New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-19

The Legislature OF NeW-l ORR convened TWO Wcehs
since, yet up to this hour no organization OF the
Assembly has been effected. If those Americans
who were elected by Republican votes, and
would not have been chosen without those votes,
could act as large portion Of their supporters I'M
doubtedly believed they would act when they voted
for them, the House would be organized forthwith;
or all the " Americans would cOsleSce with the
Democrats and divide the offices Of the House, as
majority Of them are eager and have voted 10 no.
there would be an organization this evening we
trust the nine " Americans will gOinto the House
This evening resolved to take one or the other
Of these courses-we care little which. 1t is too
bad that their united and theirdyided action should
alike serve to keep the House dsorganized and the
Legislature parayzed.
The Republicans are blamed by certain journals
for not accepting the half-loaf prohered them ~
the Americans. One excellent reason for their
declining it is this: The Republican candidate for
Clerk, whom this arrangement would throw out,
happens to have been born in some other country
than our own. He was the Clerk last year, and is
known to be honest, capable and worthy. If the
Republicans were to drop him in favor OF an
american, by arrangement with the third party,
il would be widely proclaimed that they did so
becanse he was a foreigner'-that they had ac-
cepted the proscrptive dogma of Americanlsm.
This would be- false, but it would nevertheless be
persisted in and believed. The Republican cause
has now a sufficient load of unjust odlum to sus-
tain, without assuming this burden.
The Republicans have been willing from the out
set to adopt the Plurality rule, and let the highest
number of votes elect each officer of the House.
This WAS the rule adopted by the Federal House of
Representatives in 1880, under which Howell
Cobb NOW Secretary of the Treasury was chosen
Speaker, with Democrats for most if not all the
minor Offices. 1t was again adopted by the last
House, and Republican Speaker, an American
Clerk, Democratic Printer and Sergeant-at-
Arms chosen under it, with minor officers semi
Republican, semi Know Nothing. 1t is the
only fair and just rule for such cases; and
We wish it were made portion of the parlia-
mentary law of the country, that whenever two
ballots for an elective officer Of any legislative
body shall have failed to effect choice, plurality
shall elect on the next, and Gin case OF tie) ON
every succeeding vote. This is 3 rule equal and
Just TO all parties, and calculated to save much
valuable time. We are proud of having belonged
to the Wing party which gave seven-eighths of the
votes by which il was carried at Washington in
1880 Though it then enured to the immediate
benefit of their opponents), and to the Republican
party, which steadily supported it in 1856. 1t
ought to have been adopted the first day of the
Session at Albany, and made perpetual, so far as
common consent could give it perpetuity. Then
if the two weaker parties choose to combine in any
case and oyerpower the strongest they can do 50;
if not the strongest party takes the organization,
as it should.
We trust the Republicans will tonight again
urge the Plurality rule aud take a vote on it; if
beaten, we should greatly prefer that three or four
of them should withhold their votes, and let the
Alyord and Wilson coalition prevail, if it can
once more rally the votes of all the Democrats and
most of the Americans. Do not let the Organiza-
ton be longer delayed. Let no Republican engage
in any bargain; but, if we cannot choose our can
didates, let our opponents choose theirs. The
offices are not worth another weeks contest.