Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1880-07-07
WILLIAM III. ENGLISH.
Stanch for the Union in sci; Stanch
for Hard Money i'm '73-as Unim-
peachable Record.
From the New York sun.

peacnaDle hecorus
From the New York sun.
William II. English, of Indiana,
is 81 wears old. His figure is tall,
erect, and well proportional. He
has high, broad forehead and reg
ular features. His bearing is dig
nified and gentlemanly, and he
would attract attention among
other men. He was educated as a
lawyer, and has practised in the
United States Supreme Court. He
has been Speaker of the Indiana
House of Representatives, mem
Der Of the national House of Rep
resentatives for four consecutive
terms, and has declined to accept
important offices within the gift Of
Presidents. He was President Of
the national bank that was first to
put its issue in circulation. After
retiring from the business of bank
ing he sold his stocks, and it is
said that, although man of great
wealth, he does not own dollars
worth of stock in any corporation.
He retired from active business in
1877.
William II. English went from
the common schools of the neigh
borhood in which he lived to South
Hanover College, where he was for
three years a student. He studied
law, and was admitted to practice
in the Circuit Court before he was
nineteen years old. In his twen-
ty-third year he was admitted to
the Supreme Court Of the United
States. He was for some time as
ISOLATED in practice with Joseph
Marshall. Before he had followed
his profession long he accepted an
appointment in Washington, and he
never afterward practised law. He
went into politics early. Before he
attained his majority he was a
delegate from Scott county to the
Democratic State Convention that
nominated Gen. Tilghman A. How
, ard for Governor of Indiana, and
the journey of the young delegate
to indianapolis and back required
six days of horseback riding. HI
took an active part in the cam
: paign, making speeches in behal
[ of the Democratic nominees
President Tyler appointed hin
postmaster at Lexington, and il
, 1913 he was chosen principal clerl
D of the Indiana House of Repre-
5 sentatives of which james ID
: Williams, now Governor Of Indiana
- was for the first time a member
In the National Democratic Con
d vention of 1S4S, he met Samuel j
Tilden, delegate from New York
s He was clerk of the Senate Com
q mittee on Claims in 1850, where h
}, heard the speeches of Clay, Web
: ster, Calhoun, Benton and Cass il
b the exciting and protracted de
i bates of that memorable session
a He was Secretary Of the Indian
IS Constitutional Convention to re
% wise the Constitution of 1916.
n In 1851 Mr.. English was electe
lie to represent his native county
1t the State Legislature, and, althoug
E. only 30 years old, he was chose
l. Speaker. 1t is said that in th
d course of session covering MOI
y than three months, no appeal wa
p taken from any of his decision
d although the questions discusse
B. were Of the most important and e,
is citing nature that had come b,
in fore an Indiana Legislature
Is many years. Just before his ele,
s. ton as Speaker, to fill vacanc
ID caused by the resignation of Speal
lg err Davis, he was appointed on
ne committee of five to revise IL
st laws of the State, but he decline
~ to serve.
r At the close Of the Legislati,
ee session Of 1851, Mr.. English w
err nominated for Representative
is Congress, and was elected by
E. majority OF 4SS over a worthy COZ
petitor, the late John ID. Ferguso
He gave the Administration
n President Pierce bis hearty su
port. At the opening of th
- Congress, the Kansas ebrasl
90 bill was introduced. Mr.. Engli
"a was a member of the Commit
ed on Territories, and he did not co
sh cur with the majority in the e
II pediency Of bringing forward {
"A measure at that time. 1t is clail
- ed that the Congressional recor
&c will show that Mr.. English broug
forward the popular sovereign
he idea 10 a minority report present
n by him. The slavery question al
It's other matters involved in III
Iat question were before Congress d
re- ring the years in which Mr.. En-
Die lish was a Representative. In o
Of his speeches he said:
ne "I am a native of free Sta
is and have no love for the instiI
lat ton Of slavery. Aside from I