HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Mr. PRESTON KING rose and said, he would state to the House that if the Democratic party desired to organize the House, by the choice of a Democratic Speaker, they could do so by supporting WILLIAM STRONG, the Representative of the Berks district, in Pennsylvania. If the Democratic party would vote for Mr. STRONG, he could be elected. The House then proceeded to vote, viva voce, for Speaker. Messrs. HILLIARD of Alabama, STRONG of Pennsylvania, DUER of New York, and MILLER of Ohio, resumed their seats at the Clerk's table as tellers to count the votes. The roll was then called the forty-fifth time, when the tellers reported that the whole number of votes given was 226; necessary to a choice 114, of which No choice. 86 66 27 18 10 4 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 225 Mr. HOLMES, of South Carolina, rose and was understood to say that he did not think there were two members in the House who did not see the importance of adjourning for the purpose of conference. Therefore, with a view to give the interval between this and the Sabbath day to that object, he would move that the House do now adjourn until Monday, at 12 o'clock. Tellers were demanded. Mr. HOLMES withdrew the motion. Tellers were asked and ordered, and Messrs. JOHNSON of Arkansas, and CLINGMAN of North Carolina, were appointed. And the question having been put, the affirmative votes stood 114-a majority of the whole number present. So the House adjourned until Monday, at 12 o'clock. MONDAY, December 17. The Speakership. Mr. STANLY rose and said: Before the Clerk proceeds to call the roll I desire to trespass on the attention of the House a moment. I rise respectfully to request those gentlemen who have voted for me to discontinue doing so. I desire to repeat what I stated the other day, that I do not feel able (in the presence of others so much better qualified to discharge the duties of the Chair) to undertake them, even supposing I could be elected. It is due to the House and to the country that another person should be elected. And as I am unwilling to trespass upon the House in violation of the rule some days ago adopted forbidding debate, I will only beg leave to say, that one of my colleagues has said that North Carolina would be found willing and ready to act as she had been in 1775, when the Mecklenburg declaration was made. I wish to say, that I have no doubt North Carolina will be ready to act. She will be found in favor of the Union-opposed to faction and disorganization, no matter from what quarter they may come. Her voice in 1849 will be as it was in 1775, when she heard of the battle of Lexington. She declared in her Mecklenburg resolutions, her determination to throw off the yoke of English oppression, and she said, as I say now, "The cause of Boston is the cause of all." The people of North Carolina will always be found on the side of Law, Order, and the Union. (The close of these remarks was greeted with applause.) The House then proceeded to vote, viva voce, for Speaker. The roll was then called for the forty-eighth time, when the tellers reported that the whole number of votes given in was 223; necessary to a choice 112; of which Mr. Disney Mr. Strong Mr. Robinson. Mr. Cobb, of Georgia. Mr. Conrad Mr. Chandler No choice. [DECEMBER, 1849. 4 3 3 1 1 1 1 223 DECEMBER, 1849.] Mr. Strong Mr. Julian Election of Speaker. Mr. Stanly. Mr. H. Cobb Mr. R. M. McLane 1 Mr. KAUFMAN obtained the floor. He said that he held in his hand a resolution which he desired to present to the consideration of the House. He would, in the first instance, ask the unanimous consent of the House to preface the resolution with a very few remarks. That courtesy had been extended yesterday to the gentleman from Kentucky, (Mr. THOMPSON,) and he (Mr. K.) was satisfied that it would not now be refused to him. No objection having been made, Mr. K. proceeded with his remarks. The resolution, he said, which he wished to offer for the consideration of the House, for the great purpose, as he conceived, of conducing to its organization, and of allaying the excitement which prevailed in every section of the Union, by reason of the state of things now existing here, was substantially the same as that which he had offered yesterday with this exception, that the resolution which he was now about to offer provided that it should not commence to take effect until to-morrow. He would read it. Mr. K. then read the resolution, which was in the following words: Resolved, That if on to-morrow no member have a majority of all the votes cast for Speaker on the first vote, then, on the second vote on to-morrow, if any member shall receive only one less than a majority of the whole number of votes, he shall be declared elected; but if no member be elected Speaker on said second vote, than on the third next vote, if any member shall receive only two less than a majority, he shall be declared elected, and so on, requiring one vote less to elect for every ballot taken, until a choice of Speaker is made. The resolution having been read Mr. K. proceeded to remark, that before he referred more particularly to the resolution, he would state, in a word, what was the objection which he entertained to the resolution which had been introduced yesterday by the gentleman from Kentucky, (Mr. THOMPSON.) He (Mr. K.) conceived that it would be more satisfactory to the people of the country, that, whatever was done, should be done Mr. BROWN, of Mississippi, interposed, and said that he had risen to a point of order. It would be recollected by the House that a reso [31ST CONG. lution had been adopted several days ago, by which all debate was prohibited. The CLERK said it was true that such a resolution had been adopted; but that the gentle-, man from Texas (Mr. KAUFMAN) had obtained the unanimous consent of the House to explain his resolution. Mr. KAUFMAN said he had distinctly asked the courtesy of the House to preface his resolution with a few remarks. The consent of the House had been given, and he hoped that no gentleman would take exception to his proceeding. Mr. BROWN said he certainly had not understood that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. KAUFMAN) had obtained the unanimous consent of the House to make his remarks. If he (Mr. B.) had understood that to be the proposition, he, for one, would have objected to it. He objected to the resolution, and he objected to any debate upon it. The CLERK announced the question upon laying the whole subject upon the table. (Loud cries of "Question!") The question was taken and decided in the affirmative. So the whole subject was laid on the table. (Cries of "Call the roll! ") Mr. STRONG, of Pennsylvania, said he had been acting as one of the tellers without intermission for thirteen days. He thought, therefore, he was entitled to an honorable discharge, and he asked that another person might be substituted in his place. The CLERK invited the following gentlemen to take their seats as tellers, to respite those who had been acting, viz: Messrs. VAN DYKE of New Jersey, HARRIS of Alabama, HENRY of Vermont, and GORMAN of Indiana. The CLERK was proceeding to call the roll, when Mr. MCGAUGHEY rose, and announced to the House his intention not to give his vote upon the call of the roll to-day. His reason for this course would be found in the fact that one of his colleagues on the Democratic side (Mr. McDONALD) had met with an accident, which rendered it inconvenient for him to attend the House to-day. His colleague would attend, if it should be necessary for him to do so. If that necessity should not arise, he would not be present, and he (Mr.MoG.) should decline to vote. The roll was then called the fifty-second time, when the tellers reported that the whole number of votes given was 223; necessary to a choice 112; of which Mr. Winthrop received Mr. McClernand. Mr. Disney Mr. Cobb, of Georgia Mr. Morehead. Mr. Stevens, of Pennsylvania Mr. Robinson. 95 66 13 11 9 Mr. Julian 3 Mr. SAVAGE sent to the Clerk's table the following resolution, which was read: Resolved, That if the House fail to elect a Speaker during the present day, it will, upon its meeting tomorrow, apply to its proceedings, as far as practicable, the principle embodied in the 12th article of the Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, prescribing the mode of electing a President and Vice President. Resolved, That the House will upon the calling of the roll, cast its vote for Speaker; and if no person shall have a majority of all the votes, then from the persons having the highest number, (not exceeding three in the list of those voted for,) the House shall proceed to choose its Speaker; and if the three persons on the last vote should be voted for, and neither of them should have a majority of all the votes, then the House shall choose its Speaker, by another vote, from the two highest on the list. Mr. Hilliard Mr. Thaddeus Stevens Mr. Robinson Mr. Outlaw No choice. Mr. JOHNSON of Arkansas moved that the House do now adjourn. The question was taken, and decided in the affirmative without a division. So the House adjourned until to-morrow, at 12 o'clock. WEDNESDAY, December 19. The House was called to order at 12 o'clock by THOMAS J. CAMPBELL, Esq. The Clerk was proceeding to read the journal Rev. Theobald Mathew. Mr. BAKER rose and said, that he held in his hand a resolution which he desired to offer, and which, he was sure, would receive the unanimous assent of this House. He would send it to the Clerk's table to be read. The resolution was then read by the Clerk in the following words: Resolved, That the Rev. Father MATHEW be respectfully invited to take a seat upon the floor of this House. Mr. GIDDINGS asked that the resolution might be again read; and the resolution having been read accordingly— VOL. XVI.-24 |