tend to involve the United States in a war with Spain and establish an
unfortunate precedent. In December, 1827, he was placed on the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, and afterwards was also appointed chairman of the
select committee to which was referred that portion of President Adams's
message calling attention to the probable accumulation of a surplus in
the Treasury after the anticipated extinguishment of the national debt.
As the head of the latter committee he made a report denying the
constitutional power of Congress to collect from the people for
distribution a surplus beyond the wants of the Government, and
maintaining that the revenue should be reduced to the requirements of
the public service. During the whole period of President Jackson's
Administration he was one of its leading supporters, and at times its
chief reliance. Early in 1833, as a member of the Ways and Means
Committee, he made a minority report unfavorable to the Bank of the
United States. During the entire contest between the bank and President
Jackson, caused by the removal of the deposits in October, 1833, Mr.
Polk, as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, supported the
Executive. He was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in
December, 1835, and held that office till 1839. It was his fortune to
preside over the House at a period when party feelings were excited to
an unusual degree, and notwithstanding the fact that during the first
session more appeals were taken from his decisions than were ever known
before, he was uniformly sustained by the House, and frequently by
leading members of the Whig party. He gave to the Administration of
Martin Van Buren the same unhesitating support he had accorded to that
of President Jackson. On leaving Congress he became the candidate of the
Democrats of Tennessee for governor, and was elected by over 2,500
majority. He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor again in 1841
and 1843. In 1839 he was nominated by the legislatures of Tennessee and
other States for Vice-President of the United States, but Richard M.