New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-23
TIE srRuGoLE rot SPEAKER.
SPEECH OF Mr.. CoLFAX OF IyD.,


On tie attitude Of The Democratic party IN the House
on the Plurality rule IN ls49 and non.
HousE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, Jan. 10, 1856.
Mr.. CoLrAx-Mr Clerk, wish TO add supplement
70 the history Of this celebrated plurality rule Of s4s
which was discussed in this Hall yesterday was led by
that discussion to al examination this morning Of that
eventful history, and have before some additional
facts from that most interesting and instructive land
sometimes most troublesome of ell the volumes to be
found in the Congressional Library-7He Congress
,ionoI Globe and which shall strive hurriedy to
present TO gentlemen on the other side, in the few
minutes allowed me under the rule. The House was
told Yesterday that that celebrated plurality rule in
1919 was adopted in opposition to the wishes of the
greet body Of the Democratic party of the House. and
that that party was not responsible for It's passage
Now Sir the records of the proceedings OF the house
during that eventu period show that no less than nine
distinct propositions were offered 10 elect Dy puraty
of which singular il may seem, eigh were presented
no gentlemen upon the Democratic side OF the House,
and oniy one by Member from the Wing side of the
House.
The frs is upon page 5 Of The CoHgressi0ndl
Globe Of that session. It offered tly the Hon.
Andrew johnson, then a Democratic Representative
from Tennessee, and now the Democratic Governor Of
that State and reads az follows:
Rred That IT, the next vote Of the House for SPEAK
En- individual shall receive majority OF all me votes cast.
the individual receiving plyoy Of The vote. snail Dc sPsak
And be supported it in remarks from which the fol-
lowing are extracts
lie thought the demonstrations which had been made in
their rspested Intellectual efforts proved most conelurey tia
they could not elect speaker BY majority IN any reasonable
enable the cleo, Speaker and proceed with the bust
ness He wanted Speaker elected-ether Whg or Dem
oerst They had remsued blocked long enough" &c.
The resolution premature, Sir, for 1t was only
the third day of the session. and it laid on the table
by large majority. But erery one of the eleven
members who voted against thus killing it were Dem
odd h,,u
Bocock,) in BIZ seat, and by the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Savegel over the way
The second proposition was by Mr.. Stanton of Ten;
nessee another Democrat, who, on page ., proposed
TO conne the choice to the four highest candidates,
and on the next ballot to the two highest; which
also laid on the table.
The third proposition was on the l4th of December,
bv the only Nhig who offered the Plurality rule during
the whole coutest--Mr Ashmun of Massachusetts,,
(see page 31) and this also laid upon the table.
The fourth was offered by Mr.. Kaufman, the dis
tnguished Democratic Representative from Texas, on
the 18th Of Dec. and il is modified plurality,
ranged On sliding scale it were, will read in full
from page 81 Of The Globe
ks,ored That person have majority Of all the votes
Speaker the next ballot then upon the second ballot
the adoption Of this resolution, any Member shall
ceiye only less than majority Of the whole number Of
Speaker the said second ballot then the next
third ballot any Member shall receive only two e than
vote elect for vote TAKEN until choice of Speaker
l. made"
This met with no better fortune than its predeces-
sors for the House he'd not yet given up all hope of
electing Speaker by majority aud it was soon laid
on the table.
The ffk was another proposition, similar in its char
acter, offered the next day by the same Democratic
Member, and met with the same fate.
The sirh was proposition, based on the Constitu-
ton, Of which we hear so much, and which, if right
then, ought certainly to be equally in accordance with
the spirit of that revered instrument 1t
offered, Sir by Democratic Member from Tennessee,
Mr. Savage,) who Is again on this floor but voting
and oil linda of r,lu rnaa
Resoed That if the House fail to elect Speaker during
the pre- day. will upon it's meeting apply It's
S1ts Of the the the
United States prescribing the mode of eeeng Preden, and
Resolved That the House WILL upon the calling of the roll
cast its vote for Speaker and if no person shall have majority
bers (ro exceeding three in the LET Of those voted or the
shall proceed choose its Speaker and the three
peroDs the last should be voted for and neither of them
should have majority Of all the votes then the House shall
choose Speaker by another from the highest the
list"
That resolution, drawn in its spirit from the Consti
tuition, was rejected; but il did not quench the zeal
with which the Democratic Members of that day per-
sisted in moving that celebrated rule which the Demo
cratic Members of this House, at this day. generally
condemn and oppose.
The serenth plurality rule was offered by Mr. STAN
ton of Tennessee, Democrat oil page 60, on the 22d
of December, and is the that finally adopted.
But, pending its consideration, the eighth plurality
resolution was proffered by Mr.. Meade, Democratic
Member from Virginia, TO confne the choice to the
four highest on the next ballot TO the three highest
and on the next to the two highest. This, too, was
rejected
And the ninth plurality resolution was offered an
amendment by Mr.. Kaufman, the Texas Democratic
Member, being his sliding scale" which received
large Democratic support, but was also rejected.
F,nouy, the plurality resolution offered by Mr..
stanton was adopted by ll3 to 1868 majority of the
affirmative Members being Wings, in pursuance of the
resolution of their caucus, publicly declared in its
favor, but plenty of Democratic Members taking
to vote for it to insure its PASSAGE and under its
liz. 81 NJ G,l. IS
Georgia DEM was elected Speaker. The Wings
voted for the rule TO end the contest though accord
ing TO the argument against It now might have
been charged las it was not that, in doing so, they
voted indirectly for Mr.. Cobb
now desire TO call the attention of the House to
speech made by Gov. johnson, in favor of the plurality
rule, which viii be found on page 49, 1t is stated that
he proceeded to address the House for An hour and
twenty minutes, and his speech is summed up by the
reporter in the following language
He expressed the satisfaction he felt that the proposition
setis mt Rsmun seemed 70 end favor With the House Il
would be ecoeeted that he had himself introduced something
concerned he anxious to organisation of the House
by the election Of Speaker and other officers could DO
effected by other than plurality He had
particular affection FOX his proposition lit night
itself, come from what quarter IL might, be would vote
Aer audng condition parties this House which
to the pcuou. part which the gentleman from Ohio M
Root had taken in the debate since the OF the
session Mr. to notice the denuneatons with which
bis proposition had been received the other day and to win.
dicse that proposition from the charge that it Infringe
ment Of the Constitution"
How fifty, Sir, do his remarks in regard to the ne
cessty of organization aud the triangular nature of
the contest apply to the present condition OF atas
And the remainder of his speech, in which be de-
Hounces Mr.. inthrop, who on the ballot immediate
ly preceding his remarks had plurality, and might
posi- have been elected under the rule then-gong
20 far indeed as TO say that he would rather vote for
Mr.. Giddings than Mr.. Winthrop-shows that he was
unwilling TO let the bitterest political personal OBJ
candidate ~