Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-03-17
Lancaster, February Il, 1908.

this can reach you, a resolution or the senate
aud house OF representatives of Pennsylvania,
requesting you to use your endeayors to pro-
cure an amendment of the constitution OF the
United States In that part of 1t which estab-
fishes and regulates the Judiciary department.
As this resolution has In its progress. been
attended with very extraordinary circumstance
es, which in our opinion materially lessen It's
weight as an expression Of the sentiment OF
the house of representatives, we deem 1t pro-
per tor your Information, and a duty to the
people of Pennsylvania, to give you a plan
statement of the manner In which 1t has been
passed, and to send you such parts OF the
journals as contain the minutes OF the pro-
Ceedings.
On the 18th day of December, 1907, the
resolution contained in the sixty fourth page
of the journal was laid on the table of the
house of representatives. On the Soth it was
called up and made the order for Monday the
18th of January, 1903. On that day, all the
members being present, the house OF repre-
sentatiyes, according to order, proceeded to
the consideration of the resolution. 1t was
debated from day to day until the following
Saturday, when after a very full discussions,
it was negatiyed by an equal division OF the
house, the whole number Of members being
still present.
On Friday the 9Th, while the subject was
under discussion, the governor transmitted o
both houses copies Of TIE resolution ct the
general assembly of Vermont upon the same
subject. On the 18TH day Of JANUARY the re
solution of the general assembly Of Vermont
was taken upand referred TO MeSsrs Leib,
Sergeant, Lacock, Porter,and lngham. 1t
may be material to state that, tor reasons OF
which We are ignorant, the chairman has nc
Yer called this committee together.
On the 18th January, 1908, the senate re-
ferred the resolution from Vermont to a COM
mittee. On the 2sth the committee made
report, IN which they proposed a resolution
in the words of the one previously negatiTGd
By the house of representatives. Report lay
upon the table of the senate until Wednesday
the 10th Of February. At this tins the 10Th
of February six members OF the house OF
repre- sentatiyes who had voted against the re-
solution were absent by consent Of the house.
Without any previous intimatioa a motion was
made in senate to proceed to the confederation
of the report. Efforts were used to procure
q short postponement In order to have time
to deliberate, and, after the usual period Of
sitin&had elapsed, to obtain an adjournment.
They were made, however, i'll vain. Ahxed
determination to have an immediate decision
was manifested by the advocates OF the reso.a-
ton, and prevailed. The resolution was "a
geeed to at a late hour the same day.
Next morning, the llth, 1t was sent down
to the house of representatives, and its recep.
ton was followed by a motion to proceed ims
mediately to its consideration. The ]ousnai,
of which we transmit you a copy, renders 1t
unnecessary to state to you particularly the
several motions which were made. Nor can
1t be necessary to explain the grounds and OBJ
iects of them. They were generally design
ed to prevent an undue advantage being taken
of the absence of a portion of the representa-
tives of the people of Pennsylvania, whose
return was shortly expected, to give an un-
warrantable expression of the sentiment by
the state to her representative In congresses
to induce them and the other states Of the uni
on 10 believe, that a disposition prevailed to
change the constitution of the United States
in a very material part. I'VE feel ourselves
justified by the former vote of the most popu-
lar branch of the legislature In stating that II
the sense OF the people Of Pennsylyama~were
fairly taken, it would be found that nc such
disposition existed.
These motions and all attempts to amend
the resolution you will perceive were resisted
and defeated by the same majority which at
forwards adopted the resolution, and the rea-
son more than once avowed was, that the pre-
sent state of the house enabled tie advocates
of the resolution to carry it through. The
im~propriety OF this reasoning in a representa-
tive body, upon such a question, we respect
fully submit to your consideration.
When these motions lad failed, those mem
bers who were opposedto the, resolution sought
discussion. They We're answered only by a
saiien silence, which Is not otherwise material
than as n Seemad ~ nc - c,nn.aL -.