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 THE SPEAKERSHIP.

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��THE SPEAKERSHIP.

��The Speakership of the House of Rep- resentatives, under the State, as under the Federal Government, is a position of much responsibility, of delicate and ar- duous duties, and no inconsiderable pow- er and influence. Especially when, we consider the fact that the New Hamp- shire House of Representatives is the largest legislative body in the country, and that it is made up, each year, of a large proportion of members entirely without experience in legislative busi- ness, yet fully conscious, and even jeal- ous of their rights as representatives of the sovereign people, it is apparent that in order to the satisfactory discharge of the duties of this office the Speaker must be a man of keen discernment and rare tact, as well as sound judgment and de- cision of character. Yet, of the numer- ous individuals who have occupied this position in the past, there have been few, if any, who have failed to give general satisfaction, both on the score of ability and in impartiality, (except, perhaps, in times of intense partisan excitement) while many have distinguished them- selves in a high degree for the able, ju- dicious and popular manner in which they have performed their duties.

Since the adoption of the Constitution of 1792, forty-nine persons have held the office of Speaker of the House of Repre- sentatives in this State. These, with the years for which they served, are as fol- lows : 1793, Nathaniel Peabody ; 1794, John Prentice ; 1795 and 1796, Russell Freeman; 1797, William Plummer; 1798 to 1804, inclusive, John Prentice; 1805 and 1806, Samuel Bell; 1807 and 1808 Charles Cutts ; 1809, George B. Upham ; 1810, Charles Cutts ; 1811 and 1812, Clem- ent Storer ; 1813 and 1814, Thomas W. Thompson ; 1815, George B. Upham ; 1816, David L. Morrill : 1S17, Henry B. Chase; 1818 to 1820, inclusive, Matthew Harvey; 1821, Ichabod Bartlett; 1822,

��Charles Woodman ; 1823, Andrew Pierce;

1824, Andrew Pierce and Edmund Parker ;

1825, Levi Woodbury, Henry Hubbard ; 1826 and 1827, Henry Hubbard; 1828, James Wilson, Jr. ; 1S29, James B. Thornton; 1830, Samuel C. Webster; 1831 and 1832, Franklin Pierce; 1833 to to 1836, inclusive, Charles G. Atherton ; 1837 and 1838. Ira A, Eastman; 1839 and 1840, Moses Norris, Jr. ; 1841, John S. Wells; 1842 and 1843, Samuel Swazey; 1844 and 1845. Harry Hibbard; 1846, John P. Hale; 1847, Moses Noms, Jr.; 1848 and 1849, Samuel H. Ayer ; 1850 and 1851, Nathaniel B. Baker; 1852, George W. Kittredge ; 1853, J. Everett Sargent; 1854, Francis R. Chase ; 1855, John J. Prentiss; 1856 and 1857, Edward H. Rol- lins; 1S58 and 1859,Napoleon B. Bryant-; 1860, Charles H. Bell; 1801 and 1862.Ed- ward A. Rollins ; 1863 and 1864, William E. Chandler; 1865 and 1866, Austin F. Pike; 1867 and 1868, Simon G. Griffin; 1869 and 1870, Samuel M. Wheeler ; 1871, William H. Gove; 1872, Asa Fowler; 1873, James W. Emery ; 1874, Albert R. Hatch; 1875 and 1876, Charles P. San- born ; 1877, Augustus A. Woolson.

Those at all familiar with the political history of the State and nation will rec- ognize in this list of names, not a few that have become illustrious. It may, in fact, well be doubted if the roll of Speak- ers in any other State furnishes an equal number of names of distinguished repu- tation. Of the forty nine men enumer- ated, twenty two — nearly one half — oc- cupied seats in the Congress of the Uni- ted States ,thirteen having been members of the Senate. Seven were Governors of the State, eleven Presidents of the State Senate and five Justices of the Supreme Court. One was a member of the Cabi- net and a Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, one a Minister to Spain, and one President of the United States. Many of them have occupied the

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