Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-02-23

A new attempt of the Whig members 70
subyert the COnstitutiOn-The Ty-
rants trtrampling Law under their
feet, and LegiSlating without a quo
rum.
We have had to day new sample Of
federal s1bversion Of the constitution. Find
ing that they had not the power to carry
out their high handed measures by quo
rum in one branch, they got up the farce,
this morning, oflegislating without con-
stitutional Senate. We suppose they con.
cluded that their bill was itself a violation
of their oaths and the constitution, it would
be very appropriate to act out the farce in
pushing it by motive power.
We will condense the case in rs, close .
form as possible, rs its history is,giyen at
lull length in other parts Of our paper.
The Constitution of the State, which
they had sworn to support, declares, that
"Two thirds Of eac h House shall coonst;fpte =
quorum to do business but q smaller number may
adjourn from day to ddy, and compel the atteH-
dance of absent Members - - 2ts zaf&g
This very provision of the constitution
was adopted to prevent smaller number
Of members seizing upon the power Of tho
State to make laws for themselves. Less,
therefore, than t,co thirds Of each House
cannot 'do business" What businessf
They can no more do any business of an OF.
fetal character than so many men IN the
street, except TO adjourn from dog To- day,
and compel the attendance of absent MEM
berS. But in the case Of E.. Burke Fisher,
in his assault upon Senator Burns, the Sem
ate had decided that as there was no law
existing to carry out the provisions of the
constitution in furnishing for assault, there
fore Mr.. Fisher was discharged from ar.
rest. There being no law to carry out
the provision Of the Constitution for com.
pelling the attendance of absent members,
there was for the time being IN end of tho
matter, and thus matters rested, until this
morning, when resolution was in IN in.
slant munbled through the House, lreced-
ing from the House amendments to the ap.
portionment bill, and as the resolution
shows that he House requested the Senate
to be informed of its passage; There was
no Senate existing $50 do business'a and to
be informed. Yet the Sergeant-at-Arms
Of the House rushed to the Senate, declar-.
ed that he had a message, and the Speaker
with his oath stamped upon his heart, re.
ceived the message, and the Sergeant.at-
arms read it at the Clerks table himself,
and handed it to the Clerk, who, though
unable ''to do business" recorded IL.
The Sergeantat-Arms of the, House
when he read the messoge, trembled like
on aspen lerf, guilt sinking his whole
| franc.
The House had no: the bill in it's posses.
sion when it passed its esoiuiionreceedng.
The bill was in the Senate, and there he-
ing no quorum in that body 'to do. .bu.iness,'
how could it get ofiiciall y from thoSenate;
yet it is reported to day, though the report
is too absurd to believe for a moment, that
the bill got to the Houss by some 4means,
signed by the Speaker Of that body, and
sent back to the Senate, reportedI to that
body, and signed by the Speaker Of the
Senate, and that an attempt viii Be mad .
TO force it on the people as law. 49,,
A bill is only q law when signed BY the
! Speakers; and it receives lis dale from that
day GOULD Speaker Goddard sign "a bill,
DATE it, and thus mako it a la.,T' without
the constitutional power s'to do businsss?"
Is there any man insane enough 10 snyl
Could the Senate, without q euoruaa,sFe-
ceive message from the House, hsar it
read, enter it upon the Journals, i and BY
this act change the character Of the bill and
yet declare it doing no bnsinsssl Is there
any man knave or fool enough to attempt
to palm such an absurdity upon any man
old enough to be entitled To- a rolel I'VE
cannot conceive greater farce in tho char.
acter OF attempted law making. lf such
acts can be called and recognized as slegis-
lation, then Constitutions are the mersplay
things Of tyrants, and oaths the cleaks to
knavery and deception. Mark it, .tha end
Of this matter is not yei!!-Ohio Siatsana
Feb. lS. gs tsecsAA y ,1io.'