Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1862-02-08
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS.

HARRisBuRG, Feb. d. 1867.
Harrisburg is comparatively Gull this win.
ter. There is much less legislation than usu.
al and what there is, lie not Of q character to
e,tract outsiders, or that body known as tho
"Third House." which, when organized as il
has been for some years past is the most po.
tent Of the three. This is, Of course, owing
to the fact that no bills Of great or general
interest are now before the Legislature.
Perhaps one of the most exciting or inter
esting debates OF the present session took
place Lost night on the resolutions Of the
Senate, passed unanimously by that body,
iostructng our Senators in Congress to vote
for the expulsion Of Jesse u. Bright, United
States Senator from Indiana. The resolu.
tions, it is conceded, are intended for MIR.
Cowap, who takes the ground that IL is
judicial question, and that Mr. Bright's con.
duct in writing a letter to Jefferson Davis
introducing the inventor of new gun, though
unjus,ifuble and highly criminal in character,
is still not such on act as would justify bis
expulsion from that body. Mr.. Wilmot, the
colleague OF Mr. Cowan, has no such scruples,
and has declared himself ready to vote for the
expulsion of the author OF the reasonable let.
ter to JEFF. Davis, in which he addresses him
as the "Presidept of the Confederate States
The resolutions Of the Senate passed that
body unanimously; and ns a vote was to be
taken n the United States Senate to-day, it
was important that the House should coucur
in the vote Of the Senate last night, in order
to have its effect on Mr.. Cowan's vote. An
evening session was therefore agreed upon for
the purpose Of taking up these resolutions
The session was On exciting one, and lasted
until nearly midnight, when the previous
question was called.
Mr.. Cessna, of Bradford, opened the de.
bate by Offering a preamble aud o sett OF
resolutions as an amendment, which advises
our Senators to vote for the expulsion Of Mr..
Bright provided they deem his conduct trea'
sopable, and that be is not in heart in favor
Of sustaining the Union and the Constitution
Mr.. Cessna's speech was a piece Of special
pleading, that might have been proper before
a Court in an ordinary case but where the
fate of a great nation is involved, it wss On.
worthy Of consideration. The speakers 10
defence OF the resolutions we're generally meu
who had been active in tSe support of Breck
inridge and when Mr. Elliott, Of Tioga
offered TO read the resolutions adopted at tht
convention which nominated the member frou
Jefferson, Mr.. zgler, objection was made, a.
being out OF order. Mr.. Elliott remarked
tha. be would only say that the resolution
we're as foil Of treason as Mr. Brights lette
to jeff Davis. Mr. Zigler remarked, in tn,
course of on excited harangue, D which b,
eulogsed Bright as o patriot, that 20 rop
had been hung over bis own door with
moose at one end !" to which one Of the mem
bers replied by saying that bis ne;ghbors, VIII
ought to know him best, DO doubt though
be deserved it. The speech OF Mr.. Arm
strong, Of LycoDpg, was an able effort
showing most couclusively the fallac
of the opposition to the Senate re
resolutions. Mr.. Williams, Of Allegheny
closed the debate with most sbl
argument, in which be repudiated the ide
that this is judicial question, and 10 au eC
quept appeal showed that in times like thes
the public safety was superior to all technics
objections aud legol quibbles. The vote wa
taken, and the amendments were adopted b
a ma sjori,y Of about twenty votes--a uumbe
voting for the amendments for the purpos
of making them as nearly unanimous as poss
sible.