The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-02-02
The Revolution I'm Progress,

The Revolution In Progress.
Thedeed is done. The corrupt lead
ers ofa corrupt faction have usurped the powers
Of the Legislature and the Judiciary and by the
assistance of two nominal Free Soilers, whose
object is yet to be discovered, have set law,
solemnly passed, at defiance. The House Of
Representatives have virtually abrogated a law,
passed by the Legislature Of the State, and have
decided it to be unconstitutional decision which
they had no moro the power to nuke than the
humblest citizen in the State.
This is but one event in the Revolution, which
at this moment threatens to dissolve the State
Government, unless the citizens Of the State u.
rouse in their majesty assert their rights aud place
the seal Of condemnation upon the iactiOnisis,
who at every hazard, will rule the Stutc. If
the people suffer such usurpalionS now, at any
time they may be repeated aud there must be nn
end to everything like stability and justice in our
State Government
The deed itselfas well as tho history of events
leading TO its conSummntion affords matter for se-
rious and calm reflection.
1t will be remembered by our readers that the
lute apportionment law divides Hamilton county
into two districts. We need not now recur to
the passage of the law. the election in that county
the conduct of the Clerk or the extraordinary
course Of tile RevOlutionists in the curly part of
the session. These matters have been fully ex.
planned and amply discussed in our columns here.
tofore. 1t will be sufficient to say that the Clerk
of that county in violation of his oficiu oath gave
certificates ofelecton to Messrs. Pugh aud Pierce,
when these, under tho law. should have been
given to Messrs Spencer aud Runyan; and when
the members Of the Legislature met, at Colum-
bus, the Locofocos ofthat body took possession Of
the State House, at an unusual hour, in an unu.
sual manner, and swore in Messrs. Pugh and
Pierce, aud refused to join the Wings in proper
aud lawful organization f,he Genera! Assembly.
until, weare bound to believe, Messrs Towss-
HEsD and MORSE, Free Soilers, had contracted
with them aud obligated Themselves 10 support
the pretensions Of Messrs, Pugh and Pierce. The
certificates Of these men and the evidences of the
election Of MeSsrs. Spencer aud Runyan were i'm.
mediatey handed to a Committee of Privileges
and Elections, of which Mr.. TowssHEND wac
Chairman, and Messrs, Letter aud Roedter Loco
cos, and Messrs. Pennington and Hardesty, Wigs,
were members.
For three weeks the question Of Right was in
the hands Of this Committee. before they nade a
Report, aud when they did report Messrs Pugh
and Pierce cOnsttutionaly elected, il was only
signed by MessrS Townshend, l. Leiter and Roedter
and nerer had been presented to the Whig mem.
bers of the Committee. This was a strange pro.
ceeding, but stranger than all, the question never
had been discussed in full Committee.
Under Parliamentary law, Legislatures have two
rules for the protection of minortiss. These rules
the motion for a call of the House and the motion
to adjourn, had been used by the Locofocos of the
Legislature, upon former occasion, when the
question concerning the alteration ofthe Journals
was under consideration, for day aud hall
thus abusing power given to them for their Pro-
lection Previous to the bringing in Of the Re-
port these two rules had been changed, Messrs.
Townshend and Morse assisting, so that motion
to adjourn and for call Of the House could be in
order but once-thus placing the minority in the
power Of the majority and giving them the power
to Stave fall debate by the Previous Question.
1t will also be recollected by our readers tina,
the Clinton county case had been referred back to
the people and that that county is now unrepre-
sented in the Legislature. In addition to this
Mr.. Edison. of van Vert, and Mr.. Roedter, oI
Hamilton. both Locofocos, are disabled by the
Constitution from holding seats in the Assembly
the former being Prosecuting Attorney and the
latter Notary Public. These cases ure of the same
nature precisely as the Clinton county case and
ought to have been reported ut the same time;
but this would not suit the purposes Of men de-
termined to violate tho law and deprive two men
Of their rights.
When the report was made, on Thursday, a
motion was made and carried that it be made the
special order of the day for Friday at 10 o'clock
In vain the friends of Mr.. Spencer asked for fur
ther time. He was at Cincinnati, by the bedside
Of dying and widowed mother, paying perhaps
the last duties to ono. who had cherished, sustain
cd and watched over him in his youth. This re,
quest was inhumanly refused and advantage taken
of his necessary absence, on the ground Of haste
although three weeks had elapsed since the Com
mittee had received the certificates, thus exhibit
ing no very great haste until the Clinton County
member had been sent home.
On Friday at 10 o'clock, Immediately after the
reading uf the Journal. the resolution was taken
up aud after short discussion Of point of order
MIR. Riddle took the floor in opposition ond spoke
until the hour of recess. At3 o'clock he resumed
his remarks and spoke until five, when he gave
way for motion to adjourn. The motion wn'
put aud lost when Mr.. Morse was recognized by
the Chair. Mr. Riddle claimed the floor, but the
Chair decided that he had yielded it entirely when
he gave way for motion to adjourn. Alter 4
few remarks by Mr.. Morse. Mr.. Letter called ioI
the Previous Question, aud it was put and carried
Messrs. Towushend aud Morse voting for it.
; The former gentleman was elected under 4
pledge to sustain the law, and tho latter had ro