Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-02-23
Tenth Week of the Session.

Who that believed federal promises OF
short session, made during the past fall,
would have believed that ten weeks would
pass away, and not even the day ior
sine die adjournment be fixed! SIX weeks
was then the longest term allowed-s;x
weeks was deemed amply sufficient to 90
Nd all the business, aud six weeks, ana not
one day longer, was the session to last
The tenth week has already passed-our
wise lawmakers are already upon the
eleventh, and still no man can say, tor no
man knows, when whiggery will be pleased
to adjourn, so that the majority VIII De
forced to face their constituents.
During the session new court has been
created ut Cleveland. and new court OF
Cinsinra,i, and, during the present week,
new judicial circuit has been carved out in
the north western dis:r.ct. We tru;t, for
tho sake Of whiggary, that, in the election
OF this latter Judge, the tin pan Will not Or
der the election before the bila becomes
law, by receiving the signature OF the
Speakers, as was the case in the election
OF d Judge Of the Commercial Court of
Cincinnati.
Some ten or twelve days since, Mr. EN-
rie, from the committee on Printing, to
which had been referred the account of
Charles Scott, for printing, made written
report, showing that more composition
was charged for than was to be found in
the documents-more role and figure work
than was to be found in the reports-and
pointing out numerous other evasions OF
the law. The report was ordered to be
printed. On the afternoon Of Friday last,
Mr. Lewis made counter report, which
the majority would not suffer to be read,
and il was hurried, with hot haste, off 20 the
printer. Mr.. E,nrie, the same afternoon,
submitted resolution requiring MIR. Scott
TO report forthwith why the report OF the
majority had .notbeen furnished to the Sen.
ate, and in the debate which followed, he
stated that the report was printed, for he
had seen copy days before in the hands
Of leading whig in this city. hese facts
took chuckery oil aback. Mr. Lewis rose
and moved commitment of the resolution
10 select committee of one, and 1t was
carried by party vote, and MIR. Lewis
being appointed the committee, pocketed
the resolution, and that is the last heard of
Il.
The next morning the report Of the ma
iority was sent in, and, contrary to all rule,
Mr. Scott had attached to it the report OF
the minority, which consisted of letter
from Scott himself, commenting upon the
report OF Mr.. Emrie, and stating lalsehoods
about the mode of charging adopted by his
predecessors This, we believe, opens
lew era in legislation. The false and un-
supported assertions of the State Printer,
are embodied in report printed ct the
expense Of the Sta:e, and then, by that Of
6ser, is attached to and made part Of an
other report, the first report being. detained
in his hands for days to enable him to re.
ply to il, and to print his comments with it.
The apportionment bill is now in the
Senate. That body, some days since, dis
agreed to the amendments made to the bill
in the House, and it was sent back. The
House reconsidered its vote on the amend
msnts, and then reconsidered its vote on
the passage Of the bill, and referred it to
select committee, notifying the Senate, by
a message, Of the facts of the reconsidera-
tion being had.
On Saturday night Mr.. Bennett moved
10 reconsider the vote on disagreeing to the
House amendments MIR. Reemelin OBJ
jected to the motion, on the ground that it
was out Of order; lst. Because the bill was
not in the possession of the Senate; and I'd.
Because the House had already notified the
Senate that that body had reconsidered its
vote on the adoption of the amendments
The motion to reconsider, and the question
Of order, were laid on the table.
MrCorwin then offered resolution TO
send message to the House requesting the
return OF the bill, which was carried: the
message was sent and the bill returned. -
The Senate then took up tho motion to re-
consider, with the question of order pending.
Mr.. Goddard promptly decided the ques-
tion Of ordor not we'll taken, decision
which shows the speaker either grossly ig-
norant Of the plainest principles Of parlia-
mentary law, or that he is determined to
show his independence by trampling them
under foot. The idea that melton to re-
consider vote on bill, not then in posses
sion Of the Senate, is in order, belongs ex-
elusiyely to Mr.. Speaker Goddard, and
we trust that if any member hereafter viii
cite the aicision as precedent, that he will
give due credit to sGoddard on parliament
tary law" or "Goddard- on reconsidera-
tons II there could be single doubt
in the mind of well informed man, that
the motion was clearly out Of order, this
doubt would be set aside by the fact that
the Senate had been notified that the House
had reconsidered its vote on the adoption Of
the very amendments, and had reconsider
ed its vote on the passage of the bill, thus
throwing it back into the situation where
Il was placed before it was sent to the Sen
ate. We mention these facts to show what
little protection members of the minority
can have under the rules Of parliamentary
law, when speaker will thus set them at
defiance. The Senate reconsdered its vote
on the amendments, and the bill was laid
ON the table.
As usual, local, legislation has had the
lions share of the doings of the tenth week
of the session, as it has had from from the
commencement. Scarce single law of
general interest has been matured and
brought forward, and passed into a law.
The tinpan still holds its sessions, and there
all subjects Of general interest, if presented
by democrat, is taken, and then it re-