Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-12-11
POLITICS.,
From Mc Harrisburg (Pa.) Keystone.

Vi " Il II
What most disgraceLl spectacle presented 10
the people OF Pennsylvania |" day at the Capitol The
administration which cTcP, into power by stealth through
lie division Of the Democratic. party and by MlNORl
TY of the votes o! the people, which has attempted 70
retain its i'll gotten power by unconstitutional acts laws
and appor,Ionmen bills, and Other illegal devices which
has sough, 10 CORRUPT the people by MONEY, and
SUBDUE them by FORCE which has been sgnay
beaten every election since lo2 and by majority
of TEN THOUSAND votes at the last election, has
had the audacIty 10 attempt 10 celeat the will OF the
people and 10 treat the election Il nuly. by the
most high handed frauds an! "a:nrs People Of Penn
the defence OT your rI''iu'' i "-rIu
ton. your nsuCd laws, your beeagucred freedom
Let us use force let offer no insults; let US make
no threats brt calmly, firmly, and feaessy denuuncc
wickcdncsS and oppression oucrale public feeling
call en- naughty Federal yrants desis 10 etract 10
respect the laws, prepare for the sentence o deep
dark condemnation from the present generation and u
contempt and execraon from all generations that are 10
Come.
The day 10 speak out has come Silence is treason.-
We have been accused of menacing the employment Cf
force in the organization Of the Legislature. II IS false
Democrats stood By in the hitherto sacred hall o! egis
ation and saw The laws trampled on without raising
hand-not that they feared not that they could not have
prevented the black but they respected the avs
they respected the hall of the people; and they knew
that Guy would soon come when the abandoned fede
raj traitors would be consigned to Infamous oblivoa-
We rejoice that the Democrats assembled there were
silent We glad that they surrendered hr S'esens
and his ciingng coniederaes to the Judgment Of the
people.
SESArE.
The Senate met at 3 O'clock p. m. and proceeded 10
organize by elecling &. b Penrose speaker The Fed
cra Members from the county OF Philadelphia were I'D
united. Thomas S. Bell Esq was admitted from CheS-
ter The question oflhe admission Of the membersftcm
the Huntingdon district postponed till after The or.
ganlzi!on, and had not been decided when our paper
went to press.
Since writing the above we learn that after the DEM
ocraiic members from the county Of Philadelphia weie
wrongfuy refused their seals, Mr.. Brown one of the
elected members asked and obtained leave Of the Senate
to speak, and addressed the SENATE motion was
made to have the kept back by the Secretary
brought forward and The Secretary tremhlingy prom
ised 10 bring them forward Mr. Penrose then called
General Rogers the chair, and escaped through the
window, and fclowcdty the rest of his An,imason.
ic brethren, and The Senate broke up in confusion.
HOUSE, Of REPRESENTATIVES.
Tucsday, Dec 4 1898.
Al half past nine o'clock, Mr. Hill Of Westmoreland,
that The members elect would order at the usual
hour Of eleven, when the returns from the different dis
lricis would be read
Pursuant TO this notice, nj eleven O'Clock,
Mr.. Hill Of WesimorPiand and said AS This is
the day assigned by the Constitution for the meeting Of
the General Assembly of Pennsy Iyania move that the
clerk oren and read the election returns from The city of
phia and The several counties Of the Common
wealth; which was agreed 10.
Mr. Burrows the Secretary of the Commonwea
then appeared and presented what he syled) the official
returns Of the members elected 10 the House of Repre-
senalives the election held The second Tuesday
of October last.
The Clerk then read the from the city of Phi.
ladsphia and about proceeding to read the return
from The county of Philadelphia, when
Mr. Pray rose and inquired by whom this return was
signed'
The Clerk read the names of the individuals
whose names were subscribed TO it.
Mr. Pray stated in his place. that this not the le-
gal return and he therefore presented to the Clerk
certified copy Of the correct returns from the Office of
the Prohonolary Of the county Of Philadelphia, and
requested that it be read.
The Clerk then put the question "shall both The
turns be read:'
Ay! ay. was echoed throughout the house.
Mr. r. l.. Smith said lie hoped there would be no oh.
lection the reading of the returns presented by the
Secretary Of the Commonwealth
lie looked upon those returns, presented by the Sc
cre,ary of the Commonwealth, in the first instance,
the only official evidence which have of the election
in the county Of PHILADELPHIA and the other parts OF The
Commonwealth. There various modes Of
tanning which The correct returns, but he looked
upon these returns being the only evidence which
in the first instance As 10 any other return not
ha wing been received from The Secretary Of the Cc
monwealth he looked upon il being utterly ncompe
tent 10 the purpose for which it was presented.
He, therefore, protested against the reading any such
return at ALL He did this because he believed the usual
and proper was read all the returns presented
by the Secretary Of the Commonwealth before any other
paper read.
After that DONE if there any proposition to
read any other paper, he had objection it, This
he considered the proper Of proceeding and the
reading of the return presented by the gentleman from
the county of Philadelphia, he considered nuy.
He hoped therefore, if this became question: that
those present. who thought there no legal returns
except those presented BY the Secretary Of the Common
wealth, would vote the question at all, because
he apprehsnded tina, there House 10 vote any