REED, THOMAS BRACKETT ( 1839-1902 ) . An American lawyer and political leader, born at Portland, Maine. He graduated at Bowdoin Col lege in 1860; emigrated to California, where he taught school, in the meantime devoting his spare moments to the study of law ; returned to Port land in 1864, and was appointed paymaster in the United States Navy, in which capacity he served until his honorable discharge in November, 1865. Shortly thereafter he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of law at Portland. In 1S68-69 he was a member of the Lower House of the Maine Legislature, and in 1870 sat in the State Senate. From 1870 to 1872 he served as Attorney-General of Maine, and from 1874 to 1877 was solicitor of the City of Portland. In 1876 be was elected to Congress and was continuously reelected until 1898. In 1889 he was chosen Speaker of the I-louse. Again in 1895 and in 1897 he was elected Speaker, but before the expiration of his last term he resigned his seat in Congress and entered upon the practice of law in New York City. As
Speaker of the National House of Representa tives, lie made a notable innovation upon the par liamentary procedure of that body by adopting the practice of counting as present those mem bers of the opposition who, though physically present, refused to vote in order to prevent a quo rum. This innovation created a storm of oppo sition in the House and was denounced as revo lutionary. llis rulings, however, were sustained by the majority. The practice was soon ac quiesced in by the Democrats, and it has come to be a permanent part of the procedure of the Lower House. In 1S96 Reed was a prominent candidate for the Republican nomination for the Presidency, but was defeated by William McKin ley. He died at Washington in December, 1902. Speaker Reed was an able parliamentarian and an efficient speaker, his addresses often being en livened by rare wit and humor.