Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-01-25
E5r. H1:chi1s' SDanrI.

lows. in favor of the adoPtionof the plural
ity rule. a motion for Tie adoption of which
he made at TIC close of his remarks:
Mr.. HUTCHINS. Of Ohio. said that up
to this time. in obedience to a policy which
Was approved by the judgment of a major
ity of his political friends, and in accord
ance with his own judgment. he had re-
Trained from participation in the discussion
which has taken place preliminary to an
organization. He fully concurred with his
political friends that such 4 discussion. an
terror to an organization, is out Of place
and out Of order, and he must be allowed
to say. that. in his judgment, it had been
conducted IN exceeding bad taste, to use no
harsher term. The Republican party. and
the people of the Free States had been rude
ly and shamefully assailcd; their motives,
their principles. and their acts grossly mis-
represented; their patriotism ~impeached,
and som of their number denounced as
worthy of the gallows. for frankly express
ing, in the exercise of their undOubted con-
stitutional rights, their sentiments upon
the subject of slavery. But he did not pro-
pose to reply to any of the arguments which
had been addressed to them from the Dem
ocratie side. because to do so would be to
condemn his W sentiments and action in
the premises. up to this time. Resolutions
had been introduced. and were o PEND.
ing, declaring that certain individuals. en-
tertaining certain opinions and iniOrsing
certain sentiments. are unfit for the Speak
crship. In his judgment there were a great
many who are politically unfit to beSpeak.
or of this House. In his judgment, no man
who sustained the Pro-Slavery, contract,
jobbing policy of the Administration, was
fit politically to be Speaker, or who beiicv.
ed that it is right to reopen the African
slave-trade. or who opposed the admission
of Kansas under her recently adopted Con-
stitution: but he would regard it %entiIely
out of order for him to introduce u resolu-
ton 10 that effect He denied tie right Of
the majority or minorityt to prescribe a rule
by which his vote for Speaker shall be con-
trolled and regulated. They were 70 deter.
mine by their votes who IS fit and who is
unfit to be Speaker of this House, and the
man that could receive a majority Of all the
votes in any way that the House secs fl
to ador:., is, in the opinion of that MAORI
ty. fit to be. Speaker Of this House. lie
intended, however, to confine himself to the
point Of organization. That was n order
and proper to be discussed. He SPOKE fol
nobody, and none of his political friend;
were responsia le for anything that he might
utter. lie was unlike his colleague Mr.
Corwin) in at least one respect, hewas moi
a leader of the Republican party. He i'm.
peached no mans motives, and would con.
cede that every man has discharged hi;
duty conscientiously, both in discussing and
voting. He believed they had faithfully
~endeavored to reach an election by a ma
Ijority. but after six weeks of effort they
had not succeeded. and he believed hat the
majority of members of all parties desired
an organization that the interests of the
Government. and especially the condition
of its creditors, demanded an immediate or
ganization; the country was sick OF theil
rhetorical and pOlemical exercises in thi:
Hall. In the present state of parties hi
believed it was impossible to ever get ;
majority vote for Speaker, directly They
had tried it in vain, but it did seen to hin
that there was one way by which the House
can be organized. Had it como to this
that a majority of the House cannot con.
troll its action-that, if a majority really
desire organization. there vas No way by
which that organization can be eiected?-
If that were so, they were at the mercy o.
a minority, however small that minority
might be. 1t had been said that the plu,
rality rule was unconstitutional. The Ian.
guage of the Constitution was very brief oil
that point: 1.-The House of Representative:
shall choose their Speaker and other off.
GERS" The manner Of choice was as {
matter of course. left entirely to the dis
cretion of the House. 1t might be don. by
voting viva voce, by a secret ballot, or by
the appointment of 4 Committee. Even
admitting. for arguments sake, that a ma.
jority was required, if that majority d..
clared that the person receiving the high.
est number of votes on a given ballot shall
be Speaker, that was the action Of the ma.
jority clecting q Speaker in that way
They had precedents for this course from
both the political parties of the country,
and everybody was familiar with them.
1t did appear to him. from the plain read
ing Of the Constitution, that tie mode Of
election by the plurality rule was Constitu.
tional beyond u peradventure or 4 doubt,
and believing so, of course he was ready to
vote for it; but the question was not now
an open one. having becn decided by the
former action of this House upon two men,
orable occasions, and by different parties
seeking to control the destinics Of this Tn
ion. \ majority of the House believed
that this was a constitutional mode Of or
ganizing. and if others did not think so
they could vote against it, and their opin.
ions would he respected. He was sorry to
be compelled to announce that, IN his judg-
ment. there was a respectable, intelligent.
determined minority upon this floor, who
do not desire an organization. In the eI-
pressed language of one gentleman, (Mr.
Pugh of Alabama) J. if they could have their
way they would re~rpetuatc diseord here
They were but d handful of men, and he
admired their talent and boldncss. They
had proclaimed their purpose to resort to
this as a means of designating the Gov
ernmont. They were a class of men who
believe that the Bible was given to man.
that the Declaration of independence was
adopted, and that the Constitution was
framed and perpetuated for the sole pur-
pose of extending the institution of Negro
Slavery, and who hold that there is such
an incurable sentiment the other way in
the Free States, and in some Of the Slave
Seatcs. that the only remedy is Il pcaccahle
dissolution of this Government. That. he
believed. was the true reason why this
House was not organized. What was in
volvcd in this discussion? In the Trcasu-
ry were about six millions of dollars hon
estly due to needy creditors Of the Govern
ment, for services faithfully performed un-
der the plighted faith of the nation. but
which cannot be paid to them until a bill
apprOpriating it to that purpose is passed.