Weston weekly leader. [volume] (Weston, Umatilla County, Or.) 1878-189?, 1880-07-10
wnLIAn =. EscErsn.

Scott county, the son of Major Elisha G..
English, Kentuekian by birth, who EN-.
igrated to Indiana in 1918, and during a
long and honored life filed several posi-
tions Of important trust in the gift of
the people and the Government Will
liam, after obtaining such educational
advantages as the common school of that
newly settled region afforded, took three
years course Of study at South Hanover
College, studied law and was admitted to
practice in the Ciresit Court at the early
age of eighteen. Politics, however, had
more attraction for him than his profess
sion, and early engaged his attention,
for while in his teens he was a delegate
from Scott county to the Democratic
State Convention at Indianapolis-and
in the famous sshard cider and log cabin"
campaign Of 1910 he took very active
part as stump speaker. Under Tyler
the young politician obtained his first
ofice-the postof6oe of his native village
Lexington. In 1843 he was chosen
Clerk Of the Indiana House of Represen-
tatives, and after tho election of Polk,
spent four years in the Treasury Depart
ment at Washington. Democracy, it
may be said, was hereditary in the Eng
lish family. The father and uncle of
Mrs. English were Vice Presidents in
the National Convention of lS4S, and
swo other uncles delegates, all four
brothers being members of Legislature in
different States.
In 1850 Mr.. English was elected Sec
retary Of the Constitutional Convention
| A year later he was sent to the FIRST
Legislature that met under the provisions
of the constitution then adopted, where
= signal honor awaited him. In the
Democratic caucus on the Speakership
Mr.. English received % votes to 81 for
John w. Davis, who had been Speaker
of tho twenty ninth Congress, and when
a few days later Mr.. Davis resigned,
owing to disagreement with the House,
his young rival was chosen as his success
sor, and discharged 80 well the duties Of
his Office that, though it was the first ses
sion held under the provisions Of the new
constitution, not a single appeal was
taken from his decisions In 1852 Mr.
English was elected to Congress, defeat
ing John D. Ferguson by 4s8 votes; be
ing reelected in 1854, defeating Judge
Thomas G. Slaughter by 5ss' and agair
in 1856 and 1858, his majority on the
last occasion that he consented to ru1
being 1872.
The eight years during which Mr.. Eng
lish sat In Congress were crowded Will
important events, and he had his full
share an the work of making history
As member of the committee on Terri
, tories at the time of the introduction o
the Kansas Nebraska bill, he submitted
. minority report containing the 'popu
lar sovereignty" idea which Mr.. Greele!
says in his American Conflict" coult
; not have bean defeated but for the par
liamentary maneuver which cut off al
J amendments but the substitution of tn
Senate bill Mr.. English, it may b
{ added, was one of the three or fonr mem
hers from the Free States who survives
the storm that decendsd on the support
> ers of the hill. The committee was com
posed of Mr.. English, Mr.. Alexander B
Stephens and the late w. A. Howard, Q
: Michigan, on the part Of the House. an
r of Senator Greene, Of Missouri R. NJ. ]
0 Hunter and Seward. The conference n
sulted in the adoption Of the K.nsa
D compromise measure, commonly know
as ''the English bill, !" which finally passe
. both Houses Of Congress and became