Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-03-08

ness OF our oats-the cause of the people
against corporate privileges the interests
Of the laboring thousands against those ol
the idle. We looked oil around for relief
No appeal could be made to the courts of
Justice And the perpetrators of the out.
rage would most likely be the Judges next
winter in the General Assembly, if an ap.
peal was to be made there. all legal rem
edies were then gone-our arguments, and
our appeals had proved in vain Wha,
then was left to them? The rights of O
freeman to resist tyranny. That right they
exercised. They left the Senate Cham
Der, thereby preventing an arbitrary major.
Ity of the power TO desecrate the cons,itul.
ton.
The Senate being without quorum, the
question on receejing from the Senate dis
agreement could not be taken. The Sen
ate adjourned. thereby laying the bill, TO.
gether with the pending question upon the
table.
The Senate was from day to day, until
Saturday, left without quorum. The
democratic Senators had offered, as will be
seen, from the following quotation from
their published declaration, to return and
do up the other business Of the session, and
even to permit this bill to pass, if the ma
jority would purge it of its unconstitution-
allty, and make it bear even the semblance
of an honest apportionmenl:
sslfthe members who have passed the
apportionment bill through its different
stages, until but single question remains
to be taken ere it becomes law, will
purge it Of its constitutional objections, and
will make it bear even the semblance of an
honest apportionment,' with reference to
other districts, we will cheer!ully return
to our seats and vote upon its passage. If
they should make their election not to do
so, then we are willing to return and assist
in the other legislation necessary to fin
ishing up Of the work Of the session, but
not to violate plain provision of The Con.
stitution, which we have sworn in your
and in the presence of each other,
10 support. The course we have elected 10
pursue has been calmly weighed and con-
,idered. We believe it the easiest, surest
and safest mode Of preventing an uncon-
stitu,ional act from being passed. If sus-
.ained by the freemen we represent, we
'hnll feel grateful and happy-f not, we
'find in the motives which impel US, ample
grounds for contentment and peace"
From day to day, for four consecutive
lays, these fifteen Senators, sent by the
arms, this declaration to the
Speaker.
On Friday,by public rumor and through
he medium of:ho whig organ in this city,
se were informed that the Speaker Of The
wo Houses had signed the bill, and de.
:lared it law.
This bill, let it be remembered, was by
IN adjourning laid upon the table in the
Senate.
The House by a very unanimous vote
If the wings, and very correctly too, rs
hown by their own arguments upon that
occasion, had within less than one week
lecided, that they could not reconsider
vote upon the bill, while it was in the pos
session Of the Senate. But finding them
selves in dilemma. brought upon them by
an utter disregard ofall political honesty,
and all constitutional rights. invoked the
aid octhe tin pan: and as might be expect
ed, and as was determined in this midnight
caucus, they undertook by resolution TO leg
islate upon the, bill while it was in the pos.
session ofthe Senate. A resolution was
offered and read in almost an inaudb!e
voice, and pronounced carried without an
ola negative vote This res
olution purported that the l1ousa receded
from its amendments; ana that The Senate
be informed thereof All of which was in
open violation Of the constitution express
ly in opposition to our standing rules and
against all parliamentary law.
Even If the House had power thus to re-
cede from its amendments, as most clearly
it had not, vet the resolution was without
any effect, without another and still more
palpable violation of the constitution, mas
much as no notice Of the fact could be CON-
municated to the Senate, as under the ex
press declaration Of the constitution, there
could be no Senate for the transaction of
business without quorum. No message
that the House had receded, was made to
The Senate. The fact was made known
by public outcry Of the sergeant'at-Arms
of the House.
The question naturally enough arises.
what was the nature Of this resolution
The answer is obvious. 1t was recon.
sideraton by the House of its vo.e upon
the House amendments, and nothing more
This is too plain to need amplifcation! Had
the House then any right to reconsider its
vote, even provided the bill had been in
possession Of the House? What says our
sterling rules and parliamentary law. The
9th House rule reads as follows:
"27. A motion to reconsider vote
must he made by a member voting with the
majority, or, in case of an equal vote, then
by member voting in the negative; and
such motion, to be in order must be made
within the next two days Of actual session
Of the House after such vote was had"
Jefferson, in his Manual, which is made
a part Of our standing rules, says: "When
O question hos been once made and carried
in the affirmative or negative, it shall be in
order for any member of the majority to
move reconsideration thereof out no mo-
l:1n 71r a constderaflon of any cote shall de
in order a fer bill, resolution, message,
report, amendment or motion, upon ivhich
the uofe ,c 4s taken. SHALL HAVE GONE
OUT OF TuE POSSESSION OF THE
HOUSE, announcing their decision; nor
shalt ann ,notioa for reconsideration be IN