Litchfield enquirer., 1843-04-20
GOV. PORTER AND HIS BROTHER.

GOV. PORTER AND HIS BROTHER.
The Pennsylvania papers are making
some extraordinary disclosures in relation
to Gov. Porter, and his brother, James Ma
olson Porter, recently appointed Secretary
of War. The Keystone, published at Har-
risburg, and the organ of Gov. Porter, OPEN
ly charges him with venalty and perfidy to
his party and shows that he has endeavor-
ed to transfer that paper and the Democracy
of Pennsylvania to John Tyler. To accom-
plish this, the patronage of the general and
state governments were to be brought into
requisition. Gov. Porter himself presented
and pressed upon the editor Of the Keystone
communications putting John Tyler, and
urged them into the conspiracy against their
principles. But the editors rejected the ad-
vances and denounced the man who was
guilty of it, although the Executive OF the
state, and until then, their Intimate friend.
The Reporter, the old established demo-
cratic paper at Harrisburg, unites with the
keystone in exposing the Governor and MS
duplicity; and we observe that the most ef-
ficient democratic papers of the state unite
with them. They show that James Madison
Porter, the Secretary of War, is and always
was man of loose political principles. He
with the democratic party only in support
of his brother as Governor. He is implica-
ted in the stupendous bribery transactions
of the Banks and Legislature in l94O, for
the continuation of the suspension of specie
payments. At the same time his brother
sent in very extraordinary message to the
legislature, interfering with the action OF
that body and threatening veto it they
passed bill for resumption.
The appointment of James M. Porter was
a most extraordinary one, or would have
been in any other administration. 1t was
considered venal when made, and disclo.
sures but confirm it. So far from strength
ening, it will weaken the administration
and the conduct of Gov. Porter, like that of
all others who depart from the direct path,
will be found shorn of its influence:
Hartford Tines.
A D1sGRAcEruL SCENE AT HARR1sBURG-AN
EDITOR STABBED BY A MEMBER OF THE PENN
sYLvANIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
We give below an account of most dis
graceful scene which took place at Harris
burg on Saturday. 1t will be seen that the
outrage was perpetrated on the floor of the
House, that one of the parties was men,
Der Of the Legislature from the county OF
Philadelphia, and that in the course of the
struggle he drew knife and stabbed his an
tagonist, Mr.. Bratton. 1t is to be hoped that
the severest penalty will be awarded by the
committee to whom the matter has been re-
ferred. The details we give are from the
Harrisburg Telegraph. We hope for the
honor Of the State, that they may prove ex-
aggerated, although the respectable editor
says that he has endeavored to give them
correctly and without bias.
Philadelphia Inquirer.
This morning, the State Capitol Gazette
its editorial head -
"' You shall both haze office in the Custom
House, If you vote for the Tyler candidate for
Sagte Printer as ]. P. Brawley said to Nc
Gowan and Bacon. Agreed was the re-
Spouse and they did vote for him sure
enough. In our next we shall hold up to
the public gaze every man who has been
bribed l"
To understand the above rightly, it will
be necessary to state, that on the first days
trial in the convention to elect u state prin-
ter, Mr.. MCGOWAN, who is from Moyamen-
sing, in the lower end of the county OF
Philadelphia, and Mr.. Bacon, who is from
Kensington, in the upper section ofthe same
county, both voted for Mr.. Bratton, the eau
Gus candidate for stale printer. When the
COuvCubAOH tIlCt Ou IAudyS AOI eAAoAS
Messrs. MCGOWAN and Bacon both, unex-
pectedly to every one, voted for Dimock,
the Governors candidate. Charges that
they were bought up" were then and have
since been whispered about. With this ex-
PLANTATION we proceed with our narrative.
Immediately after copies of the paper
containing the above article were distribu-
ted in the House, Mr.. MCGOWAN came up TO
MIR. Bratton, the publisher of the Gazette,
who was standing to the left of the Speak
er's chair, back. near the entrance of the
room of the Sergeant-at-Arms,a and asked
him if he was the author of that article
Mr.. Bratton said he was. Mr.. MCGOWAN, it
is said, swore at him and spit in his face, at
the same time throwing the paper at him.
Before he had an opportunity to do any
thing more, Mr.. Bratton caught him by the
vest collar. but upon losing his hold, Mr..
MCGOWAN raised chair, and struck him on
the temple, inflicting rather bad wound.
I'VE wish it to be kept in mind by those
who read this, that while this was going on
the House was in regular session for bust
ness, having the bill relative to the sale of
the main line of state canals and railroads
under consideration and that it all occur
red on the floor of the chamber.
MIR. B. then siezed hold of the chair with
both hands, and was pressing Mr.. Meg.
back. when the latter, relinquishing the
chair, drew from an inner pocket, on the
left breast of his frock coat, dirk knife.
raising it suddenly and turning it quickly
in bis hand, for a blow. Mr.. Bratton at