ing placed either upon the registry or the tax lists. The assessors were sworn to perform their duty faithfully, and they could not, as had been alleged, deprive any one of a right to vote. It required double lists to be carefully made out and published, and it obliged the assessors to go around, and see that every one was duly registered and assessed. He did not believe that any person entitled to vote had been disfranchised through this act, but he did believe that some foreign imported voters lost their opportunity of voting in consequence of it.

The act had in view the prevention of fraud by the inspectors, and the exclusion of imported voters. The New Jerseymen, brought down in crowds, by the railroad, at every election, and the New Yorkers, and others, were prevented from voting, and from carrying an election, in opposition to the will of the freemen of Pennsylvania. This was the object of the law, and it had this effect. What honest man was there, in the whole Commonwealth, who did not wish to keep out voters from abroad? As a further means of securing the purity and peace of elections, this law provided penalties for fraud at the polls, and for opening an additional window for the accommodation of voters. At the last election, no old men, nor invalids, were prevented from giving their votes by a disorderly and riotous crowds. Much bloodshed had been prevented, and the elections were conducted with quiet and order, in consequence of the registry act. He voted for that law, and he was proud of it. He felt proud in having had the opportunity to give a vote, which had prevented so much corruption. The gentleman from Northampton said, that the repeal of this law, at the last session, was prevented by a Spartan band in the Senate. He would predict to the gentleman, and he called upon him to mark, that this Spartan band would prevent the repeal of that law for seven years to come. That Spartan band would retain the field in triumph, long after the great VAN BUREN democratic party, of which the gentleman was once the victim, and had now become the big gun, had dwindled away into utter insignificance. That Spartan band would be sustained by the people of this Commonwealth, and would be the rallying point of freemen, in the approaching struggles with the great, but now decaying party to which the gentleman had so recently become attached, and which it was not in the power even of his ability to sustain. That great democratic party, with the great Magician at his head, would, at another election, be in the minority. [Mr. PORTER. Doubtful].Parties were changing. The popular will had prepared the way for a hero-not him of New Orleans, but for another hero, who would carry through the principles which he brought with him into the Presidential office. Even, at the last election, the boasted democratic party came off with the meagre majority of four thousand, and four years more would bring it, and those who follow its fortunes, into utter insignificance.

Mr. PORTER, of Northampton, rose to reply to the delegate from Beaver. He said it was fortunate, as the gentleman from Beaver operated on the high-pressure principle, that an opportunity had been afforded him to let off a little of his spare steam, or there might have been danger of an explosion. The democratic party ought to be very thankful, if the gentleman is correct in calling me the big gun, that they have succeeded in getting so large a gun in exchange for the gun, big or little, which they

about the time my old friends, the democrats, and myself got together again, the delegate from Beaver and some of his friends who had been very solicitous to get me back into the ranks, deserted to the enemy. The delegate from Lancaster says, there is no representative of federalism here; that all is now pure democratic antimasonry. This may be so, as it fregards some places; but I scarcely think it will suit some of my worthy and estimable friends who are not ashamed of the old fashioned name of federalism; and I am sorry that my friend from Lancaster should have abjured his ancient name, and the faith of his fathers, in form, whilst he has not, perhaps, departed from them in feeling. I have lived long enough to have seen many queer things, and among the queerest of them is, the chamelion-like facility with which party politicians can change their hues and name. My earliest recollections carry me back to the years 1799 and 1800, when we knew no other names than democrats and federalists. The leading characteristic of these parties I have already stated on this floor. A portion of the old federal party, thirteen in number, composed the majority of the Senate of Pennsylvania in November, 1800, when the Legislature was convened to enact a law for the choice of electors of President and Vice President. A bill passed the House of Representatives for the choice of those electors, by joint meeting of the two houses. When it came into Senate, they altered the bill, so that the House of Representatives should choose eight and the Senate seven electors, thus giving, in fact, but one vote for the State of Pennsylvania, in the election of President and Vice President of the United States, when the preceding gubernatorial and representative elections in 1799 and 1800, had given conclusive evidence that a majority of the people of the State were favorable to JEFFERSON and BURR, the democratic candidates. The Senate was then composed of twenty-four members, thirteen of whom, as I have said, were federalists, and eleven were democrats. The majority of the House of Representatives were democrats. The majority of the Senate were lauded by their partizans for thus standing between the voice of the people and their own wishes, and denominated "the Spartan Band". And it was for the similarity between their conduct and that of the majority of the late Senate of Pennsylvania, that I denominated the latter by the same appellation. That Spartan Band soon died a natural death, and were never heard of again in Pennsylvania; and, if I mistake not, the same fate awaits their recent imitators.

We knew no other names but triumphant democracy and prostrate federalism, from 1800 to 1805, when the mass of the democratic party cast off THOMAS M'KEAN, and nominated SIMON SNYDER for Governor of Pennsylvania. The office-holders and their friends who had acted with the democratic party, desirous of holding on to the loaves and fishes, organized themselves as the "Constitntional republicans", and federalism hitched on to them, and aided them in re-electing THOMAS M'KEAN, whose administration thenceforward might be esteemed essentially as federal.

In 1808, the democratic party rallied, and, by an overwhelming majority elected SIMON SNYDER, over JAMES ROSS, the federal, and JOHN SPAYD, the Constitutional republican; or, as the democrats then called the party, "the

were disappointed in their expectations of office and influence under vernor SNYDER, and seceded under the denomination of the old sch party, many of whom, with the federal party, were opposed to the adr istration of the General Government during the war, and supported DE CLINTON, the peace party candidate for President.

In 1817, these same gentlemen and the federal party, under the den nation of "independent republicans", unsuccessfully supported Gen HIESTER, in opposition to WILLIAM FINDLAY, Esq., for Governor. having received an augmentation of strength from the disappointed of hunters, and the unpropitiousness of the times, they were, in 1820, cessful in defeating the democratic candidate by a small majority, elected General HIESTER, Governor. In 1823, the democratic party, ing kissed and made friends, united their strength, and elected J. AND SHULZE by a triumphant majority, over ANDREW GREGG, the candidat the opposition. There was little party feeling in the election, and less in the re-election of Mr. MONROE as President. In 1824, the old ges of party seemed broken up, and the party, being left without didates selected in the usual manner, scattered their support among var individuals.

On that occasion, I was found among those who supported HE CLAY, and have never had cause to regret my having done so. It was my fortune at any time to have supported the election of General JACK a circumstance for which I have never reproached myself. In all the sequent Presidential elections, until the last, I found myself separated f many of the democratic friends with whom I had previously acted. I belonged during that time to a very respectable party called "the nati republicans". But they having become lost, or merged in some party, I found myself almost alone. I must either have stood still, u in the revolution of years, my old friends were brought back to me, became persuaded again to action by the arguments and solicitudes of old friends-among the most anxious and strenuous of whom, were friend from Beaver, and some gentlemen then acting and afterwards des ing with him.

Now it seems, that good old honest federalism is to be shuffled off stage, and its place supplied by some of the modern nomenclatured par Democracy, however, has gained a signal triumph. All must now mus and all must fight under her broad banner-a just, but to some, a hum ting tribute to the right and capacity of the people for self-governm We have now nothing but democracy-in name I mean. The old p names are laid aside, and you find all the newspapers now headed "De cratic Reporters", "Democratic State Journals", "Democratic Gazette and, bless the mark, "Democratic Anti-Masonic" papers. We have De cratic Whigs, too: and, to cap the climax, we have had a Convention here called "The Democratic Republican Anti-Masonic State Con tion", whose proceedings have been laid before us, at the head of wh we find my most worthy and estimable "democratic friend" from Ada (Mr. M'SHERRY). Now, I know where to find, and I respect an old f ralist, although we differ-because I know we differ honestly. I find an honest, open hearted, gentlemanly and independent man, of pro yet mostly pleasant bearing, who generally does not stoop to little matt

were disappointed in their expectations of office and influence under G vernor SNYDER, and seceded under the denomination of the old scho party, many of whom, with the federal party, were opposed to the admin istration of the General Government during the war, and supported DEWI CLINTON, the peace party candidate for President.

In 1817, these same gentlemen and the federal party, under the denom nation of "independent republicans", unsuccessfully supported Genera HIESTER, in opposition to WILLIAM FINDLAY, Esq., for Governor. Bu having received an augmentation of strength from the disappointed office hunters, and the unpropitiousness of the times, they were, in 1820, suc cessful in defeating the democratic candidate by a small majority, and elected General HIESTER, Governor. In 1823, the democratic party, hav ing kissed and made friends, united their strength, and elected J. ANDREW SHULZE by a triumphant majority, over ANDREW GREGG, the candidate o the opposition. There was little party feeling in the election, and still less in the re-election of Mr. MONROE as President. In 1824, the old usa ges of party seemed broken up, and the party, being left without can didates selected in the usual manner, scattered their support among various individuals.

On that occasion, I was found among those who supported HENRY CLAY, and have never had cause to regret my having done so. It was no my fortune at any time to have supported the election of General JACKSON, a circumstance for which I have never reproached myself. In all the subsequent Presidential elections, until the last, I found myself separated from many of the democratic friends with whom I had previously acted. I had belonged during that time to a very respectable party called "the national republicans". But they having become lost, or merged in some new party, I found myself almost alone. I must either have stood still, until, in the revolution of years, my old friends were brought back to me, or I became persuaded again to action by the arguments and solicitudes of my old friends-among the most anxious and strenuous of whom, were my friend from Beaver, and some gentlemen then acting and afterwards deserting with him.

Now it seems, that good old honest federalism is to be shuffled off the stage, and its place sup Democracy, however and all must fight un ting tribu We hav