Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-04-21
FROM HARRISBURG.
Correspondence of the Bradford Reporter.l
HARRISBURG, April IA, 1859

HARRISBURG, April Ii, 1909
Mr.. E. O.. GooDRIcH.-The Fry divorce
case was reached on Friday last, and the House
refused to go to second reading by vote Of
7 to 8-a very strange vote indeed Those
who had been the most clamorous for the di-
vorce turned against it as soon as they saw
that defeat was inevitable, while those who
were in favor of it because they honestly be-
Iieved the divorce ought to be granted, had
the manness to vote accordingly. The latter
consistency, while the noisy ones who fed when
the wolf came will not stand very high in the
public estimation Mrs Fry has since been
in town; she is very girlish-looking-
some but not smart-pretty, but does not blush
loves hattery and is indiscreet. Her presence
in the lobby awakened sympathy in the hearts
of some and disgust in others.
The General Appropriation bill passed as it
came from committee of conference, and has
been signed by the Governor. 1t is in the ag
gregate less than last year.
The bill for the assessment and recovery of
damages on the Ncrth Branch and Wyoming
canals also went to a committee of conference
and has passed and been signed by he Gov
ernor. I will send you a copy early. The
Senate has been doggedIy obstinate with the
bill, and its greatest enemy was found in the
Senator from Luzerne Mr.. STEELE Among
its warmeSt friends in the House were Mr..
KETCHUM, of Luzerne, and JACKSON, of Sulli-
van.
Bill relating to the Towanda and Burlington
Plank Road was called up by Mr. Smead and
passed finally.
Supplement to the Bradford Railroad and
Coal Co. also passed finally.
The House cleared up its tables on Monday
and then had nothing to do but wait on the
Senate and concur, or non-concur, in whatever
it might send over The leisure hours were
spent very amusingly, for among such an array
of wisdom there must be some wit The most
amusing thing of the session was a spread. eagle
speech from STEVENS, of Wayne on bill to
equalize taxation on corporations. He had
taken the entire winter in preparing and learn
ing it. He was very frequently interrupted
by questions and explanations, and the thread
of his discourse broken, SO that he was obliged
to go back and come up again on the right
| track, like locomotive in a snowdrift The
speech, as trimmed and fixed up by some friend,
appears in the Record, but some of its most
sublime as well as most ridiculous passages do
not appear. Many funny incidents connected
with its delivery are also suppressed.
Upon its conclusion, Mr. THoRNE remarked,
that the gentleman's speech reminded him very
forcibly of a graphic description of catas-
trophc that happened to a steamer on the
Western waters, as follows:
She heaved and pitched and pitched and heaved
And up her rudder flung
And every time she heaved and pitched
| greater leak she sprung"
Applause.
Mr.. KINNEY said the beautiful speech had
also awakened the poetic feeling in his own
prosy mind and the frequent reference to
Liberty o, Liberty! once dear to every Penn
sylvanians ear, but now gone forever" called
to mind the beautiful apostrophe of poet,
native of this town, as follows
" Sweet Susauehanna! long hast thou ran
Giving shdd to the Harrisburghers and freedom to man.
He concluded by moving that five thousand
copies of the gentlemanS speech be printed in
German for the use of the House-Ruled out
of order
The New School Democratic Convention
held here yesterday, was largely attended and
embodied much talent They repudate L" fat
footed" the platform presented by the other
democratic convention, and also its candidates.
Tney appoint State Central Committee,
with discretionary power, to call a regular Con-
vention fer the nomination of candidates |
think that will not be done however. The
most radical and violent speeches were made
and the cape between the wings of the party
was made to yawn most terriically The
speech of JOHN HICKMAN was a finished pro-
duction-strong of itself and delivered with
power. 1t has seldom been my fortune to lis.
ten to its equal. Mr.. HIcKMAN has yet to be
properly appreciated in this State. Judge
KNOX told the democracy plainly that the peo-
pie for the future would vote Just as they pleased
is it not high time they did so? Some half
a-dozen excellent speeches were made, Col
FoRNEY reported an address and resolutions
long and strong supported them with few
pointed remarks. The pretended democracy is
in shreds.
The labors of the Legislature are closed and
the members are parting with the kindest OF
greetings. Never was a Legislature assembled