The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-01-22
lfrom the State Register, Jan. IG. |
The LEGISLATIVE IOck


| 80 NOkdpI6 LOCKS m
American Legislation.
Although the present tie in the
douse, Is, SO far as we learn, tn,
hrst genuine dead lock in Iowa leg
lslatlon, such affairs are by no means
new in this country. Piobably tn,
most notable transaction of the kinG
in American history occurred al
Washington in 1855, commencing
December third, and continuing till
February second of the following
year. The National House of Rep.
resentatives was the scene and the
contest was for the Speakership.
The candidates were Humphrey
Marshall, of Kentucky William A.
Richardson, of Illinois Henry M.
Fuller, of Pennsylvania; Lewis d.
Campbell, of Ohio Alexander G. M.
bennington, of New Jersey, and
Nathaniel p. Banks, Jr., of Massa-
chusetts. Towards the last howev-
er, VIM. Aiken, of South Carolina,
came out as the only prominent COM
petitor Of Mr.. Banks.
The Gordian knot was united on
the one hundred and thirty.third
ballot, when Mr.. Banks having re-.
ceived one hundred and three votes
was declared elected, although this
was not a majority of all the votes
cast, yet it was in compliance with
the terms OF the following resolution
passed by the House on the I'd day
Of February, A. d. 1856:
Res0lced, That the House will proceed
immediately to the election of speaker
csca 0Oce. Ii, after the roll shall have
oeen called three times, no member shall
nave received majority of all the votes
cast, the roll shall again be called, and the
member who shall receive the largest num-
Der OF votes, provided it be majority of q
quorum, shall be declared duly elected
Speaker OF the House of Representatives
of the 34th Congress.
This lock in the legislative depart
ment of the government lasted from
the Sd of December, 1855, to the I'd
of February 1856, period of just
two months, and the above resolu-
tlon was the magic key that unlock
ed 1t and set the law making machin-
cry In motion. Mr.. Banks was con-
Quoted to the chair by Mr.. William
Aiken, of South Carolina, Mr.. Hen
ry M. Fuller, of Pennsylvania and
Mr.. Lewis d. Campbell, of Ohio, all
his competition tor the position.
John w. Forney was the presiding
officer of the House during the con.
test.
Another notable incident of this
kind was the contest in the Ohio
Legislature in 1S49. There were
fifteen Free Soil members and they
held the balance of power. Three
candidates for the Speakership were
IN the field. The Wings secured
the temporary Speaker. One day
ne carelessiy lett his char to go
down on the floor to speak TO mem
Der. A Democrat quietly took the
seat and occupied it for the rest OF
the day. Eight days the fight last
ed and at it's close Mr.. Swift was de
cl tred elected, and the result of com
binlng of forces that elected him sent
Salmon 2. Chase to the United
States Senate. The Vermont Legis
lature also had siege of this kind,
that continued four weeks, but of the
particulars we are uninformed.
A remarkable tie took place many
years ago in the Indian Legislature,
the contestants being Col. John
Reid, brother of Gen. Hugh NJ
Reid, of Keokuk, and Jesse D..
Bright. There were enough scat.
tering votes to prevent an election
for several weeks. In fact it was
the scattering votes that occasioned
the tie in all the cases named in this
article. Our Iowa deadlock is said,
by old veterans in political struggles,
to be the only one on record where
the votes of two, and only two par
ties, have been exactly the same.
In this connection we present the
following open address to the House,
sent to this Office last evening by Mr..
Steele, a gentleman whose in:elli-
gent judgment is entitled to weight
and who adds to that lifelong re-
cord as an ardent politician. Its
propositions are new to most of peo-
pie and, We doubt not, will be to
most of the members Of the House.
To the Honorable Body, the House
Of Representatives Of the State of
Loaoa.-Gentlemen: Permit an old
constituent now, and well.wisher of
the prosperity OF the State at large,
and the good feeling of all members
of your Honorable body, one towards
another, to suggest for your deliber-
ate consideration, the following plan,
to settle the 'deadlock' in your honor
able body, in relation to electiDg a
Speaker, that will satisfy all reasona,
BILE constituents, of either side and
maintain the dignity of each and
every member towards each other,
and rebound to the substantial inter-
est of the entire State: Elect by un-
animous vote one of your present
candidates, with the deliberate
pledge of each member and himself,
that when he presides, not longer
than half the term he resigns, and
the House elect by same unanimous
vote the other gentleman who is now
a candidate, to serve out the other
half OF the term. The Speaker, when
elected, and the other candidate who
is to be elected to fill the chair on
last half of the term shall be ap-
pointed a committee to appoint the
committees. This committee shall
select the committees in the follow
ing manner: Mr.. Gear or Mr.. Dixon
shall chose alternately chairman OF
the committees, and continue 50 do
ing till all the committees are filled !;
said committees to be appointed and
agreed upon by both parties before
either Candidate is elected to Office,
and, the members of the general
committees shall be agreed upon and
appointed as thus chosen.
precedent of the above will be
found in the Indiana Legislature
some % years ago between Jesse d.
Bright and the Honorable Mr.. Reed.
HUMANITY.-When / see leaves
drop from the trees in the beginning