The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-12-18

Ell allcE lIlC dDstNltSS, uut ItttiHtu Will
out member those he had seen refusing
to obey his summons. This fact was
reported 10 the house by the Speaker,
who then read from the Chair the proyi-
sions of the Constitution in such eases,
as follows:
SIC. Z. Aar. II.-Lasi claise.--"Two-thirds
of each House shall constitute quorum, but n
smaller number may adjourn from day 10 day
and compli the attendance Of absent members
The doors Of the house were locked
to prevent the cgrcss of members, and
the door keeper was again despatched TO
.compcl" the attendance of the absen-
tees, but he again returned bringing with
him only Mr.. ARCHER, of Clark. Sixty
a quorum, and the House was still Hree
short Of that number. The door keeper
was again despatched for members, but
those he saw refused to attend; CYRUS
EDWARDS, Of Madison, was found by the
door keeper in the store Of Nnian Ed
wards, Esq.-Vhc door keeper desired
him to attend, but Mr. Edwards refused
unless the door keeper could show awar-
rant to compel his attendance. The door
keeper (Mr. Murphy then produced his
warrant; but Mr.. Edwards stepped back,
and with his cane under his arm and his
right hand upon il, told Mr.. Murphy that
if he took him, IL 5rOuld be at his peril!
BY this time it was growing towards
night, and the house had remained in
session two hours without quorum.
The greatest excitement prevailed. Mr..
Peck, Mr.. McClcrnand, and Mr.. Kitch-
ell, successfully addressed the house,
strongly urging upon that body not TO give
up, until they had put down what, II was
now evident to every man, was a deiiber-
ate conspiracy, formed by the wing lea
ders to destroy the deliberations and action
of the Legislature. A last attempt was
now made to procure a quorum. Find
ing It vain to obtain the attendance OF
wing absentee, the sick Democratic mem
bers were sent for. Mr.. Kelly, Mr..
Green of Clay, and Mr.. Dougherty, some
Of them from their beds, attended the
house, and after candle-light, 81 members
being present, Gust quorum) the ques
ton was taken on the resolution and PASS
ED, yeas 46, nays 10.
A laughable circumstance took place
while the yeas and nays were being cal
led on the passage Oft resolution. Mr..
LINCOLN, Of Sangamon, who WAS present
during the whole scene, and who appear
ed TO enjoy The embarrassment Of the
house, suddenly looked very grave after
the Speaker announced that a quorum
was present. - The conspiracy having
failed, Mr.. Lincoln came under great eX-
element, and having attempted and failed
TO get out at the door, very unceromon-
ously raised the 'cindow and junped ont,
followed by one or two other members.
This gymnastic performance Of Mr.. Lin
coin and his flying brethren, did not oc-
cur until after they had uoted! and con-
sequently the house did not interfere with
their extraordinary feat. We have not
learned whether these Tying members
got hurt in their adventure, and we think
it probable that at least one of them come
off without damage, as ii was noticed that
his legs reached nearly from the window
to the ground By his extraordinary
performance on this occasion, Mr.. Lin
coin will doubtless become as famous as
Mr.. Speaker Penrose at Harrisburg, which
redoubted champion Jumped ont Of the
window during the late buckshot war in
Pennsylvania
We learn that resolution will proba-
bly, be introduced into the house this week
to inquire into the expediency of raising
the State House one story higher, in or
der to have the house set in the Mird
story! so as to prevent members from
jumping oft Of the 'Cindo'cS If such
a resolution passes, Mr.. Lincoln will in
future have 10 CLIMB dorm The spout!
During the whole of the extraordinary
scene we have related, we stood inside
near the door of the house, and was an
eye witness to it. We noticed Mr.. Ba-
ker, of the senate, in the house, talking
IN an under tone to one or two OF the few
wing members of the house who remain
ed at their posts.-Mr. Baker seemed to
be the moving spirit in the conspiracy.
Absent himself from where his duty re-
quired him to be, ii seemed to be his OBJ
cct to persuade others to follow his ex-
ample. Fallen himself, he would drag
others down.
The reader, by this time, is probably
anxious to know the cause of this revou-