The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-06
Mr.. GROW AND THE Next spEAKERsHIP.

Reflection ON the subject only brings out in
eolors Of reprehension the action Of Mr.. Grow and
his associates in defeating the annual appropriation
bill for the Post Office Department. Mr.. Grow was
the nominee Of the blackrepublicans Of the
PRED Congress- for the office of Speaker He will be
the nominee Of the same party for the office at
the opening Of the next Congress. The Americans
have announced a determination to make common
with the republicans and any and every phase
Of opposition in common effort to defeat the demo
cratic party Thus il is plain that Mr.. Grow viii be
the candidate Of the coaliuon of the next Congress
for the Speakership of the House.
The elections for the next House. with six OF
seven exceptions. have been all made in the northern
States The elections still to be held are those for
the southern States, aud California and Oregon. I'm
less the democratic party shall gain nearly all of the
districts now represented by southern Americans,
they viii lose the next House OF Representatives.
Mr. Grow does not seen. to have been willing to en-
counter even this hazard. The game for the next
Speakership was almost certainly Won, and he de-
sired to make assurance doubly sure lie desired TO
precipitate the organization of the next House, by
forcing on an extra session, at time too early to
permit elections to be held in California and Oregon
at least if not in some of the southern States in
time for the elected members to reach Washington
before the organization of the House
The factious movement that he accordingly made
in the House, was the most indicate and disgrace
full thing that has been enacted in its whole his
tory A candidate for the Speakership Of new Con-
gress is the who moves measure to disorganize
present Congress, and force the meeting of
one at time when members opposed TO his preten-
sions viii be unable to be present at the Of gov
erument Three votes, two votes, one vote out of
the way at the opening of the next Congress, may
probably secure the election of Mr.. Grow to the
speakership. Seventysix oreigbt members to be
elected in due course during the next summer three
of them in the distant STATES of the Pacific. These
are the circumstances under which candidate for
the Speakersbp, from the section i'll which the cleo
tions are completed has the hardhood and erontery
to step forward to force extraordinary and pre-
mature convenng of the body before which he is to
be a candidate
We shall see whether The republican, party of this
country will make themselves party to deliberate
fraud of this gross and disgraceu character There
was no necessity for the proceeding of Mr.. Grow.
There was no precedent for it in the parliamentary
history of the United States or of England There
was no excuse for the proceeding. II must have
been suggested by motive having regard to the
public interest OF the public service. The amend
uIent which Senate had put upon the House Post
Office bill proposed to take away the franng privi-
lege from members and to raise the rates of letter
postage from three cents TO fpe. It mattered moi
Il. a. II e 1
visions. If it objected to them the plain and usual
course was TO non-concur in the amendments of the
Senate That would have sent back the bill to a
conference committee, and the committee would
have sustained the House more probably than the
Senate.
But Mr.. Grows object was not to defeat the
amendment Of the Senate and he did not allow The
bill to go through this natural and usual process o.
reference His object was to defeat the bill itself
and this he determined to do even if its defeat
ried along with it, he threatened, the defeat of al
the other appropriation bills He did not move tc
take up the bill and to non-concur in the Senate
amendment III moved resolution by which The
House sent back the whole bill as a tainted thing
which it would not touch or consider at all accom-
panied by resolution of insult TO the Senate. Such
resolution as that adopted by the House was never
heard of in the congressional history Of this country
nor IN the parliamentary history of Great Britain
and its unprecedented and wanton character made il
all the insulting to the Senate 1t intended
TO be 30. Ii was intended to force upon that body
question Of punctilio which it could not ignore anG
thus to the expiring moments of the session
ia a debate which must exclude action on the BILL
Well, the deed is done There is appropriation
for carrying the mails of this vast country any
one mile of its immense territory after the first o
next July There is no power in the government t.
contract for its carriage, TO pay cent in de
frayal Of the expenses of mail transportation. TIL,
old contractors may wantohly come forward and prof
fer to carry the mails the old or on reduced
schedules, and trust TO Congress for their remunera
ton; but the department has power to enter into
contracts or to bind the government to the paymen
of dollar. Either this state of things must ensu,
to the disgrace of great people, able and willing t.
pay their just public debts else the new Congress
must be called together before all its members cal
be elected, and Mr. Grow be made Speaker il
consequence OF his sharp practice.
II must be confessed that this is a new mode o
eectioneering for the Speakership. But Office won
by this means, though il be the third office il
the American government will bring its incumben