Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 February 1860 — SPEAKER ELECTED! [ARTICLE]

SPEAKER ELECTED!

A REPUBLICAN- TRIUMPH! Ex-Governor Pennington, of New Jersey , was elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives last Wednesday, two m'jority. This is a glorious triumph of RepubiiC ll * l * B ™ ov?r £ ) ‘ sl * n ' on ‘ snt ' result was obtained t>_v ! * le vo *- cs °‘ 4^!U ' I Lecompton Democrats, who coJa* liur - 6 u j with the Disunion Democrats, and by the 1 vote of 11. W. Davis, of Maryland, American. While the vote was being had, Mr. Briggs, of New York, one of the tellers, said, before the .result was announced: “I rise for the purpose of changing my vote. It will be recollected that a day or two since I made a statement as to what I might do in a certain contingency. That contingency has now arrived, and it becomes mo-to state my reasjjjts_Jjar the vote I am about tc give. The time has cor e when my vote will elect a Speaker. I have said on several occasions that I could cast my vote for any conservative gentleman like Mr. Penning .on or Mr. Corwin. Gov. Pennington now has 116 votes, and 117 will elect hint. I give my vote to a gentleman whom I am assu ed will act fairly and imp. r-.ir,liy to all section's of the .country. Aware of the, responsibility winch I assume in so doing, Me Clerk, I r. >w withdraw m> vote from Mr. 'Modern,;’!;!, of 111., "vi cif for Mr. WUHam P nn:,:gton oi New Jersey.” [Prolonged applause.}

The Clerk then appointed Mr. Sherman, of Ohio, and Mr. I]acock, of Virginia, to roll-j duct, the Speaker to the-.chair, wnieh they promptly did. Mr, Pennington then made the following, patriot! • and manly remarks; “Ge htknen of the. .ouse of R‘ orgsmla':iv?s\ I return you my great- • ■ Knowieogoateui • for the distinguished honor you iiuVe been pleased to con cr upon me in electing mo i Speaker of the House. Coming here for I the riret. time at the present session to ,be j associated with y-.-u as a member, no- event could have been more unlocked for than that I should be called upon to preside over your I deliberations; and my friends will do me the | justice to say th t I have not sought the po | sition, as I certainly never desired it. lam | nevertheless us cons: ions of the dignity and | importance of this high offico as any gentleman can he, hut s lould have been far better pleased could its duties have been entrusted tu other and more experienced hands. “Alter witnessing the almost insurmountable obstacles in the way of an orginazation of tho House, I came to the conclusion that my gentleman of any party who c.ould command a majority of the votes lor Speaker, was bound in deference to the public exigencies to accept the responsibility as an act of patriotic duty, whether it was agreeable to I his feelings or not. As that chp.ce has un- . expectedly fallen on me, 1 have not hesitated to accept it.

“In the execution of this higli trust, my object will he to do,my duty with impartiality and justice to all. I shall have great necessity, gentlemen, for your indulgence in the new position in which I am placed, and I feel entire confidence that I shall receive it at your hands. A representative of the State ui New Jersey, upon whose soil so many brilliant acLievem Hits were accomplished in the Revolutionary war, and whose people have ever been distinguished for tlieiir devotion to the Union and Constitution, I pray to the Great Arbiter of our destinies that I may do no act to impair the integrity of either, but by wise and prudent counsels, pence and order may yet reign in our midst,

and our free institutions may be perpetuated to our descendants. I feel that I have a national heart, embracing all parts of our blessed Union. “Again thanking you for your kindness, I now enter upon the duties of that arduous and complicated station.” Mr. Pennington is a good Republican, and voted for Mr. Sherman so long as that gentleman was a candidate. He was Goveri or of New Jersey in 1838, says the Slate Journal, and liis father before him was Governor of the same State in 1813. A relative of his—A. C. M. Pennington—represented tho same district in the thirty-first Congress, and was a firm su[ porter of Mr. Banks. Mr. Pennington has been Governor and Chancellor of his ' tate * and has served in the Senate, and as Judge of the Court of Appeals. lie is, in every way, qualified for the position he has been selected to fill. The present is ins first term as a member of Congress. In politics lie was formerly a Whig, But since the formation of the Republican ' party has beer one of its devoted adherents