rule, but an attempt was
now being made TO starve the House into an
election.
On motion of Mr.. Greenwood, of Arkansas,
the motion was laid on the table
Mr.. Etheridge, of Tennessee, moved that the
House adjourn; which motion was negatved-
ayes %, noes Sc.
Mr.. Campbell, of Kentucky, moved that when
the House adjourn to-day, it adjourn to meet
on Saturday next; which motion was decided
| in the negative.
There were uproarious cries of "call the
roll"
Mr.. McMullen, of Virginia, moved that there
be a call of the House; which motion was dis
| agreed to-ayes 20, noes &c.
| Mr.. Bowie, of Maryland, then urged the ne
| cessity of an organization. They were now in
| the midst of revolution, bloodless as yet, pre-
senting the humiliating spectacle to the coun-
| try and the world that they were unable to or
of the Government. He invoked the spirit of
| patriotism to rise superior to surrounding cir
cumstances, and relieve the House from the
reproach that now rested upon its disorganizsd
state.
AS part Of Wednesdays proceedings, we
| quote the following from the Globe:
| Mr.. Robson (when his name was called)
said: When l cast my first vote here for
Speaker of this House, l cast it for a gentle
man whom i admired as a man, to whom my
heart warmed, and to whom l became attached
on very short acquaintanceship, Mr.. Full
Ter; but when found that that gentleman did
not agree with me in Opinion-and he had the
manhood and honesty to tell me SOL left him,
and voted for another gentleman, Mr.. Banks, |
who i thought entertained the same opinions
as do. Now, Mr.. Clerk, do not intend to
be party led, nor have / ever been; but the
charges which have been made in the public
prints, and reiterated here by the honorable
gentleman from Ohio, Mr.. Campbell, should
be, think, answered by Mr.. Banks, before he
can get my vote. The gentlemen who have
been voting for him for the last FIVE weeks have
also been silent, and give no answer to these
charges. l think, that for his own sake, and l
know that for the sake of my own consistency,
he should answer one question that can be
r..
Banks, the candidate for Speaker in this
House, member of the American party or
is he not?" If he is will give him my vote /;
but if he is not, cannot do so. A pause,
and cries of ANSWER l have not yet
voted. Does the gentleman answer? There
was no response. AS the gentleman does not
answer, l vote for Mr.. Pennington. After
listening to some suggestions from members
III his vicinity 1t appears that my question
has not been fairly put, perhaps. Now, l am
willing to give Mr.. Banks every chance that /
can possibly give him; and 1 will candidly
admit, that if vote against that gentleman for
Speaker, and if were candidate in my dis.
trict tomorrow, | would be beaten five to one.
My own father has written me letter, last
week, urging me to stick to Mr.. Banks to the
last. But if the dearest friend that ever God
gave me upon earth should ask me to vote for
a man who is not a member of the American
organization, / would not vote for him. APP
plause in the galleries. want that to be
understood. Now, will the gentleman Mr..
Banks be kind enough to tell me whether he
is, or is not, a member Of the American party
will add-and want this to 20 to the coun-
try-that admire his talent and appreciate
his fitness for the post to which he aspires
There was no response, and Mr.. Robson
allowed his vote to 90 for Mr.. Pennington
Mr.. Sherman, on his name being called.)
desire to say q few words and would preface
them with the remark, that do not intend,
while have q seat in this House, to occupy
much of its time in speaking. But wish to
state now why l vote. AS have said hereto
fore, / care not one copper whether Mr.. Banks
is a member of the American party or not.
have been informed that he is, and | believe
that he is. But l repeat, l care not one copper
to what party he belongs. l understood him to
take this position: that the repeal of the Mis-
souri, compromise was an act Of great dshonor
and that under no circumstances whatever will
he--if he have the pOwer-ailow the institution
Of human Slavery to derive any benefit from
that repeal. There is my position. / have
been always, from my earliest boyhood, oon-
sentative Wing. l adhere to the compromises
of 1850; and / say now, that never will vote
for q man for Speaker of this House, unless he
tells me, by his conduct and by his voice, that
he never will, if he have the power to prevent
it, allow the institution of Slavery to derive any
advantage from repeating the time honored COM
promise of 1920.
say then, Mr.. Clerk, that again vote for
Mr.. Banks, without regard to his party prnci
Piles or to his adherence to the American party
! vote for him simply because he has had the
manliness to say here, that, having the power,
he will resist the encroachments of the slave
power, even by opposing the admission of any
slave State that may be formed out of the ter
ritory north and west of Missouri. | vote for
Mr.. Banks.
The House proceeded to vote the one hun
dredth time for Speaker, with the following re-
suit:
Whole number of votes cast, 200; necessary
to choice, l0l of which
Nathaniel p. Banks received 90
William A. Richardson CO
Henry NJ. Fuller 80
Alexander c. NJ. Pennington 5
James l.. Orr