Nothings there "fused" with the Democrats on the Canal Commissioner, and elected him by a large majority. Mr. Benton was now dropped from the Missouri representation, and the attempt to elect a Legislature which would again return him to his old place in the United States Senate failed. Among those who greatly mourned the defeats of Mr. Benton towards the close of his life was Horace Greeley, who had usually opposed his political course. In South Carolina there was a personal contest, but no division of party, that State being wholly Democratic, with an idea of Democracy somewhat peculiar to itself. In the South the opposition still bore the name Whig, or Know-Nothing, excepting in Missouri, where they were Bentonian and Whig. In the Northern States there were Fusionists, Whigs, KnowNothings, Anti-Nebraskaites, etc.

With some doubt as to its real political character, and amidst great excitement throughout the country, Congress again met (first session of Thirty-fourth Congress) on the 3d of December, 1855.

20-N

CHAPTER XIV.

CONGRESS-GREAT CONTEST FOR SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE— THIRD ANNUAL MESSAGE.

OTH Houses still remained the same as at the

former session numerically, the Senate having sixty-two, and the House two hundred and thirtyfour members. In both branches, however, there had occurred important changes. John J. Crittenden now appeared as Senator from Kentucky, Lyman Trumbull from Illinois, James Harlan from Iowa, John P. Hale from New Hampshire, George E. Pugh from Ohio, and Jacob Collamer from Vermont. Jesse D. Bright, of Indiana, who had been chosen President of the Senate on the retirement of David R. Atchison, had been continued in that position, and that body was at once ready for business.

In the House of Representatives the case was quite different. Among the new members in this body, or those not present during the last House term, were Howell Cobb, of Georgia; Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana; Humphrey Marshall, of Kentucky; Anson Burlingame, of Massachusetts; John A. Quitman, of Mississippi; John Sherman, of Ohio, and Justin S. Morrill, of Vermont. Seventy-nine members were supposed to be reliable supporters of the Administration, as a rule; thirty-seven Whigs and

Know-Nothings were of known pro-slavery tendencies, and therefore to be put down on the same side; and one hundred and seventeen had been elected under the various distinctions as Anti-Nebraska men. In this state of affairs the election for a Speaker began, and was marked as the most wonderful struggle of the kind which had ever occurred in Congress. On the 2d of February the plurality rule was at last adopted, when on the one hundred and thirty-third ballot, Nathaniel P. Banks, Jr., of Massachusetts, was elected by one hundred and three votes, against one hundred for William Aiken, of South Carolina. There were eleven scattering votes which did not count. Banks was then declared to be elected by a vote of one hundred and fifty-five yeas to forty nays.

But a more extended account of this wonderful contest in the House may be deemed necessary here. At twelve o'clock, December 3d, John W. Forney called the House to order. The roll being called, Geo. W. Jones, of Tennessee, moved that the House proceed to the election of a Speaker viva voce. This was acceded to. The clerk appointed tellers, and the voting began, two hundred and twenty-five votes being cast on the first ballot as follows:

Sixteen others were voted for at this time, re

ceiving from one to seven votes each. The next vote

stood 74 for Richardson, 55 for Campbell, 30 for Marshall, 22 for Banks, 18 for Fuller, with from one to seven votes for thirteen others. The third and fourth votes showed but little change, when the House adjourned. On Tuesday there were five votes taken, with no material change. On the next day Campbell mainly led the ticket, but still far short of the number necessary for election. Small votes were now cast for Felix K. Zollicoffer and others who had at first not been voted for, and others were at times. dropped to be taken up again without effect. On Saturday, the 8th, the vote closed with Banks at one hundred and Richardson seventy-three. These were now the candidates on which the contest was likely

to center.

On the 10th Mr. James Thorington offered the following resolution:

"Resolved, That the House will proceed immediately to the election of a Speaker, viva voce; and if, after the roll shall have been called three times, no member shall have received a majority of the whole number of votes cast, the roll shall again be called, and the member who shall receive the largest number of votes, provided it be a majority of a quorum, shall be declared to be Speaker."

This brought cries of "no" and "vote it down." And after a sharp contest the resolution was withdrawn. On the 17th Mr. Thorington again offered the same resolution, but the House soon afterward adjourned. On the following morning the resolution was renewed, and pressed, but the day was spent in discussion, and on the 19th voting was renewed with

out action on the resolution. The vote for Mr. Banks had now reached one hundred and seven, and was the highest yet given.

On the 22d of December Mr. Stanton, of Ohio, made a motion to elect a Speaker by the plurality rule, but this was laid on the table by a vote of one hundred and fourteen to one hundred and seven.

On the 26th Jonathan Knight, of Pennsylvania, introduced a resolution to settle the contest by taking the person having the highest vote and a majority of a quorum. But this was also laid on the table.

When the President sent his message to the House on the last day of the month, a long debate followed as to the usages of the Government, and the laws in the case, and it was finally decided to receive it and hold it till the House should be fully organized.

On the 2d of January Mr. Knight again brought up his resolution, which was again laid on the table. On the 15th of January. Mr. Israel Washburn, of Maine, introduced substantially Mr. Knight's resolution as to the election by a plurality vote, if a quorum. But this was again laid on the table. On the 29th of January a resolution was introduced to elect a Speaker by each State casting one vote, and the person having the highest number to be considered Speaker, as in Presidential electoral colleges. This was tabled. On the 1st of February a resolution was introduced to declare Mr. Banks the Speaker of the House. This was negatived by a vote of one hundred and fifteen to one hundred and two. On the same day Howell Cobb introduced a resolution