THE SENATE AND ITS PRESIDENTS— HON. DAVID H. BUFFUM.
��the people from ill advised and even dan- gerous legislation, to a greater or less ex- tent every year.
While the task of presiding over the deli b( rations of the Senate is far less dif- ficult and laborious than that devolving upon the Speaker of the House, the posi- tion is, nevertheless, one of honor and distinction, and has been occupied by many illustrious citizens of the State. Sixty-two persons, in all, have holden the office of President of the Senate dur- ing the eighty-five years since the adop- tion of the Constitution of 1792. Fol- lowing are their names, with their sever- al places of residence and years of ser- vice :
Abiel Foster, Canterbury — 1793 ; Oliver Peabody, Exeter — 1794 ; Ebenezer Smith, Meredith— 1795-6; Amos Shepard, Al- stead— 1794 to 1S03, inclusive; Nicholas Gilman, Exeter— 1804 ; Clement Storer, Portsmouth, 1805-6; Samuel Bell, Fran- ce stown— 1807-8; Moses P. Payson, Bath —1809; Wm. Plumer, Epping— 1810-11 ; Joshua Darling, Henniker— 1812 ; Oliver Peabody, Exeter— 1813 ; Moses P. Pay- son, 1814-15; William Badger, Gilman- ton — 1816; Jonathan Harvey, Sutton — 1817 to 1822, inclusive; David L. Morrill, Gotfstown — 1823 ; Josiah Bartlett, Strat- ham— 1824; Matthew Harvey, Hopkin- ton— 1825-0-7 ; Nahum Parker, Fitzwil- liaua — 1828; Abner Greenleaf, Ports- mouth, and Samuel Cartland, Haverhill — 1S29 ; Joseph M. Harper, Canterbury — 1830; Samuel Cartland, Haverhill, and Benning M. Bean, Moultonborongh— 1831; Benning M. Bean, 1832; Jared W. Williams, Lancaster — 1833-4; Charles F. Gove, Goffstown— 1835; James Clark, Franklin— 1836; John Woodbury, Salem —1837; Samuel Jones, Bradford— 1838; James M. Wilkins, Bedford— 1839; James B. Creighton, Newmarket — 1840; Josiah Quincy, Bumncy — 1841-2; Titus Brown, Francestown — 1843; Timothy Hoskins, Westmoreland — 1844 ; Asa P. Cate, Northfield— 1845 ; James U. Parker, Man- chester— 1846 ; Harry Hibbard, Bath— 1S47-8; William P. Weeks, Canaan— 1849; Richard Jenness, Portsmouth — 1850; John S. Wells, Exeter— 1851-2 ; James M. Rix, Lancaster — 1853 ; Jona-
��than E. Sargent, Wentworth— 1854; Wil- liam Haile, Hinsdale — 1S55; Thomas J. Melvin, Chester — 1S56 ; Moody Currier, Manchester — 1857; Austin F. Pike, Franklin — 1858 ; Joseph A. Gilmore, Con- cord — 1859; GeorgeS. Towle, Lebanon — 1860; Herman Foster, Manchester — 1861 ; W. H. Y. Hackett, Portsmouth— 1862; Onslow Stearns, Concord— 1863 ; Charles H. Bell, Exeter— 1864; Ezekiel
A. Straw, Manchester — 1S65; Daniel Barnard, Franklin— 1866; Wm. T. Par- ker, Merrimack — 1867 ; Ezra A. Stevens, Portsmouth — 1S68; John Y. Mugridge, Concord — 1869; Nathaniel Gordon, Exe- ter— 1870; G. W. M. Pitman, Bartlett— 1871; Charles H. Campbell, Nashua — 1872; David A. Warde, Concord— 1873 ; Wm. H. Gove, Weare— 1874; John W. Sanborn, Wakefield— 1875; Charles Hol- man, Nashua — 1876; Natt Head, Hook- sett— 1877; David H. Buffum, Somers- worth— 1878.
Of this list, eleven also held the office of Speaker of the House of Representa- tives, viz : William Plumer, Samuel Bell, Clement Storer, David L. Morrill, Mat- thew Harvey, John S. Wells, Harry Hib- bard, Jonathan E. Sargent, Charles H. Bell, Austin F. Pike and William H. Gove. Of these eleven, three, only, are now living— Messrs. Sargent, Bell and Pike, and the two former are members of the present House. Twelve of the num- ber held seats in the national House of Representatives, of whom Austin F. Pike is the only one now living; seven were members of the United States Senate, none of whom survive; and ten were Governors of New Hampshire, viz: Wil- liam Plumer, Samuel Bell, David L. Mor- rill, Matthew Harvey, William Badger, Jared W. Williams, William Haile, Jo- seph A. Gilmore, Onslow Stearns and Ezekiel A. Straw, of whom the two last only are living at the present time. Of the entire sixty-two, twenty-two are now living, the oldest survivor being James
B. Creighton of Newmarket, who was President of the Senate in 1840.
In considering the list with reference to localities, we find that of the several counties, or the towns composing them, Rockingham has furnished fifteen of the
�� �
