I was going to bet who would be Speaker next year, I should bet upon him before any body else. And there's lawyer Bourne, of Kennebunk, and lawyer Kent, of Bangor, and lawyer Norton, of Milburn, and doctor Burnham, of Orland, and doctor Shaw of Wiscasset, and doctor Wells, of Freeport, and parson Knowlton, of Montville, and parson Swett, of Prospect, and some others, if I could only think of 'em. Now, most any of these speak more than Mr Goodenow does; and still Mr Goodenow is called the speaker, because they voted that he should be. They've disputed two days more about that poor Mr Roberts having a seat. I can't see why they need to make such a fuss about it. As they've got seats enough, why don't they let him have one, and not keep him standing up for three weeks in the lobby and round the fire; its a plaguy sight worse than being on a standing committee, for they say the standing committees have a chance to set most every day. But in the dispute about Mr Roberts last Wednesday and Thursday, the difficulty seemed to be something or other about a primy facy case. I don't know what sort of a case 'twas, but that's what they called it. Some said he hadn't got any primy facy case, and he mustn't have a seat till he had one. The others stood to it that he had got one, and a very good one; Mr Ruggles said it was full as good a one as the gentlemen from Portland had. And they read above twenty papers that they called depositions, about the town meeting at Waterborough; but they didn't seem to say any thing about the primy facy case. About one half of 'em said the town meeting was adjourned, and t'other half said 'twasn't. And one of the depositions said there was some of 'em at the meeting agreed that Mr Roberts shouldn't be elected at any rate; and if they couldn't prevent it any other way, they agreed to keep up a row till midnight. And when they brought in candles in the evening, they knocked 'em all over, and put 'em out. So they all had to clear

out; and some said there was a vote to adjourn the meeting, and some said Mr Roberts adjourned it alone, and some said 'twasn't adjourned at all. And one of the depositioners said Mr Roberts offered to give him as much rum as he would drink, if he would only say the meeting was fairly adjourned. But all the depositions didn't convince but sixty-nine members of the House that Mr Roberts had a primy facy case; and there were seventy-five convinced t'other way. So, after they had disputed two days, they voted again that Mr Roberts shouldn't have a seat yet.

O dear, uncle Joshua, these Legislaters have got the State into a dreadful pickle. I've been reading the Portland Argus and the Portland Advertiser, and it's enough to scare a Bunker Hill sojer out of his seven senses, to see what we are all coming to. According to these papers, there are two very clever parties in the State, that are trying with all their might to save us from ruin. They are called democratic republikins, and national republikins; and you'd be perfectly astonished to see how hard they've worked, as these papers say, in both Legislaters, to set things right, and get business a going on well, so that we can have a governor, and live in peace and harmony, and not break out into a civil war, and all be ruined in a bunch. But it's doubtful if they'll make out to save us after all; for there is such a set of Jacksonites and Huntonites, that are all the time a plotting to bring us to destruction, that I tell ye what 'tis, if something isn't done pretty soon, it'll be gone goose with us.

These Jacksonites and Huntonites seem to have a majority in the Legislaters; and they've been making a proper bother for a most three weeks, so that the democratic republikins and the national republikins couldn't do nothing at all. And sometimes I'm really afraid they'll have to break up and go home without doing any thing; and if they do, they say we shall all be afloat,

and there's no knowing where we shall land. The republikins appointed a committee to count the votes for governor, and the committee told 'em t'other day, there was 39 majority for Mr Hunton, and he was elected. But then these Jacksonites and Huntonites went to disputing about the matter; and some say they will dispute it this fortnight yet. What a blessing it would be if the Legislaters were all democratic and national republikins. The people are growing pretty mad at all this botheration, and I can't tell what'll be the end on't. But I shall write again to you or cousin Ephraim pretty So I remain your loving neefu till death.

JACK DOWNING.

P. S. I concluded to send my letters in the Daily Courier to save postage the printer said he would n't show them to any body.

LETTER III.

In which Cousin Nabby advises Mr Downing to come home.

Downingville, Jan 30, 1830.

DEAR COUSIN JACK. -If you were only here, I would break the handle of our old birch broom over your back for serving me such a caper. Here I have been waiting three weeks for that cotton cloth you got for the footings; and you know the meeting-house windows were to have been broke a fortnight ago, if I had got it. And then I had to tell Sam, I was waiting for some cotton cloth. He tried to keep in with all his might, but he burst out a laughing so, I'm a good mind to turn him off. But if I do, you and he will both be in the same pickle. You had better let them legislaters alone; and if you can't sell your ax handles, take 'em and come home

and mind your business. There is Jemima Parsons romping about with the school-master, fair weather and foul. Last Wednesday she went a sleigh-riding with him, and to-night she's going to the singing-school, and he is going to carry her. Last night she came over to our house, and wanted me to go to uncle Zeke's to borry their swifts, she said, when she knew we had some, and had borried them a dozen times. I said nothing, but went with her. When we got there, who should we find but the school-master. -I know Jemime knew it, and went there purpose to have him go home with her. She never askt for the swifts. Coming home, the master askt her if she had seen your last letter. She said yes,

and began to laugh and talk about you, just as tho' I was no relation. She said she guessed them legislaters would try to make a governor out of you next, if you staid there much longer. One of them steers you sold to Jacob Small that week you went to Portland, died t'other day; and he says if we have no governor this year, he wont pay you a cent for 'em. So you have lost your steers and Jemima Parsons, just by your dallying about there among them legislaters. I say you had better come home, and see to your own business. I spose father and brother Eph. would like to have you stay there all winter and tell 'em about the governors and legislaters, but ant wants her tea, and I want my cotton cloth, so I wish you'd make haste home and bring 'em. Your loving Cousin,

To Mr Jack Downing.

NABBY.

LETTER IV.

In which Uncle Joshua tells how he went to Boston, and took dinner with the Gineral Court.

[Note by the Editor. This letter came through the Boston Daily Advertiser, and there has always been some doubt whether it was really written by that respectable and stanch patriot, Joshua Downing, Esq. The Major says he has often asked him the question, at which his uncle Joshua would always shake his head and laugh, but give no answer. It is written, however, in the pure style of the Downing family, which is the strongest evidence we can have that the letter is genuine.]

Letter from Joshua Downing, in Boston, to his nephew, Jack Downing, in Portland.

DEAR NEPHEW, -I left home just after your letter to your cousin Ephraim got there, and I did n't get a sight of your letter to me that you put into the Courier at Portland, until I saw it in the Daily Advertiser in Boston, and I guess Mr Hale is the only person in Boston who takes that are little Courier, so you was pretty safe about the letter not being seen, as the printer promised you. -How I happened to see it here, you will find out before I have got through with this letter. I guess you wont be a little struck up when you find out that I'm in Boston-but I had best begin at the beginning and then I shall get thro' quicker.

After seeing your letter to Ephraim as I said before, I concluded it would n't be a bad scheme to tackle up and take a load of turkies, some apple-sauce, and other notions that the neighbors wanted to get to market, and as your uncle Nat would be in Boston with the ax handles, we all thought best to try our luck there. Nothing happened worth mentioning on the road, nor till next morning after I got here and put up in Elm street. then got off my watch pretty curiously, as you shall be

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