Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1897-02-21
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SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE.

There have been Oh congresses.
There have been - speakers Of the
house of representatives. When tho
term Speakers" originated in
England, it was the custom for the
sovereign to deliver orally to parlin.
ment such communication rs he
desired to make at the commencement
OF IA session. The house SO addressed
responded to the communication. Tie
presiding officer headed u procession
Of members OF the house, waited up
on the sovereign and read the re-
Spouse, thus speaking for the whole
body; therefrom ome the term
-speaker.' which We adopted from tho
British parliament. The first con-
gress heard Westinghouse address,
and prepared Il reply, which .he
speaker, accompanied by the members
Of tho house, delivered to tho presi.
dent on May s., 1859.
ThOiuas Jefferson determined that
his communication to congress should
be made by written message, and
that no answer should DO expected.
This led to general change III this
regard Ill congress and other Ameri-
can Legislative bodies. Notwitnstand.
this, the title speaker" has adhered
and many OF the former speakers may
be included, il not, indeed, all OF
them. i'll one OF two classes; either they
have become celebrated afterward IN
the field Of national politics or they
have become totally obscure. In tho
former class are to be includcd:
Henry Clay, who was the speaker in
three congresses, aud was, moreover,
a United States senator. secretary Of
state. and repeatedly q candidate for
president; John Bell. Of Tennessee,
who was secretary OF war. United
States senator. and Il candidate for
president in 1860; James X. Polk,
who was the eleventh president OF
The United States, inaugurated il
1919. ten years after he became speak,
err; Robert NJ. Il. Hunter. OF Virginia,
Who Was United States senator aud
confederate secretary Of war; Robert
Z. Winthrop. Of Massachusetts, who
was d United States senator from tile
Bay state; Howell Cobb, OF Georgia
who was governor Of that state, secre-
lary OF the treasury under President
buchanan, aud II member Of the con.
iederatc congress; Galusha a. Grow,
Il veteran membor Of congress, who.
born in Connecticut i'll 1923 wiz
elected i'll November "A representative
from Pennsylvania; Nathaniel =
Banks, Schuyler Colfar, aiterward
vIcc-prcsident; James q. Blaino
twice secretary Of state. a United
States senator from Name, and re-
publican candidate for president in
1884. John G.. Carlisle, afterward
United StHtcs senator and now secre-
tary OF the treasury; Charles f.. Crisp,
of Georgia, and Thomas B. Reed, the
present speaker OF congress and the
slatcd speaker OF the next congress-.
These arc sOme-but not aIl-of the
speakers who have obtained coIob.
uty.
Tho list OF speakers who arc little
remembered is perhaps over longer.
In recent years there haI been. j.
Warren Keller, Of OHIO. Before tho
war thcre was William Pennington, OF
New Jersey, who had been governor
OF that state -he wa elected govor
nor % years before no became speak,
Grand thsro was Andrew Stevenson,
oi Virginia, who presided over the
deliberations OF four successive
American congresses, and was tho
only speaker to do 30. Few persons
OF tho present day and few students
OF American political history romom
Der even tho hume OF Stevenson;
stiil know from what state he
come. The ~spcakcrship OF congreus
IL either II stopping stone for IN
ambitious statesman or tho culminat.
ing point OF official services for a
negative nun whose choice 10 somo.
times dictated by the desire or noces-
sity for compromise, With the cn-
.largcmcnt Of membership in con-
grcss tho powers of tho speaker in
crease, as the enlargement OF the
has Il contrary effect by
tho influence Of the vico.
president.-.N. Y. Sun.