Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-01-27
The OLD BAY STATE.
PORTRAITS OF THE THREB
MASSACHUSETTS SPEAKERS
Received and Accepted 10y the Gov.
ernment.

The fine portraits of the Massachusetts
speakers-Sedgwick of the sixth congress,
Varnum of the 10th and 18th congresses, and
Banks of the 34th congress-tendered by the
state of Massachusetts, to the house of repre-
sentatives, were eloquently presented
and eloquently accept, in the house of rep.
resentatives. The house took recess at
$50 for half an hour so that the portraits
might lie brought in. They were ranged in
front Of the stenographer's desk,
side by side with that of ex-Speaker
Robert c. Winthrop. which was brought
IN from its plaza in the lobby OF the
house for the occasion. During the recess,
the Councillors, Bourne johnson and Locke,
who had, at o'clock, transferred the Gus
tody OF the portraits to the Massachusetts,
delegation in an appropriate speech by Mr..
johnson, came in and took seats assigned
them IN the front row on the Republican side.
Meanwhile the galleries led with spectators
and members of the house and senate filled
all the seats on the floor. Senator Dawes
and ex-Representative George B. Loring
We're among the spectators on the floor. At
) O'Clock the speaker pro tenpore called the
house to order and recognized Representative
John d. Long, who made the general pres
entation Of the three portraits in behalf of
Massachusetts
THEODORE sEDGwICK
Served in the 1st, ID, 81 and 4th congresses
in the house until he was appointed from the
9TH congress as a United States SENATOR to
succeed Caleb Strong, presenting his creden-
tlPls Dec. 2l, 1876, June CT, 1T9S, he was
elected president pro tempore Of the senate,
serving until July 10. Returned to the
house in the 9th congress Q799, he was
elected speaker, serving till March 3, 1901.
tpl11cntfc NUh api ata fnit
full public service, placed him on her supreme
bench, whsre he remained until his DEATH in
his Goth year. Thus life beginning in 1T46
and ending in 1918, was filled with usefulness
and crowned with honor. Thus il appears that
he served in two congresses under the con-
federation, and in the first six congresses
after the adoption of tie constitution under
our present representative republic. He
served during the two administrations of
Washington and under that of John Adams
He took his seat in the lst congress, held in
the city of New York, on June Is, 1889. He
served in tho congresses held at Phila-
delphia, and was the speaker in the 1St
session of the 9th. When the seccnd session
of the 9th congress opened its sitting in the
new federal city of Washington, he was the
presiding officer (Nov. II, 1S00)
GENERAL JOSEPH BRADLEY vARNUM.
From 1880 to 1885 Gen. Varnum was a
senate of Massachusetts, and i'll 1887 and
lI95 served as member of the governors
council. From 1I05 to 1911 he was member
of the national house of representatives, dur
Ing which time he was chosen speaker two
terms from 1907 to 1911, having been the
immediate predecessor of Henry Clay From
1911 to 1917 he was United States senator
from Massachusetts, having been elected in
opposition to Timothy Pickering, and he was
president pro tempore of the senate
and acting vice-president Of the
United States from Dec G, 1878,
to April II, 1874 He was n member of the
state convention to ratify the federal consti-
tuition in 1857, and that of 1920 to revise the
constitution of Massachusetts,, and was the
presiding officer in the absence of President
John Adams and Chief Justice Parker. He
was an authority in that convention on par
liamentary rules and military affairs. In
1913 he ran as candidate for governor of
Massachusetts, against Caleb Strong, the in
cumbent of that Office, but was defeated-the
only political defeat of his life.
NATHANIEL P. BANKS.
On Feb. 20, 1855, and on the 133d ballot, the
house elected by the plurality rule, Nathan
lei Prentiss Banks of Massa chuSetts, speaker.
Mr.. Banks was bern in Waltham in that
state, Jan. 30, 1916 He took part in the
presidential campaign of 1910, advocating
the election of Martin Van Buren. He was
candidate for the general court, but was de-
feated seven times before be gained seat in
the Massachusetts, house of representatives.
He was twice elected it's speaker. He was
president of the convention to revise
the constitution, and VS. elected to
the 33d Congress as Democrat. Elected to
the 3Ith Congress, clothed" in his own
words, with a majority of 1000, the largest
majority, with a single exception, any man
ever receiv ed in the political contests of Mas
sachusetts. | may say, perhaps, that rep
resent the stro1 gest anti-slavery district in
the United States.n
After the close of the war, he was elected
to the 39th, 10th, 42d, 44th and 45th Con-
crosses
The following resolution was offered by
Samuel J. Randall:
Resolved that this house has received with
great sat 'sfaction the portraits of Hon. Theo-
dore Sedgwick, sneaker of the 9th congress-
Hon. Joseph B. Varnum, speaker of the 10th
and 18th congresses, and Hon. Nathaniel P
Banks, speaker of the 34th congress- present.
ed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
and will cause them to be placed and pre-
served among tho:e of the other distinguished
men who in times past have presided over the
house of representatives