I've tried it out and out, and there's no law that can make a ton of hay keep over ten cows, unless you have more carrots and potatoes than you can throw a stick at. This made some of the folks stare who didn't know much about stock and Steve give me a jog, as much as to say, keep quiet. He thought I was getting into a quog-mire, and soon after, giving me a wink, opened the door and got me out of the room into the entry. After we had got out of hearing, says I to Steve, how are you getting on in the world-should you like to come back to keep our school if I could get a vote for you ? not by two chalks, says Steve I know which side bread is buttered better than all that my I get 12 dollars a month and found, and now and then some old clothes, which is better than keeping school at 5 dollars and find myself, and work out my highway tax besidesthen turning up the cape of my new coat, says he, I guess I've dusted that before now - most likely, says I, but not in our district school. And this brings to mind to tell you how I got a sight of your letter. They tell me here that every body reads the Boston Daily Advertiser, because there is no knowing but what they may find out something to their advantage, so I thought I would be as wise as the rest of them, and before I got half through with it, what should I find mixed up among the news but your letter that you put into that little paper down in Portland, and I knew it was your writing before I had read ten lines of it. I hope I've answered it to your satisfaction. Your respectful uncle, JOSHUA DOWNING. P. S. Mr Topliff says your uncle Nat is telegraphed, but I'm afraid the ax handles wont come to much-I find the Boston folks make a handle of most any thing they can lay hold of, and just as like as not they'll make a handle of our private letters, if they should see them. N. B. You spell dreadful bad, according to my notion -and this proves what I always said, that our district has been going down hill ever since Stephen Furlong left it. [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.] From the Portland Courier, Jan. 1830. 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 sixfooters 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, 'you'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 againexpectation 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 5* 7 for Mr Dunlap, 7 for Mr Kingsbury, and 2 scat tering. 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.] LETTER V. In which Mr Downing tells what a hobble the Legislature got into, in trying to make so many Governors. Portland, Feb. 1, 1830. To Cousin Ephraim Downing up in Downingville. DEAR COUSIN EPHRAIM. I spose you expected me to write to you agin long afore now and tell you something more about these legislaters, and I meant to, but I could n't very well; for I'll tell you jest how twas. Some days, when the legislater would get into a plaguy hobble, I would think to myself, well, soon as they get out of this snarl, I'll write to cousin Ephraim and tell him all about it; but before they got fairly out of that, they'd be right into another; and if I waited till next |