Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-01-14
The CrisiS-The Position of the Wings

The Crisis-The Position of the Wings
Whatever may have been The opinion of
individuals es to where the responsibility !
has rested heretofore for the disorganized
state of the Senate, there now can be no
doubt bu, it rests upon the whig party.
Let US louk at the exact condition of the !
matter. --s
Mr.. Blake was elected Speaker on Fri
day morning last, and during the forenoon
o! that day Mr. Knapp was elected Clerk.
AS soon as the oath was administered 10
Mr.. Knapp, Mr.. johnson nominated Can
didate for Sergeant. at Arms, THE SPEAKER
ANNOUNCING HIN, WHEN HE AROSE, AS s'the
Senator from Hamalton.' Mr.. Johnson
voted for Cerk and Sergeant at Arms, and
his vote was counted and recorded, and
was announced by the Speaker, the same
as that Of any other Senator.
After the Sergeant alarms was elected
and sworn in, and the Senate was legally
and Constitutonally organized, motion
was made for the adoption Of rules. On
this motion several v, tcs were taken, MIR
Johnson voting all the time, tie same as
any other Senator, and his votes recorded,
and his rote determining the result, which
result the Speaker announced as the decis-
Ion of the Senate, he knowing all the time
that that result vas produced by the vote
of Mr.. Johnson. Now the question arises:
Did not the Speaker, by thus announcing
Mr.. Johnson as the Senator from Hamilton,
by permitting him to make speeches, and
motions, and 10 vote, and by announcing
that vote, RECOGNIZE him as the Senator
from Hamilton? And after having thus
recognized him from day to day, can be
of his own responsibility recognize an
other as the Senator from Hamilton?
But we are not done. Mr. Johnson's
votes were recorded upon the Journal
on Monday morning that Journal was read,
signedzby the Clerk, and dpprousd BY
| the Senate. The constitution ST the State
provides that the Senate shall keep Jour-
nal of its proceedings: that Journal is rec
ord testimony OF what it contains: Mr..
Johnson name is there recorded as the
Senator from Hamilton: that Journal has
been approved by the Senate: it can never
be impeached: that Journal will therefore
stand forever as unimpeachuble testimony,
that on Monday morning last, Mr.. John
son was Senator from Hamilton county.
|, shows further that he made up the con.
s,itutional number of Senators allowed to
the State.
+ The qres;on now arises: Since Monday
morning last has Mr. johnson been re-
moved? No one pretends that he has, or
that any steps have been taken, or any
motion made to remove him. What then
i, ,the sifiru'tye Simply this: The Speak.
er Of his oaum authority, and without any
action on the part Of the Senate, and
without MIR. Johnson's being removed,
undertakes TO introduce the thirty.serenth
Senator into that body in violation of the
constitution and his oath Of of1i;e. When
the Clerk has called the name Of the thirty
six Senators acknowledged to be such by
the Speaker and the Senate, and proved
to be such by the Journal, the Speaker, of
his own will calls another name, and then
states that there are more votes than there
are Senators, and that therefore he will not
declare the result. He thus effectuully
stops all legislation, and assumes to destroy
! the government of the State. If this be
now permitted, let it be remembered that
any Speaker can at any time stop legisla-
ton whenever he pleases by following this
example, calling the name Of an individual
not member then declaring there are
more votes than there are Senators, and
refure to stale the result, Is there no rem
edy? Must the state 60 without legislation?
Must its government be overthro"n by the
ty yrannical act Of q perjured Senator? In
any other government than this, among n
I nv other people than ours, q Speaker who
should assume such responsibilities, would
be torn in pieces by an ind gnant and op-
pressed populace.
To add to the enormities Of the Speaker,
when resolution is offered for his removal,
he decides the resolution out Of order, and
when an appeal is taken, he calls the thir-
ty.seventh name, and then refuses to de-
clare the result, because there are too
many votes! The wings in the Senate sus-
tain the Speaker in all this vranny-this
tram pling upon the Consi;ution-this vile
attempt to overthrow the government
Foremos, among these is Mr.. Dennison,
, the Senator from this county. There is
] now no doubt tut that he, in connection with
Mr.. Beaver, concocted the " h lie game of
2 fraud, bv which Blake was to be made
, 81 eaker, and then violate his pledges.
Our readers will ask community will
: ask, what will be The result of these things?
=. We cannot tell, we look with fearful fore.
t bodings. A deep feeling Of indignation is
i. taking hold of the hearts of the people
! Already we have heard threats, that if orui-
f nary mems cannot save the government,
r other means must be resor;ed to. The
} people will not see their government over
Z thrown their Constitution trnmpled in the
dns'-their voice stfled demandinga Con-
I vel,tion and that, too. hv the tyranny of
one - -, l,o tho prrcb,r