The freeman. (Fremont [Ohio]) 1849-1850, 1850-01-19
Remarks Of Mr. Pickney Lewis.


Deiizered IN the Senate Of Ohio, Friday January 9TH
in Justification Of the Speaker from the charg
Mr. Speaker: arise sir. for the purpose of ma
king few remarks in relation to the very extraor
dlnary land TO me ominous) manner in which tn
Senator from Wayne (Mr Bserslhas addressedt tn
Senate.
And. Mr. Speaker, inasmuch rs the pvntlernel
on the other side have spoken 10 every question: al
most except the one before the Senate, hope sir
the same latitude will be extended to me.
The Senator from Wayne. in his remarks ha
manifested more crath and at,,Kiad feeling than
usual for that gentleman. Ifelt more excited from
the naaaner in which he spoke than by the matter
contained IN bis remarks. Ms.speaker, the cours,
pursued by gentlemen on the other side of thk
chamber, is 10 me very remarkable They seen
to have taxed their ingenuity to find epthets severe
enough with which to reproach you Why, sir
according to their showing in the language of the
father of Methodism, when speaking in reference
70 another subject you are guilty of the sum Of
all villany.
The senator from Fairfield says you arc moral
/. leper-a criminal in the dock-a kind of moral pu-
trescence DC. If you are the kind of being repre-
sented BY these gentlemen, you ought to be trans
ported beyond the bounds of civilized man. The
senator from Cuyahoga said in his place the ether
day., ~he hoped is GOD that your act might blis-
The senator from Wayne says that the senator
from Ashtabula Is not aware, and does not apprc-
cate the state of things in this senate and turns
you Mr. speaker, and says you do not seem to know
or appreciate the position you occupy! He says
there is a yawning gulf before you-one step more
and suppose you viii plunge into the awful abyss
I should like to know Mr.. speaker, what the gen
tleman means by this yawning gulf He evidently
spoke under degree of excitement not usual
to him.
Thought, sir, when that gentleman was speak
ing. heard the rumbling Of the distant thunder,
which might eventuate in storm hereafter You,
Mr. speaker, according to the gentleman, stand on
the brink of some dreadful precipice, in the Ian
guage of Watts, you standing on slippery rocks,
! while fiery billows roll heneath.
The gentleman draws his arm back with signi6
cance, which seems to say Mr.. speaker beware!
do not know what the senator means by these or
acular remarks. | do not see any thing so dread
fu as to induce me to believe .isat the senate will
sbe thus engulphed. / think with the speaker that
a little common sense and manly bearing viii bring
-us out Of all this difficulty. What is the position
of the Senate? Are we at stand? Can nothing
be done TO relieve us form this embarrassment p
think there can
Now, sir, ia regard to the alleged bargain that is
said to have taken place. (and here let me remark,
that all political bargains, iaeuitaby lead the par
ties into di6cultyl it is known to the senate that
after has ing balloted several weeks for Speaker,
there was great anxiety manifested on both sides
of the chamber to effect an organization. Frequent
conversations were had at different times and be-
tween different individuals. to see how near we
could come together. Your views, Mr.. speaker,
seemed 70 coincide more nearly with that Of gen.
tleen on the other side of the chamber than those
of other members on this side
What was the understanding in relation to this
matter Was il not that if this side should get the
speaker, Mr.. Knapp was to be clerk, and Mr.. john
son to remain and occupy bic seat as he had done,
until the Committee on Privileges and Elections
make their report Such. understand to have
been the arrangement proposed. Now let us see
how they proposed to carry it out What course
did senators take in regard to the appointment of
the committee on privileges and elections? Did
thew pursue the usual and ordinary course which,
as understand, has been uniform from the found
alton of the Government? They did not. They
resorted to course never before attempted in the
senate of Ohio The uniform practice has always
been that the speaker appoint the committees
Now. sir. this whole arrangement is based on that
practice. Did not the senator from Franklin (Mr
Dsnnison) soon as the sergeant-at arms had been
elected move the adoption of the standing rules
which were in force at the end of the last session
as the rules of the senate until otherwise ordered
How was this met from the other side? Was not
every indirect expedient resorted to, to prevent
the adoption of these rules? and when all had fail
ed they were voted down By tie vote. They
would hare no rules.
The senator from Wayne shakes his head. Yes,
sir, say they would have no r,ties This was the
position in which we found ourselves. Thatside of
Of the chamber refusing to pursue the only legiti
mate and proper course to enable the senate to do
business
Mr.. Speaker, it is said by gentlemen on the other
side that Mr.. johnson has been sitting and voting
member from the Sd day of December, to the pre-
sent We, sir. have never considered Mr. Johnson
rs having any rights on this floor. He is the an
truder, and because we have not had the power
to remove him, or prevent his voting, gentleman
seem to think he has now obtained right to vote.
Mr.. Speaker, permit me, sir, to call your attention
to the transactions on the first morning of the
meeting of this senate What was thecourse pur-
sued on that occasion The senator from Fairfield,
with all the clustering, magisteral, dogmateal and
manner peculiar to that gentleman, |
undertook to put the senator from Lucas in the /
chair Hoa1 oas 1t done sir? 1t was discovered
that the senator from Prebe had called the senate
to order one minute too soon. Then, sir, the SEN
ator from Fairfield. at the top of his voice, said,
the senator's holding orer and they only, will vote
for Chairman He then made the motion that
Mr.. Myers be appointed Chairman calling on the
senators holding over, to vote. felt then, sir,
that the rights Of gentlemen on this side Of the
l.