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Born in 1824, represented the "Wilmot district" in Pennsylvania in the U. S. Congress as a Whig and Republican from 1851 to 1863 and was Speaker of the House from 1861 to 1863. He served on the Committees on Indian Affairs, Agriculture and Territories, being chairman of this committee for four years. He was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1864 and 1868. In 1894 he was elected Congressman-at-large by an enormous majority (188,000).