gly embarrassing if not dangerous power.

"During my administration in the chair very many important questions
have been decided by me, and I do not flatter myself that I have,
in the hurry of these decisions, made no mistakes. But I do take
great pride in being able to say that no parliamentary decision of
mine has been overruled by the judgment of this almost evenly
politically balanced House, although many appeals have been taken.

"I congratulate each member of this House upon what has been
accomplished by him in the discharge of the important duties of a
Representative, and with the sincerest hope that all may return
safely to their homes, and wishing each a successful and happy
future during life, I now exercise my last official duty as presiding
officer of this House by declaring the term of this House under
the Constitution of the United States at an end, and that it shall
stand adjourned _sine die_. (Hearty and continued applause.)"--
_Con. Record_, Vol. xiv., Part IV., p. 3776.

I was the caucus nominee and voted for by my party friends for
Speaker of the Forty-eighth Congress, but Mr. Carlisle was elected,
the Democrats being in the majority. I served on the Committees
on Appropriations and Rules of the Forty-eighth Congress, and
performed much hard work. I participated actively in much of the
general business of this House, and in the debates. On January
24, 1884, I made an extended speech against a bill for the relief
of Fitz-John Porter, by which it was proposed to make him "Colonel
in the Army," and thus to exonerate him from the odium of his
conduct while under General Pope, August 29, 1862, at the Second
Bull Run, as found by a general court-martial. I advocated (January
5, 1885) pensioning Mexican soldiers. I spoke on various other
subjects, and especially advocated (February 20, 1885) the increase
of the naval strength of the government so that it might protect
our commerce on the high seas in peace, guard our boundary coast
line (in length, excluding Alaska, one and two thirds times the
distance around the earth at the equator), and successfully cope,
should war come, with any naval power of the world.

My principal work in this Congress was in the rooms of the Committee
on Appropriations in the preparation of bills. Hon. Samuel J.
Randall (Democrat) of Pennsylvania was Chairman of this committee.
He was conscientious, industrious, and honest, absolutely without
favorites, personal and p