The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-01-26
THE OLD BAY STATE.
PORTRAITS OF THE THREE
MAssACzHUsETTs SPEAKERS
Received and Accepted by the Gov
eminent.

The flue portraits of the Massachusetts,
speakers-Sedgwick of the sixth congress,
Varnum of the 10th and 18th congresses, and
Banks of the 3ith congress-tendered by the
state of Massachusetts, TO the house of repre-
sentatives, were eloquenty presented
and eloquently accepted in the house of rep
resentatives. The house took recess at
$50 for half an hour so that tho portraits
might 10 brought in. They We're 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 placs in the lobby of the
house for the occasion. During Tho 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 filed with spectators
and members of the house and senate filled
all the seats on the floor Senator Dawes
and eX~Representative George Ii. LorinS
We're among the spectators on the floor. AT
3o'clock the speaker pro tempore called the
house to order and recognized Representative
John ID. Long, who made the general pres
entation of the three portraits in behalf Of
Massachusetts.
THEODORE sEDGwIcK
Served in the LIST, I'd, 81 and 4th congresses
in the house until he was appointed from the
4th congress as United States senator, to
succeed Caleb Strong, presenting his creden-
tials Dec, 2l, 1i96. June 81, 119S, he was
elected president pro tempore of the senate,
serving until July 10. Returned to the
house in the 9th congress q199, he was
elected speaker, serving till March 8, 1901.
In 1902 Massachusetts, who appreciates faith
full public service placed him on her supreme
bench, where he remained until his death, in
his Goth year. Thus life beginning in TAG
and ending in 1918, was filled with usefulness
and crowned with honor Thus it appears that
he served in two congresses under the con-
federation, and in the first six congresses
after the adoption of the constitution under
our present representative republic. He
served during the two administrations of
Washington and under that Of John Adams
lie took his seat in the list congress, held in
the city of New York, on June IS, 17S9. He
served in the congresses held at Phila-
delphia, and was the speaker in the lst
session of the 9th. When the second session
of the 9th congress opened its sitting in the
new federal city of Washington, he was the
presiding officer tNov II, 1907
GENERAL JOSEPH BRADLEY vARNUM.
From 1880 to 1895 Gen. Varnum was a
member of the house Of representatives and
senate of Massachusetts, and in 1857 and
1875 served as member of the governors
council. From 1885 to 1911 he was q 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
ISL 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. 6, 1878,
to April II, 1914. He was member of the
state convention to ratify the federal consti-
tuition in 1851, 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
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
iel Prentiss Banks of Massachusetts, speaker.
Mr.. Banks was born in Waltham in that
state, Jan co. 1916. He took part in the
presidential campaign of 1910, advocating
the election OF Martin van buren,. lie was
candidate for the general court, but was de,
feated seven times before be gained a seat in
the Massachusetts, house of representatives
He was twice elected its speaker He was
president of the convention to revise
the constitution, and VS. elected tc
the SD Congress as Democrat. Elected tc
the Saith Congress, ''clothedn in his OWL
words, with ma jority of 1000, the largest
majority with a single exception, any mar
ever received in the political contests of Mas
sachusetts. I may say, perhaps, that rep
resent the stroa gest anti-slavery district il
d, the United States"
After the close of tho war, he was elected
to the 39th, 40th: 42d, 44th and 45th Con
crosses.
The following resolution was offered by
Samuel j. Randall:
Resolved that this house has received with
great satisfaction the portraits of Hon. Theo
dore Sedgwick, speaker Of the 9th congress
Hon. Joseph B. Varnum, speaker of the 10tf
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 those Of the other distinguished
men who in times past have presided over tn,
house Of representatives.