North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-03-23
Address of the Democratic Senators.
To the Democrats Of PenasyIrdnia.

the proceedings of the Senate of Pennsyivan-
ia, the undersigned deem It their right and
duty TO address you.
For nure than two months we have unit
edIy and determinedly with>tood an effort
on the part Of the Republican members Of
| that body to subvert the organic law, to ig
more the prccedents of seventy years Of our
history, and to trample under foot the rights
| Of their equals and peers. In SO doing We
have been acuated by the high resolve, that
by no act of the representatives Of the only
law abiding spolillcal organlzation in this
! Commonwealth should The rights and c"nsti'
tutional privileges of the people be suhver,ed
We have Relied with unshaken faith upon
that people for our support and vlndlcatIon,
and to the end that their verdict may be
rendered nth iuIl know ledge Of the facts,
We beg le4vs I" present brief history OF our
position during the protracted and exciting
contest which has just closed.
The the bers q: The Senate assembled in
the Senate Chambe al Harrisburg, on Tues
day, January h, A. D. 1864, at 3 p. Nj
OF the twenty two Senators holding over. all
were present save Maj White, who was a
prisme, in the ha,ds # the rebci> Of those
Present, Twelve were Democrats, and nlne
R.puh!Ican-. The Senate was called to or
der by the Hon j P. Penney, the Speaker
elected at the close OF the session Of 1863
The Secretary Of the Commonwealth was
then introduced and presented the returns
from the dsr,c!s which had elected Sena-
tors October 1868 The returns were
o.'ened and real by which it appeared that
four Democrats ami seven Republicans had
been elected all of whom were present, there
by canslng tie in the vote between the TWO
great political orglnizat,ons Of the country
as represented on that floor.
Upon the reading pf the certificates Of elec,
ti"n, il would have been the duty Of the Sen
ator elected Speaker at the close Of the ses-
sion of 1868. to have vacated the chair, had
lac been governed in his action by the ex
press ter ns of the Constitution, which, by
section X. Article J prescrbes that the Gen
eral Assembly shall meet on the l>t Tue sday
of January in every year, and 10y section Xl
OF the sane article that :" each House &. c.
when they meet on that day. shall elect its
Speaker and other officers. 1t appears to
the undersigned that the word', leach
| House shall elect its speaker" are sufficiently
Certain t" dett rhine the question that no one
al. .l,or h,-f fh.. # 1SH2
exercise the duties of that Office over the
| Senate of 1S64-the latter bel g new and
| distinct body, made up of other members
who had rever participated in an election for
the Constitution, "each House shall (wheD
| they meet on the first tuesday in January
in each year) elect its Spea er and other oE-
GERS" it is manifest ami clear that the Scua
tor from Allegheny had no shadow OF right
to cxei else the duties Of Speaker ovc. this
new Senate which had never elected him its
| Speaker, and We have never recognized him
as such. But admitting, for the sake If ar,
gnment, that the wurls Of the Constitution
are analogous and certain, then precedent
aud usage, if they exist, must determine
their meaning, and by this test the undrr>iSn
rd desire that their position may be tried.
During period of seventy years, frrm 189l /
untl this day, there lS but one oher instance
where Speaker elected by former Senate
attempted 10 exercise the du'es Of his Office
over a succeeding and new Senate, and that
was during the Back Shot War;" when the
late Cnarles 3. Pcnrose, the Speaker holding
over. entertained iw0 m"tluns relative o crn
tested seats bu:. when these We're deter
mned, eren he vaca ei the chair, and dId
not dare 10 resl lie g. until b. the vote o.
the neU Senate he was elected Speaker. L
the republican membrrs # the Senate o
1864 can gather COIN tort from this one soIiua
~ exception in the unbroken line of prrce
dents, they are welcome 10 it. The bold
ness and magnitude of their act Of usu-patior
has destroyed its significance as deed o
revolution.
Tie Senator from Allegheny, notwilh
irg the express words of the Constitution
of all form Speakers, save one, for period
# s'venty years, after tho reading ot the Ger
Irficates of eect,nn which created the new
Senate, failed to vacae the chair. which h,
occupied by courtesy and for the sake OF Con
venirnce. He requested he ne Senators t.
come fnr ard TO be sworn THIS the Rrpub
lIcln Senators dId. AMI also the DemrcralI,
Senators; the latter, however, under pro
'est, in which, IN brief aud emphatic terms
they denied his right To administer the oatl
"i flee t" them, they havirg been elected
members Of a body # which he had neve
been elected Speakr. II is here to be ob
served that this course was necessary OF
their Eart, for the reason that 1t was The eyi
dent intention of the Rrpub!cans should th