HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. SATURDAY, December 8. On motion by Mr. WENTWORTH, the House again proceeded to vote for Speaker, viva voce. 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 vote. The roll was then called the twenty-third time, when the tellers reported that the whole number of votes given was 225; necessary to a choice 113; of which Mr. Winthrop received Mr. Cobb, of Georgia Mr. Potter Mr. Richardson Mr. Wilmot Mr. Miller Mr. Strong Mr. Gentry Mr. Bayly. Mr. Bayly Mr. Meade Mr. McDowell Mr. Disney Mr. McClernand No choice. The roll was then called a twenty-fifth time, when the tellers reported that the whole number of votes given was 225; necessary to a choice 113; of which Mr. Winthrop received Mr. Potter Mr. Boyd 102 48 22 Mr. Richardson 12 Mr. Cobb, of Georgia 9 Mr. Miller 8 Mr. McDowell 3 Mr. Boyd 3 Mr. Disney 2 Mr. McClernand 2 Mr. Meade 2 Mr. Thomas 1 Mr. Thompson, of Pennsylvania 1 Mr. Inge 1 Mr. Winthrop received Mr. Booth 1 Mr. Potter Mr. Boyd No choice. 225 Mr. Cobb, of Georgia Mr. Wilmot 102 61 22 7 7 2 . 102 Mr. La Sère 1 40 Mr. Harris, of Alabama 16 Mr. Stanton, of Tennessee 1 16 Mr. Thomas 1 14 Mr. McClernand 1 1 1 225 8755 1ST SESS.] Election of Speaker. [DECEMBER, 1849. The roll was then called the thirty-first time, | invidious distinction,) it was admitted, were when the tellers reported that the whole num- as well qualified to discharge the functions of ber of votes given was 224; necessary to a Speaker as any gentlemen who could be se-choice 113; of whichlected from this House. Whereas, the Hon. HOWELL COBB, of Georgia, and ROBERT C. WINTHROP, of Massachusetts, have each received more than one hundred votes, on a large number of ballots: Be it resolved, That the Clerk of the House be required to place the names of Howell Cobb and Robert C. Winthrop in a box, and the first name drawn out by one of the pages shall be Speaker of the Thirty-First Congress. The country looked at this House, and expected to see it organized. There were, it was well known, a few individuals who had obstinately been voting against either of the candidates which had been brought forward, and would continue to vote against either of the candidates who might be brought forward by the two great parties of this country. This would forever prevent an organization of the House, upon the plan under which they were now proceeding. It was due to the legislation of this country that one or the other of these two great parties should have the control of the organization of this body. Those members who differed from the great body of the House, who could not find an acceptable man in either of the great parties, still persisted in preventing the organization. He desired to see this contest terminated. The House had indicated, by a large number of votings, that the two gentlemen selected by their respective parties each commanded almost a majority of the House. Both these gentlemen, (without intending any If he could see, in the future, any hope of electing a Speaker, he would not have offered this proposition to refer the decision of the question to chance. But circumstances being as they were, he proposed that the names of ROBERT C. WINTHROP and HOWELL COBBeach of whom had received more than one hundred votes upon a large number of votings -should be placed in a box, and that one of the pages should draw out a name, and the gentleman whose name was first drawn should be Speaker of the House. He knew that there might, and probably would be, objections made to this proposition, and that it might seem wrong to gentlemen that so important a matter should be left to the decision of chance. graver questions than this had been decided in the same way. He desired, as far as he could, to clear himself and the House of the ridiculous attitude of spending day after day in further voting, without the least hope of coming to a successful result. But Mr. BROWN, of Mississippi, moved to lay the resolution on the table. The first question being on this motion Mr. Roor said he regretted that they should be in so unfortunate a predicament; that the great body of the House should have been struggling so long to organize, and have been defeated in all their efforts by a few obstinate members; for that was about the situation in which they now were, according to the representation of the gentleman from Louisiana, (Mr. MORSE.) Two hundred and twenty gentlemen, perfectly well disposed to organize the House, and proceed with the business of the country-constituting the two great parties, to one of which, it was claimed, the Speaker certainly belonged-had (to use the expression of the gentleman from Louisiana, which he, Mr. R., would not use on his own account) brought themselves to a ridiculous situation! Now, if there was one thing in this matter more ridiculous than another, it was that this confession should have been made by any gentleman representing either of these great parties. That two hundred and twenty gentlemen, well-disposed, patriotic, intelligent men, belonging to the two great parties-to one of which, it was said, belonged the organization of the Housecould not of themselves organize, but had to get up a gambling resolution, a lottery, (a laugh,) in which there were just as many blanks as prizes, (renewed laughter,) have a drawing, and call upon one of their little pages (if he understood, the resolution correctly) to intervene and help these two great parties out of the difficulty, (laughter.) The gentleman from Louisiana had said they were in a ridiculous situation. He (Mr. R.) would never have said that. He did not see any thing ridiculous in the proceedings of this (A voice: Nor into a Buffalo Convention.) No, (said Mr. R.,) nor into a Buffalo Convention. If you had, you would have had a Speaker long ago-as good a one as you will get after all your labors. [31ST CONG. House, or meeting, or whatever they may call | man who I insist on having elected, as others their assemblage. They had been characterized have. I have voted for several gentlemen, as by great order and decorum. But he believed many I believe from free States as from slave they would deserve to be characterized as a States; and am ready to vote for others. For ridiculous assemblage, if they resorted to such the nominee of what is called the Democratic means to get a Speaker as was proposed by the caucus, I confess I have not voted; and if I gentleman from Louisiana. Now, he did not could with propriety assign my reason for not feel authorized to give advice to either of the so voting, it may be that there are not ten men two great parties; but as he was willing to upon this floor who would not justify me. take it, he might perhaps offer a little-that But, sir, how shall I defend that vote? Shall was, for each to stand up and die game. Let I make a personal attack on the nominee? me tell these two great parties that they have That I could not do without violating all those not got us into a Philadelphia Convention nor proprieties which I have been educated to obinto a Baltimore Convention; there is no yell- serve, and which I hope I shall never cease to ing a man down here yet. regard. And I reprobate the course of the gentleman from North Carolina, (Mr. VENABLE,) as I do that of the gentleman from Louisiana, (Mr. MORSE,) in making issues against gentlemen, which they cannot meet, without going into the discussion of the political conduct of candidates. How do you know what justification I might be able to make for not voting for the nominee of a majority of what is called the Democratic party? If it were lawful to make such a question here, I believe I could convince more members than have voted for both the party nominees, that I am justifiable in voting against him. I disagree with those gentlemen who would destroy the individuality of Representatives and convert them into mere machines, to be moved by party caucuses. The candidate of a caucus is always a compromise candidate; I cannot compromise with such politicians as have been engaged in making the nomination in question. They had heard (he proceeded to say) something from the gentleman from North Carolina, (Mr. VENABLE,) who had said that both parties were patriotic in their efforts to elect a Speaker and organize the House, and that if half a dozen individuals saw fit to take the responsibility of defeating the organization of the House, why! the blame would be on them, (a laugh,) and that they would be called to an account by their constituents. That was the very accountability he (Mr. R.) courted. Let every gentleman look to his own constituents, if he pleased, or to the authority which controlled him. Gentlemen needed not be at the trouble of reminding him of what he owed to his constituents, they and he would arrange that. This was not the first time he had belonged to a small party. It was not the first time he had heard the majority of the House denouncing a few men who did not act with them. In the days of the Mexican war there were fourteen who were denounced as "traitors," because they did not see fit to vote with the majority of the House. They settled that matter with their constituents; he (Mr. R.) did, and he was here; while some gentlemen who had denounced him as a "traitor," had endeared themselves so much to their constituents that they kept them at home. He concluded by remarking that he hoped they would have action upon this resolution in a direct form, so that the vote might go to the country, and the position of gentlemen, on all sides, be distinctly understood. He thanked the Clerk for his attention, saying he believed he was about the only one who had heard him, (merriment.) Mr. WOODWARD said: The remarks that have just fallen from the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. MORSE) entitle me, if they do not make it my duty, to be heard on the subject he has introduced. I belong to no faction on this floor. I am connected with no set of men organized to run a particular candidate. I have indicated no The gentleman appears to think that we ought to vote as a majority may dictate. Sir, what right has the majority to control my vote? I consent that the majority must decide questions; their vote must prevail against that of the minority; but the minority has as perfect a right to an independent vote as the majority. My right to vote is as perfect as that of all the members on this floor; and if I thought myself right, I would vote against all the people in the United States, and would interfere with no rights of theirs in doing so. I say, I have no candidate of my own, but am ready to vote for any unobjectionable one. Between the two candidates of caucus, my vote never would have decided the question; no candidate has ever been so nearly elected, that my vote would have produced an election. Whenever the numerical relations of two candidates are such that I can decide the case between them, my purpose has been to do so. But as matters have stood, my vote for either would have been a mere complimentary one, or in subservience to the authority of caucus. And I never can give a complimentary vote to either nominee, nor shall I recognize the authority of caucus to dictate a vote I could not justify myself in giving. In alluding to objections against the gentle |