The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-12-26
From the N. Y. Evening rsst, Dec. 90.

When we have been asked what woul,
be The termination of The controversy il
the Pennsylvania Legislature, We hav,
answered invariably that the whig seceder
must be compelled TO give up their mocI
organization of House Of Representative
that cooler reflection IN some, a sense q
shame in Others and the disapprobatior
oil the community operating upon all, mus
! drive lhen to abandon the ground they has
taken Of attempting, by a criminal fraud
to impose upon the commonwealth, si
members of the legislature, men who hnG
never been elected.
The last intelligence from Harrisburg
confirms our anticipa,ions. Three whie
members Of the House Of Representatives
who formed part Of the fifty-two seceder.
from the House, have become convinced o
the mistake they had committed, and yield.
ing to the dictates Of their own eonsciences,
have Abandoned their sssocisirs in that dis.
orderly and revolutionary proceeding, and
have Joined the ffty-six democratic mem
bers of the House. As the House is CON-
posed of but one hundred members, the Sc
ceders are by this step left without the pow
er of forming quorum. They could do j,
before only by counting the spurious men,
bers from Philadelphia, who, knowing that
they had not been elected by the people,
and That they had no more right to their
seats in he'House tha, so many deputies
from the Philippine Islands, had yet the
prohigate assurance to appear and act as
representatives from Philadelphia county
Now the seceders are reduced to forty nine,
including even the eight impostors; less
than half the whole number ofthe members,
and, therefore, no quorum.
We record This circumstanc with great
pleasure, inasnIuch as the three members
who have returned to their duty, have per-
formed an net of virtue and courage by no
means common in these times, when it is so
much the fashion TO disregard moral con-
sideraions in party questions. We honor
The man, to whatever party he may belong,
whose attachment to party, strong as it may
he, is subordinate to his sense Of Justice,
and who refuses "to follow a multitude 10
do evil"
The three whig members WHO have ta-
ken this honorable and just course nre
Messrs. Butler and Sturdevant from Luzern
county, and Mr.. Montelius from Union.
Mr.. Monielius, in letter to his consti,u-
ents, explaining the step he had taken says
SIN joining with my party friends in
organizing the House of Representatives,
with the eight Philadelphia county mem
bers of the whig party, thought these had
been elected by majority of the votes of
the county, and had been returned by ma
jority of the judges, but soon found that
this was not true, and that the eight mem
bers of the opposition party in the county
of Philadelphia, had been elected by ma
jority Of the judges.
l am sorry to say that the secretary OF
the state kept back these returns, which
think was wrong. Under these circun,stan-
ces, ! could not continue to act. with mer
who had no right to their seats. any more
than nn opponent had to mine"
Mr.. Butler Of Luzerne, made an addres.
to the legally organized portion of tn,
House on joining it, giving a similar reason
for the step taken by him aud h,s two friends
The following passages nre from his speech
Negotiation has been rcsorted to, to
bring about reconciliation between gentle.
men VINO UlUeT IN tnelT FeWs-hut, Strange
to say, it has most signally failed. Their.
is no hope Of safety for our institutions from
that Understanding else must be done
and said Mr.. b., the only way open, as il
appeared to him, was to take the step which
himself, his colleague, and the gentleman n
from Union had proposed now to take. Al
party considerations-the pride of opinion
and feeling, must be laid upon the altar
and offered up, as willing sacrifice to the
public good"
Sir, continued Mr.. Butler, we may be
accused Of timidity-but he must be per-
mitted here to remark, that it requires more
frmness and courage to oppose the wishes
of your friends, than TO meet your oppo-
nents face to face. No sir, said he, we are
proud to yield to other and nobIer consider
ations--the peace aud welfare of the repub-
lic-and the hope Of a restoration to n heal
thy action in all the departments Of our
government.
The Philadel phia Senate will now be
compelled to recognize that portion Of the
House of Representatives which alone has
a quorum.