Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-06-22

date TO the once OF Dlsfrfct AtEcrney
in Franklin county, the election being
the fret held under the new constitu.
ton. At the close Of his term Of Office
he was elected 10 the Assembly. this
time as Wing. the county having cast
a tie vote at previous State election
between the Wing and Democratic can.
didates. With the rest of his party he
passed out Of Whiggery into Repabli-
canism, and Mr.. Wheeler reached the
State Senate in January. 1883. to take
his seat in the first Legislature fully
controlled by the Republican party.
Robert Campbell, Republican, was at
this time Lieutenant Governor, and the
position Of President pro tem., 10 which
MIR. Wheeler was elected, was in con-
sequence, apurely honorary position.
Through the sessions of 1858 and 1859
Mr.. Wheeler served in the Senate. and
in the fall Of the last named year he
was elected TO seat in the Thirty-sev.
enth Congress, carrying oil three Of
the strong Republican counties-Clin.
ton. Essex and Franklin-of which the
Sixteenth District was then composed.
Through the long sessions Of this Wa,
Congress Mr.. Wheeler voted with his
party, and with that constantly Tecur.
ring duty exhausted his usefulness in
Congress. 9fthe measures which came
before this Congress and which were Of
strictly peaceful interest, the pct appro-
priating public lands TO the. Union Pa
cifc passed the House April 8. 1867
For this bill Mr.. Wheeler voted With
the close Of the Thirty-seventh Con-
gress another interregnam Of four years
in his public lie followed.
In April 1867 MIR. Wheeler was cleo.
ted member ofthe Constitutions Con.
vention which met in the following
June. The Republican party had
majority of the delegates and the Mon.
day before the Convention met eau
Gus was held and Mr.. Wheeler was
nominated as'the caucus candidate for
the position OF chairman. As chairman
OF the convention, MIR. Wheeler's posi-.
ton removed him from the debates on
the floor, and his record in this body
presented as few salient points As does
his record Throughout his public life.. His
opening speech on taking the chair dealt
principally with the question of negro
suffrage, and the committee which he
made up at later date in the Interests
OF this alteration in the organic law re.
ported an article carrying out the
change. which the people afterwards
refused by'a heavy majority to ra,ify.
The fall after the adjournment of the
Constitutional Convention Mr.. Wheeler
was nominated for Congress in the
Seventeenth District, Franklin and So.
Lawrence counties, and elected to the
Forty-frst Congress, in which he took
his seat in the March following. When
the newly-elcctcd Speaker, Mr.. Blame,
made out the committees MIR. Wheel
er's name appe AIRED as Chairman of the
Committee on the Pacific Railroad, and
such prominence as he enjoyed during
the next two years was in connection
with the legislation OF this fruitful sub
ject. Mr.. Wheeler held the same posi-
ton also in the ensuing Congress, to
which he was elected with little oppo-
sition in the autumn of 1870. In tho
next. the Forty-third Congress, he was
succeeded as Chairman Of this commit
tee by MIR. Sawyer. of Wisconsin, and
in the present Congress he is ON the
Committee on Appropriations.
Including the pre,ent and still unex-
pred session. Mr.. Wheeler has hereto
fore had overseven' years continuous
service in Congress, beginning March
4, 1869, an unusually long term of SER
vice. He has made few speeches in
that time, and such influence as he has
exerted upon current legislation has
been almost exclusively in the commit
tees with which he is connected. Sub
sidy bills from first to last he has con-
sistently supported. The Texas Paci-
fic land grant Of 5000. 900 acres re-
ccived hi, vote in the close of the For
ty-frst Congress, when little earnest
opposition would have saved the nation
from spoliation. The extension of the
time within which the St. Croix and.
Bayfield, Railroad was to be construc-
ted asked for in February, 1872, by the
North Pacific road, was another scheme
which received Mr.. Wheeler's vote and
attention for the bill and against all
amendments thereto, down to the last
which General Banks obtained, and
which rendered it useless to its proiec-
tors. Upon the question of Civil Ser
vice Reform, Mr.. Wheeler has consis-
tently followed his party, and ended
the dreary farce by voting to kill Rep
resentative Wizards bill making il q
misdemcanor for Congressman to solicit
office. On the tariff Mr.. Wheeler has
been in the main protectionist, al
though he voted against placing tea and
coffee on the free list in 1872. Beyond
voting with the majority Of his party.
Mr.. Wheeler's action on financial ques-
tons calls for little comment.