New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-05-30
ge6 0rItans 1ailp Gttstent.
SATURDAY MORNING MAY 30, 1857. .
THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.
NUMBxR H.


On entering the Senate chamber, the first person
disclosed to the view is the Hon. Jesse D. Bright of
Indiana the President of the Senate He was elected
to this position at the death Of YcePredent King,
and held it uninterruptedly until few weeks before
the close Of the last session. when be resigned it for
the purpose of going to Indiana to attend to the
chances of his reelection to the Senate. He sue
ceeded in the chair for the remainder of the session.
by Senator Mason of Virginia.
Mr. Bright is large, dark, atrabilis looking man
with dark skin and black hair-about forty.fve
years Of age, and weighing perhaps two hundred and
twenty-five pounds. service in the Indiana Senate
(of which he also the presiding oicer) for sew
eral years. so commended him to his party that he
elected to the Senate of the United States to sup
ply the vacancy created by the expiration Of Mr. Han
negan's term of service.
He is, by long odds, the best presiding officer
ever saw, over any deliberate assembly. The rules
of the Senate he has committed to memory, and he is
far more familiar even with the ordinary usages of
the body than many Senator of double his legisa.
tive experience Questions of order are always de.
cided by him with the utmost promptness and
always correctly In two years. observation in the
Senate do not recoect ever to have seen one of his
decisions overruled.
An incident occurred at the beginning of the first
session of the last Congress which will illustrate his
familiarity with the rules, and with parliamentary
law. The Senate had determined on certain day.
to go into the election of Prnter-and the contest was
animated one between Nicholson the editor of the
Union (who was the administration candidate) and
Beverly Tucker, the late Printer and editor of the
| Sentinel. When the ballots were counted by the
President of the Senate there two blanks which
| he counted in making up the aggregate, and which
consequently required vote to elect Nichol-
son than if the blanks had not been counted. After
two or three Intellectual baots-Ncholson having
come within one of an eection-Mr. Yulee of Florida
who was warmly interested in Nichoson's success,
rose and protested against the blank ballots, saying
it was violation of the rules of the Senate. In sup
port of this he commenced reading rule which sus-
tained him in the clearest manner. Bright, quickly
but quietly, remarked Will the Senator please state
whether that is rule of the Senate the House OF
Representatives. 1t turned out that it ,cus rule
of the House-and Yulee had to take his seat utterly
confounded.
The only time he ever descended to the floor to en-.
gage in debate was in the support of the Thompson
caim-the recent payment of which by Mr.. Secretary
Cobb, after being dsallowed by Mr.. Guthrie, has
caused such a stir among the Democracy Thompson
was citizen of Indiana, and such had claim
upon Bright's services independent of the persona
friendship that existed between them. He had be
come involved in difficulty with Manypenny, the
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, growing out of this
claim, which had become violently personal. Many
penny was citizen of Ohio, and was sustained il
the Senate by Pugh of that State. Every day, fo
nearly week, Bright and Pugh had it, nip and tuck
in the Senate; but Bright finally triumphed. Tn
Senate passed favorably the claim, but Mr. Guthri
still refused to pay it. Thompson was about to su
Guthrie in the Federal Court, when the new admin
istraton came into power and the claim was allowe
by Mr. Cobb.
Mr.. Bright, as presiding officer, was remarkabl,
patient and strictly impartial l have seen him 81
for hours in the hot days of 1885, listening t.
the prosac dulness of Stuart Bayard or the inter
minable harangues OF old Gen. Cass. 1t was seldom
he vacated the chair, but when he did, he Away
selected one of three four Senators to supply it
These were Weller Of California, or Clay of Ala
bama, or Foote of Vermont or Stuart. l suspect hi
often selected Stuart to keep him from boring thu
Senate with his speeches.
He is man of warm friendships and bitter hatreds
In Indiana political rivalry has existed for severa
years between him and Gov Wright but Bright ha
always triumphed. He is said to be immensely rich
which goes long ways with politicians in these de
generate days, and if the Union hang together fou
years longer, and the Democratic candidate for thu
Presidency be taken from the Northwest, Bright vii
in all probability be the man.
In my next will pay my respects to the Senator
on the loor beginning with Brigadier General Wilson
of Massachusetts,. ESSEX.