The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-01-18
PROCEEDINGS on THE THIRTY Y-SIXTH CONGRESS

| Senate communication from the Secretary OF
| War, in relation to the removal of obstructiOns
from the mouth of the Mississippi river, which
| referred to the Committee on Commerce.
| Mr. FITZPATRICK presented a memorial from the
Legislature of Alabama in reference to the esta5-
lishment of an arsenal within that State, for the
manufacture of cannon, &c.
Mr.. SUMNER introduced a bill supplementary to
Gan act to limit the liability of ship and for
other purposes" approved Sd March, 1851.
| Mr.. CAMERON introduced a bill for the relief of
the widow of Gen. p. F. Smith.
| Mr.. MASON introduced the memorial of the Alex
andria and Washington Railroad Company, asking
| permission to bring their road across the long
| bridge and connect with the Baltimore and Ohio
| Railroad.
Mr. SLIDELL, from the Select Committee, to whom
| the subject had been referred, reported back the
bill prohibiting the circulation in the District of
Columbia, of bills under twenty dollars, with the
recommendation that it pass
! Mr.. CLAY gave notice of his intention to intro
| duce BILL giving the assent of Congress to any
| act which may be passed by the State of Alabama,
authorizing the municipal authorities of Mobile to
impose tonnage duties vessels entering that har
| Dor. for the Improvement thereof.
| Mr. BGowN gave the reasons why he should vote
against the Democratic nominee for printer of the
| Senate, George W. Bowman, editor of the Wash
| ington Constitution. He charged Gen, Bowman
with being interested in the public printing in
violation of law while he Superintendent of
| the Public Printing.
| Mr. BIGLER replied in defence of Gen. Bowman
and excupated the Executive and heads of De
partments from the implied charge of corruption.
| Mr.. DAVIS defended Mr.. Bowman from the charges
made against him.
The Senate then proceeded to ballot for printer
Pc votes being necessary to choice. Mr.. Bow
man received q, and was duly elected Messrs.
Weston q Coombs received l6 votes, and there were
| some scattering votes
The Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
There being slim attendance when the hour of
meeting arrived there call of the House.
| NJ DF.Nr hl,ntt,
ing the plurality rule. He did so, be sad to avoid
| confusion.
Mr. HUrCHINs (the successor of Mr.. Giddings)
said he concurred with his political friend that dis
cussion anterior to the organization of the House
is out of place and out of order. 1t has been
Quoted in exceedingly bad TASTE to use no harsher
| term. The Republican party ,,with which he was
proud to act and the people of the free States, had
been rudely, he might say shamelessly, aSsailed;
their principles and acts grossly misrepresented;
their motives and patriotism rudeiy impeached and
their citizens had been denounced worthy Of the
gallows for frankly expressing their constitutional
| rights on the subject of slavery.
| A resolution had been introduced here, saying
that the person who did a certain thing unfit
to be Speaker. There great many men unfit
to be Speaker. His opinion was that any man who
pursues pro-savery jogging policy, is politically
unfit to be Speaker, and so is any man who be-
lieves it right to reopen the African slave trade
opposes the admission of Kansas into the Union un-
der her recently adopted Constitutions but he would
I
| duce resolution to this effect He denied the
right of the minority or majority TO prescribe a
rule by which his vote for Speaker is to be con-
! trolled or regulated. Gentlemen were to deter
mine by their votes who was fit or unfit to be
Speaker, and that man who can receive a ma jority
of votes in any way the House sees proper to adopt,
is fit to be the Speaker. ma orty of the House
want an organization, and the country is sick at
heart with these oratorical polemic exercises.
The House, he contended, could be organized by
the adoption of the plurality rule, the constitution
ality of which he defended They must adopt the
plurality rule go without organization. There
was a small but respectable minority here who
were opposed to an organization. He spoke of the
sufferings of the Government creditors throughout
the land; and said there was wanted only little
more of the "By the Eternal Spirit, and the House
would be organized. In conclusion, he offered a
resolution that the House proceed to the elec-
ton of Speaker riua Uoce, and that the person
having the largest number of votes shall be Speak
er. He moved the previous question
Mr. WINsLow and others objected.
Mr. DAVIDSON moved that There be a call of the
House, which motion was decided in the negative
yeas LOG, nays 109.
Messrs. Winslow, Reagan, Barksdale and Hous
ton, severally raised points of order, that the
plurality resolution is not in order-the pending
questions must first be disposed of.
MIR. Washburne, of Maine, and others, took
different view of the matter.
Messrs. Burnett and Houston severaly referred
to the fact that, previous to the election OF Mr.
Banks as Speaker, the gentleman from Maine Mr.
, offered by Mr. Dunn They did this to show the
inconsistency of the first named gentleman
Mr.. WASHBURN, in the course of his reply, said
| the question of his consistency or inconsistency
was not so important as whether he right
By voting Mr.. Dunn'S resolutions he did not
commit himself to the question OF order.
Mr.. SICKLEs made speech, in the course o.
which he said that no question Of order raised
, when Mr.. Clark, of Missouri, offered his resolu
tion and the House, therefore, had the right tC
believe that the resolution properly before
it, and there was way by which it could be got
rid of except by motion to lay it upon the table
| or by direct vote He then suggested mode by
which Speaker could be selected in a Consttu
tional mode, prescribed by majority of the House
| TThe same as that published this morning
Mr.. BRANCH moved that the House proceed tC
the eef ton of Speaker. The country should SET
that the House had made another honest effort tC
/ that end.
MIR. HICKMAN said that the House had come
to a dead lock, and that Southern men had combined
, with Northern men to prevent the expression o
, the Will of majority. He further stated thai
|, | o;thern men were controlled by Southern men
He would not consent to another vote until The
, plurality or some analogous resolution, shall be
adopted.
Mr.. MoCLERNAND replied, calling Mr.. Hickman
traitor from the Democratic party, follower o
Seward and the tool and instrument of the Repub
cans. He also accused Mr.. Hickman Of having
boxed all points of the political compass, and said
Objectionable as Mr.. Sherman was, he preferred
| him to Hickman.
Mr.. Pryor characterized Mr.. Hickman's remarks
against the Democrats as false, for which he wa
called to order. Having concluded his remarks,
f Mr.. HICKMAN replied, saying, among othe
things, such language reply to his argu
ments.
, Mr.. McRAE obtained the floor, and then th
House adjourned.