From the Portland Courier, Jan. 1830.
[Note by the Editor. In order that the reader may understand the
progress of the war in the Legislature, it should be remarked that
the parties in the Senate were equally divided. There were eight
Huntonites, or national republicans, and eight Smithites, or democratic
republicans, and four vacancies. The battles therefore in
the Senate were more serious, obstinate, and protracted, than they
were in the House. They balloted regularly for President every
day for about a fortnight. To illustrate the state of affairs at that
time, a couple of extracts from the Portland Courier in relation to
the balloting in the Senate are subjoined.]
Saturday forenoon the House having adjourned at an
early hour, we repaired to the Senate Chamber with
the view of standing watch awhile. We arrived just in
the height of a spirited skirmish, or what might almost
be called a battle; but the room was crowded, and the
doorway so impenetrably thronged, that we could gain
no entrance. There was scarcely room for a man to
wedge his nose in, unless it were a remarkably thin and
sharp one. From the subdued and regular hum within,
there was evidently a debate going on, but we being
somewhat low in stature, and a solid phalanx of six-footers
standing before us, we were left in the unpleasant
predicament of stretching up on tiptoe without
catching a single glimpse of the scene, and holding our
hands behind our ears without distinguishing a syllable
that was uttered.
The debate however soon subsided. We learnt afterwards
from inquiry, that it related to the subject of
forming a convention with the House for the purpose of
filling vacancies, before the Senate was organized; the
8 Huntonites voting in favor of the proposition, and
the 8 Smithites against it. A vote was then passed to
proceed to ballot for President again; and luckily for
us, the ballot boxes were out in the lobby, and out came
the messenger, cutting his way like a hero, (we like to
have said, hero of New Orleans, but happened to think
some would say we were taking
sides,) we simply say
then, he cut his way through the dense ranks of spectators,
like a hero, and we crept in through the breach
he had made. The committee collected the votes for
President, and retired. In about ten minutes they returned,
and declared the result; 7 for Mr Dunlap, 7
for Mr Kingsbury, and 2 scattering.
They collected the votes again, and retired as before,
and returned as before, and declared the same result.
Again they proceeded in the same round, and came in
the third time, and stood ready to declare. The spectators
had become so accustomed to the report, that they
were whispering it off in advance of the Committee,
like a mischievous and sinful boy running ahead of some
good old country Deacon, who always uses the same
words in prayer. — Judge then, ye readers of the Courier,
what unspeakable astonishment prevailed, when
from the lips of the Chairman fell the startling words,
8 for Sanford Kingsbury, 6 for Robert P. Dunlap, and
2 scattering.
The effect was like that of a clap of thunder in the
dead of winter: some faces grew longer, and some
grew shorter; in some eyes there was a look of wildness;
in others a leering complacency, that seemed to
say, `your're dish'd at last; while some confounded
knowing glances from other quarters visibly replied,
`not as you know on.' And to be sure these last were
in the right; for round they went the fourth time, collected
the ballots, counted them, and came in again —
expectation was on tiptoe, and speculation was very
busy. Some thought this ballot would settle the question,
but others doubted. The Committee declared, and
the same old tune greeted the ears of the audience
— 7 for Mr Dunlap, 7 for Mr Kingsbury, and 2 scattering.
Another extract from the same.
A new Tune. — We have to pitch our pipe to a new
tune this morning. The second great battle of the
session was fought, or rather terminated yesterday afternoon.
After a regular engagement for eight days
in succession, during which time the regular armies of
Huntonites and Smithites in the Senate were drawn up
face to face, forenoon and afternoon, exchanging some
half a dozen shots every day, and then retiring by mutual
consent, and sleeping upon their arms, the conflict
was ended yesterday afternoon by a ruse de guerre on the
part of the Huntonites, which led them to victory without
bloodshed. The Senate met in the afternoon at three
o'clock, and proceeded to their usual round of duties.
The committee received the votes for President, and retired,
and came in again, and declared in the strains of
the old tune, 7 for Mr Dunlap, 7 for Mr Kingsbury, and
2 scattering. They proceeded again, and came in as
before. It was the fiftieth ballot since the commencement
of the session; and had a fifty pounder been unexpectedly
discharged in the room, it would hardly have
produced a stronger sensation, than the declaration of
the Committee, when they piped away in the following
new tune: whole number of votes 15. Necessary to a
choice 8: Joshua Hall has 8, Robert P. Dunlap 6,
James Steele 1, Blank 1. We shall not attempt to
describe the coloring of faces, the wildness of eyes, or
the biting of lips that ensued; for, not arriving in season
we did not see them. But we have no doubt from the
remarks of those who were present, that the occasion
would have furnished a scene for painting, full equal, if
not surpassing, that in the House on the choice of
Speaker. After the first consternation had subsided,
Mr Hall was declared duly elected President of the
Senate. Whereupon he rose in his place, and thanked
the gentlemen of the Board for the confidence they had
placed in him. He doubted his abilities to discharge
properly the duties assigned him; but under present
circumstances he would accept the trust. He accordingly
took the Chair.
[Note by the Editor. Mr Hall, or Elder Hall, as he was usually
called, was a democratic republican, but was chosen President exclusively
by the national republican votes, he throwing a blank
vote himself. He was a short, fleshy, good hearted old gentleman,
a minister of the Methodist denomination, and knew much more
about preaching than he did about politics. The democratic republicans
after their first consternation at his election had subsided,
fearing that he had actually gone over to the enemy, took measures
to have a private consultation with him immediately after adjournment.
This interview resulted in nailing the old gentleman to his
former political faith, and he stuck to the party like wax during the
remainder of the session. So the Senate was still divided, eight to
eight, except when the four new Senators elected by the national
republicans to fill the vacancies, attempted to act.]
