New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-17
FROM WASHINGTON.
APPEARANCE OF THE HOUSE WHEN POTTER EN-
TEREDfr ON HIS RETURN FROM Thh VARS
ppsArr ON HIS RESOLUTION FOR CLERK OF

HIS COMMITTEE.
no" ~ O''''''"~ WssnINGToN ANIL 10, 1860,
This afternoon, about two o'clock, Mr., Potter Of
Wisconsin, after on absence Of forty.eight hours,
catered the House of Representatives. He cameiu
without being heralded, in bis usual quiet manner,
taking the House by surprise. No sooner was his
face Recognized, than score Of Republican mem
bers rushed forward to greet him; and soon there
was a universal uprising on that side of the Cham
Der, Potter retreating to the cloak-room, aud the
crowd following. The salutatiOns were hearty and |
general even the doorkeepers and pages participant
NJ in the enthusiasm.
Ii was whispered from lip to lip in the galleries,
"That is Potter" and soon the spectators from
bOve were bending over to catch better view OF
he scene transpiring below.
For an hour or more before Mr. Potter came in
he termination of his affair with Pryor was the
ubiect Of anxious comment upon the Democratic
side of tie Hall. Heads 10 clusters of threes and
tours were i'll earnest but subdued cogtation; and
though there was an occasional waive of the hand
OF other impatient gesture, indicating indifference
or contempt even, yet the general aspect vas lud-
crously grave and deprecstery. Usually,tby
o'clock D. NJ, the of the Democracy gets to be
hilarious, not TO say jolly The writer hereof has
often been present when solemn and touching pray
ers were pat up by gifted chaplans Or the souls OF
honorable gentlemen; and occasionally when I'M
pressiye funeral rites performed over the re-
mains of some fay0rite member; but he has never
witnessed upon the Democratic side OF the
House, and especially among the Chivary,
such general and extreme elOngatiOn OF counte-
nauc e as was exhibited to day. We doubt whether
the observant eye of Layater himself ever saw sew
enty men whose combined faces displayed so many
| feet lnea measure, theirs. Nor did the glow
| of satisfaction which mantled every Republican
| rhoaE .ahan Potter etonninu prept I hia wont.
his head firmly poised bis iron features and keen
| gray eye indicating selfpOssessiOn and calm cOur-
| age, was literally crowded into the clOak-room by
the greetings and congratulations which his friends
| pressed upon hm-DOr did this unprecedented and
spontaneous tribute to the man who had de non
strated" that he stood by his words, while his
Wanting foe had been compelled to eat his, tend
TO tighten up the visages and cheer the hearts
of his dropping sympathzers in the other wing of
the Chamber
Potter was in his place. But where was he of
! the flowing black locks, prOtuberant nasal appen-
| dage, and vast expanse of shirt collar1 No one in
! the House certainly knew, though men of ardent
lmaglDations fancied that at that precise iuncture
he might be snugly esconced in rear room of a
diDgy hotel in the ancient town of Alexandria tow
ing with an unpalatable dinner, and Illuminating
over the dietetic problem whether worms preferred
TO have their meat served up whole cut into
slices.
When Potter entered the House, the Committees
NtIt DfiDE Ctlltu fcpOite. NOb iOHR dlUeT ne 4
came in the Committee of Revolutionary Pensions,
of which be is Chairman, was called. At its last |
meeting the Committee had resolved 10 ask the |
House TO vote them clerk. And now, when the |
Chair announced that reports from this Committee
were in order, Potter rose. Instantly the House,
which had been in unusual confusion all day, sank
into the most profound silence. The Chivalry, es-
pecally strained their eyes to catch the hneaments
of the man who had crushed their champion under
lIs heel, and now wanted clerk for his Commit
tee. Quite debate sprang up on his motion.
Potter, in tones and manner which indicated not |
the slightest embarrassment on account of the nov
city OF his position, explained the reasons why his
Committee needed a clerk. Barksdale, the vo
ciferous, and Burnett, the logged, opposed The mo-
lion, but were careful TO use the most respectful
language toward Potter. He very seldom address
es the House; but ever since his encounter with
X lit and his hackers, two years ago, whenever it
has been necessary TO allude to him, the Chiyalry
have called him "the memJcr from Wisconsin.
Pryor invariably used this term in the collOduy
with him on Wednesday.
But to-day Barksdale and Burnett in the run
ming debate on the resolution, persstently called
him either the gentleman from Wisconsin" or,
more frequently, 1.-THE honorable gentleman from
Wisconsin" And Mr.. Thomas of Tennessee one |
Of POtters colleagues on the Committee, bestowed |
unmeasuTed encOmiums upon the fidelity with |
which be discharged his duties, informing the House
that if all the other members were as laboriOus |
"tbe honorable Chairman" there would be no |
need of having ERIK. During the rest Of the de-
bate, Thomoss keynote was echoed by all the dis
putants on the Democratic side, and Potter was |
thencetoTward the honorable Chairman Of the |
Committee" How much virtue, to some eyes,
there is in the CLEAN Of bowie-knfe
Though the House had just denied Clerks to two |
or three Committees, it was evident that Potter's
motion would privail. Burnett politely suggested |
an amendment. Potter rose and blandy accepted |
IT. Barksdale desired to PROFOUND question to |
:" the honorable Chairman of the Committee" and |
the Chairman inclined his honorable ear toward the
fiery Mississipan, and impaired 70 him the desired |
information. The manner in which the House |
went of into the usual buzz and turmoil while Bur- |
nett and the others were speaking, and sank into |
the deepest silence whenever Potter replied, was |
ludicrOusy interesting Tom. Florence finally init
mated that the House was ready for the vote, and |
the House agreed with Tom. Florence. The pre-
vOus question was sustained, aud on a call of the
Yeas and Nays the motion was adopted by about
two to one.
THE POTTER AND PRYOR AFFAIR.