Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-01-27
AIerfslatfyc Mob.

Wednesday Of last week being the Ia
test day to which our reports Of the pro-
ceeding Of the lower House are brought
up, our readers will doubtless inquire the
reason Of this omission. We can soon
satisfy lie community on this head. That
body i not now, nor has it beer during
the past week, legally in session True,
the members take their seats in Che hall
from day to day, and go through tlse forms
Of business with apparent earnettness;
yet that body, as now constituted, y N
he eye Of our Fundamental law and IN
The eye Of the world, nothing more nor
less than alegislatire mob.
Il This remark will doubtless try the
credulity Of many Of our readers' but we
assure them that We speak the words OF
trath and soberness. lisa strange body,
truly, u represent, the people Of free
and Independent States yet the statement
is no less true than strange. lnlh's case'
truth is indeed ssstranger than fictiun.
r-s-y WINCH ruIes IN That body have
Ut length dofed their disguise, ard assum-
ed before the world, character in ..fct
keeping with the ruthless spirit tf.intole-
rance, the high handed acts II us,irPation,
and the shameless disregard for Jaw and
order, which have characterized them
from the commencement Of the SESSION
Tie transformation was effected in this
wise: Speaker Browne having been la
ken i'll during the early part'of last week,
he designated Mr.. Sells e perform tbs
duties of The Chair, or, rather as i, would
appear, appointed that person as Speaker
pro tempcre. This stretch Of power is,
Of itself, sufficiently astounding, but the
arrogance and the bold effrorhery ex-
llibited BY Mr.. Sells, in eash morn
ing assuming the functions Of Speaker,
without being called 10 that post by the
voice Of the House, is without a parallel,
except in the history Of that lalsless as
sembly.
Our Constitution says t:,as Each
MDuse of the General Assembly shall
choose its own officers" Gen. Browne
having been chosen Speaker, when he is
absent the cfice becomes yacanI and un-
less successor or a Speaker pb tempore
be elected, the organization Of Ae House
is destroyed.
The Constitution further ssy.s !" Each
House shall sit upon its ovr. adjourn
meats. determine its rules OF proceeding,
punish members for disorderIy .bchavior,
and, with the consent Of two thssrds, expel
member" In accordance .with the
above quoted provision. which we have
italicised, the House has determined, as
one Of its rules Of proceeding. that the
Speaker "shall have a rigM tca name any
member 10 perform the duties OF the
Chair, but snch substitution sh.N not err
tend beyond an adjournment. This is
right granted to the Speaker--,sot a pocer
in him. II he desires to par,ici-
pate in debate, or has occasion to leave
the House for short time, he may call
member TO the Chair to oifieiate in his
stead; but the moment the House ad-
jcurns, the Chair becomes vacated. by vir-
tue Of the Constitution, md by che rules or
lars which that body has adopted Tor its
own government; and if the elected Speak
er do no; return at the next ensuing meet
ing, the House is disorganizea uusil an
other Speaker be elected.
j Il an assembly thus conditioned, with
person unauthorized by the Constitution
or BY law presiding over il, s not in the
eye Of the Law amob, what in:the Fame Of
common sense is it? 1t is s'5rely not
legally constituted legislative body; and
though, if orderly ard, well disposed tow
wards the peace and happiness Of society,
it would not answer strictly &c: the ctarac-
ter Of mob, yet We are fully warranted
in the above position BY several well
known facts, prominent among which is,
that the majority have, by at l.ast two dis
tinct acts, deliberately violated the Consti-
tuition and trampled upon the Ss,preme
law Of the land. This they acknowledge
by their subsequent action. s:Out 81 their
own mouths"d DO they stand condemned.
But there is further and more ircontro
vertible proof in support Of. the position
here assumed. Wehaye ours, lfreceiyed
practical illustration Of the ,nobIish pro
pensities which prevail in that BODY
Oae ofthe most brutal and cowarlly pre-
NEGOTIATED assaults that ever disgraeed q
legislative hall, was made ubon cur per-
son in that hall, and by aAmembe1, within
the past week. The circumstances of the
caseio which we allude, are; bief1y as fol-
lows: