Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-02-19
SCENES IN THE HOUsE.--THE VOTE
on LEC0NpTON.

enc, of the Albany Evening Journal, the
following graphic description Of tho s"anoa
attaining the passage o Harris rs, ,lution
WAsul>G1oN. Feb. s, 1e5s.
Ine House oi Representatives was the
theatre Of more profound feeling to day than
] ever saw exhibited in it, Halls before, cx.
Ccpt on the memorable occasion when the
great Adams sank down lifeless on it, floor.
| have witnessed moro excitement, more
thrilling scenes, more dramatic display, IN
its proceedings, and have often bchcld it more
wild and turbulent !; but never before have
seen it when the members seemed SO deeply
impressed with the conviction that the Poo
pie. House was deciding question involy-
ing the future destiny of the Great Republic
Of the West
Members repaired to their seats in the Hall
at an early hour Only six of tn" two hun
; |trj n.j thirty-'rur REPRESENTATIVES w.rc
/ dl-,nl. Iun @Ili jur l4is>lr.s of the
/ Chambcr were already tnrruad with
/ deeply int. rested ma-~ Of itrliic 1Irc and
| beauty. lh" sharp rap oi the gaynl, a. the
/ clock told twelve, calling the liou-c t. order.
| was followed by "A prayer bctitinG the momru-
| tpus occasion. Instantly. hum OF anxiety
and curiosity throbbed and thrilled through
/ the vast crowd, rendering the reading Of the
/ Clerk journal inaudible to Il concourse who
were eagerly awaiting IL contest h"twccn
/ Freedom and Slavery which was to commence
as soon as that forQaity had closed.
The usually shril voice of the Speaker as
sumed It subducd tone as he announced the
| pending question, viz, the secondng of the
demand for the previous question ON the pro-
| posed amdcndmcnt of Mr.. Harris To the
resolution Of Mr.. Stephens to refer the Prcsi-
! = r, "a on
on Territories.
At this moment, the excitement in the
| House was all-pervAding, but deer and sub
ducd. Tellers were demanded. The Speaker
| summoned two stalwart men to the area
| Gen. Burlington, of Massachusetts, and Col.
| Craige, Of North Carolina and called upon
the affirmative to /" pass between the tellcrs. =
The puhlicans, with rapid step, Father
| Giddings in advance, went down in a body,
! leaving the left side Of the Chamber almost
deserted From the right side, Harris, small
and wiry. Montgomery, broad and athletic,
/ Gro, ,hock, tall and digniicd, led the Dou-
| glaS Democrats through the tcllers. While
the elegant form of Winter Davis and the
bushy mead and burly body of Humphrey
MARSHALL. wcr" seen mingled in the crowd of
aifrmutiycs.
All having passed through and Gen Buff
cgd, lone hundred and ten in the aifrma-
tive. Those opposed will pass between the
tcllcrS. For a moment, free hearts sank in
many bJsoms. Anti-Lecompton had expected
lib votes. Now the Pro-Savery side of the
Hall en maSsc went down 10 the area amin
gled expression of anxiety and exultation was
Hitting across many Lecompton faces as they
crowded through the tellers. Gen Burlington
again reports 10 the Speaker. Heads are ca
| gerry bent forward to catch his voice--but in
vain. All is silent as the grave. ''The tel
| lers report one hundred and four in the neg
| tive. The ayes have it, and the demand for
| the previous question i seconded thought
| detected a slight trcmor in Col. Orr's ring
| ing voice as he announced the result. And
now, what buzz and hum arose from the
vast crowd, while Freedom breathed again
"Nhall the main question be now put ?'
said the Speaker. Ayes and Noes =" shout
ed a hundred voices 'All in favor of taking
the question by ayes and noes, will rise. -
\ hundred Republicans and Democrats were
on their feet, ere half the words were out of
the Speakers mouth "A sufficient number
! up--tno yeas and nays are ordered. - cried
! Orr.
And now commenced the calling of the roll
| The responses on the Democratic side were
| watched by eager ears, while a hundred and
more of quvcring pencils kept tally. The
! Clerk called the roll with rare di>tinctncss -
As he reached the name of Mr. Clemens, of
Va, that gentleman rose and said, that he
had paired off with MIR. Lawrence, (Douglas
Democrat, of Ohio,) till the arrival of the
Baltimore train this morning. The usual
hour for the arrival of that train having
passed he claimed the right to vote lie did
| sO-rcspOnding ''H0.
The Clerk slowly read over the lit of af
tirnatiyes and negatives, amid the profound
silence of the Chamber, when, iust as he was
closing, in rushed Lawrence, dripping with
per>pirtion, oyercoat ON and hat in hand,
and addressed the Chair. \ thousand eyes
were instantly bent upon hm-tor, it was
supposed that the result tremhled in the bal
ancc, and his vote might turn the scale. He
explained the delay in the arrival of the
train and asked the unanimous consent of
the House Ia record his vote in opposition to
that of Mr. Clemens, his pair Two or three
mean voices objected. Clemens, like man, =,
then stepped forward and asked that his vote
h' stricken from thcroll-which was done.
The Chamber held its breath while the
speaker announced. "ln the affirmative, one
hundred and thirteen in the negative, one
hundred and seven, The ayes have 1t, and
the main question is ordered
Aud now came the real tug of battle. All
hniprc this WIS mere preliminary to bring
the House to vote ON the test question (;
which wac thrmotion of stephens { that be-
iuc the privileged motion,) to refer the
Message to the Standing Committee on Terri
ri"s Now there was much running to and fro
uu the tlpor. Long heads were put together.
som" Aut-lacumpton Democrats, whose
knees w"rc thought TO be shuky, or their
ainys not "i the otll,St sort, were drawn
hastily into adjacent cloak rooms. SOME
IMPORTANT rIE,uNAGE,, NOT MEMBERS OF THE
liou,r, wlEr ImrgE. Ominous whisperings
wcr' hastily INDUCED m.-Ono Democrat
ic member Vds heard To say, with an en-
pha,is which rather started another Demo
cratic memlor, II don't caro- d-n for the
! patronage of the Administration | shall
! vote "a, | please
The rJiliu- of the roll went ON. Two ol
' tW.c mon az the cly,y changed their vote
IN hum OF conversation on the door sank tC
Z a -illn,c rainiully profound, and even tn,
. iItW, 90 auup0m, 6lmpl tons IN the gale
10 = l.t-.e, 4s th. tllE hand d an ominou
t.ri. 'il of run pr' -pa-Egr. l. trembleC
IN ,... Or. ha0.u- ,.anu5unc j In IL,
{ Affirmative. one NumIrti and la.r,teu; in th'
h ne-iti.. uup hHlll n} nu',lN. Ih
uo.- ba1. b.. Them, 'nn "a thc -.ntlemu
lrum Gror-. +. I-t ino question now re
" ours ulsu tb. uu nim'ut Of th, g,utlcma,
IS lr,m llmui.. e. r Ter ,h' Ne,.t tp ;>clr'
u COMMITTEE pt ll'. u. NiA Instructions
" Now Gl"l M.A. l.... M ais uf r'ao
u uH.i.r. va. u.J.e. N... got '"m 90
ID ,gi.i .pa.',1. .,r... .t.i ,... The ~l',
r@l, T. drad .' D.. pond a p -oth'-i g
Lrlt. "Nailius rather Ci''. in tlr wiaj.
+, r"Il,,l 20 grave m.U D. i-l..l .r.Dl Wu .