The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-19

CANDIDATES FOR THE SPEAKERsHIp.-There are
number Of members Of Congress, of all par
ties and sections, who are very anxious to serve
their country in the high and honorable post of
Speaker OF the House. Foremost in the demo
cratic ranks is Mr.. Phelps, of Missouri, an ac-
tive, honest intelligent man, thoroughly posted
up in all legislative matters, and well trained
in the business Of the House. He has been
prominent member of the Committee Of Ways
and Means for two or three Congresses. Last
session he was the chairman of that committee,
and the preceding session be was quite as
much so, although the nominal Craftsmanship
was in Mr.. J. CLANCY Jones, Of Pennsylvania
Mr.. Phelps would make capital Speaker; and
as he is highly popular among all parties he
would be almost certain Of getting the caucus
nomination if that nomination were anything
more than feint or blind, to be kept up for
few days and then removed to allow the demo-
cratic vote to be cast for the candidate of the
Southern oppositionists.
Mr. Bocock, of Virginia, is understood to be
looking for the democratic nomination, and it
is not unlikely that, under such circum-
stances and with such an understanding,
Cochrane, of New York, is also regarded as a
prominent candidate, and if there were any
chance of democrat being elected, the strug
gle in caucus would probably be between
him and Phelps; but as matters stand, they
might as well withdraw their pretensions, and
make room for some lesser light, who would be
Satisfied with the empty compliment Of the no
mination.
The contest in the republican caucus will be
between Grow, of Pennsylvania; Sherman, of
Ohio, and Corwin, Of Ohio. Grow received
the caucus nomination in the last Congress,
when there was no chance of his being elected,
and he has sort of half recognized claim,
therefore, for the next caucus nomination,
when there might appear to be some chance.
He is clever, offhand sort of fellow, and
has been recognized as one of the leaders of
his party in the House. He is principally dis
tnguished, however, for his pugilistic encoun-
ter with the chivalric Keitt, in the session be-
fore last, for his. idiosyncracy about Kansas,
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makes, and for his having charge of the Home.
stead bill Sherman is more sedate and digni-
fed, and is great on figures and on government
tai expenditures. Corwin was Secretary of the
Treasury under Fillmore and made nice thing
out of the Gardiner and Galphin claims. His sole
prospect of getting the nomination lies in the
hope that he may be selected so as to get over
few votes from the representatives of the old
line wing party, now known as Southern oppo-
sitionists. We would not be surprised, how
ever, if the choice fell on neither of these
three, but on Stanton, of Ohio-an able law
yer, a good debater, and man of great infu-
ence and popularity in the House.
As to the Southern opposition party, rumor
does not say much about their prospective
candidates. None Of them are known as hav-
ing qualifications for the post, EXCEPT it be
Henry Winter Davis, Of Maryland; and as his
election will probably be contested on the
ground of intimidation to voters, ard as the
whole Baltimore election may and ought to be
vitiated on that ground, he will hardly be put
forward. Etheridge, of Tennessee, is spoken
Of but he is entirely unsuited to the position.
In the meantime parties and cliques and in
dividuals are hard at work forming plans and
combinations for the Speakership. Eow they
will all end would puzzle any political wizard
to foretell; but we should not be surprised if,
as we intimated yesterday, the Speake, of the
next House Of Representatives be chosen from
among the Southern oppositionists.