Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-01-22
Correspondence OF the Free Pressl
Letter from Pennsylvania.
HARRIspuRoH, Jan. 10. 1864


HARRIsBURoH, Jan. 10, 1864
Dear Free Press:
date from the capital Of cur
State, instead Of my mountain home. Business
calls me there; and as the "dsad lock" in our
Senate attracts the attention Of the people of our
whole country. thought that 8 short letter,
giving the true condition Of things. might be in
teresting to your readers. and l snatch moment
from other duties, and write.
Our Senate has not, and | presume viii not soon
proceed to business, the vote being 16 on one
side and l6 on the other. When full our Senate
has 3S members. Harry White. Republican
Senator. who thought it his duty to fight the
rebels in the field. went into the army and was a
major in one of our regiments. He was captured
by the rebels, and is now in Libby Prison; and
the rebels knowing all this have refused to ex-
change him-their sympathirers here take ad-
vantage of the absence Of White Of he were pre-
GENT the Government would have one majority,
and refuse to recognize the Speaker in the Chair
hl4 assert AAAuA AAAAlA n INf 80
SION is elected, the Senate is not organized.
Thirty-three being the number of our Senate,
II of whom are elected each year. it has been the
usual practice, and kind Of courtesy TO the II
new members, to elect Speaker, at the opening
Of each annual meeting Of the body. The
Speaker 50 elected presides until the last day Of
II. II. Ill ,r,I
another person is elected Speaker. who holds his
office until another is chosen, at the next annual
MEETINGS. have before said, usually at its
opening Hence then is the difficulty. The
Senate now has Speaker, and IS consequently
Hotr organized; 50 say the Republicans. The
Senate is not organized, and the Speaker elected
at the eud Of the last session Is not the Speaker;
say the sixteen would-be Democrats. Hence
deadlock.
Our Constitution provides that upon the death
Of the Governor, the Speaker Of the Senate
shall be the Governor until his place is filed by
an election If the death is less than three months
preceiing general election, then the Speaker
holds over for q whole year and more. And our
Constitution makes one other provision, viz -
Each House shall choose its Speaker and
other officers; and the Senate shall also choose
speaker pro tenpors when the Speaker shall
exercise the Office Of Governor.
The reyolutionists say as each House must
choose its Speaker, therefore the Senate is not
organized until Speaker IS chosen, and they
revolt, waste the time and money OF the State,
and say they will never do any business unless
they are permitted to choose half the officers
On their part it is contest ayoWedly only to
get some Of the spoils. The Union men say the
people have given them the power, and they
will not permit such political heresy to be dig
nifed by precedent, nor will they allow the
express declaration Of the Constitution, that
the Speakership is perpetuity, to be denied by
such precedent While the Constitution does
not say that the Senate shall annually choose
Speaker, il expressly provides that upon the eI-
istsnce Of certain facts, the Senate shall not
annually choose Speaker. Observe the pecu-
liar wording of the section quote g And the
Senate shall also choose Speaker pro tsm-
pore, when the Speaker shall exercise the Office
of Governor" Thi, provision expressly pro-
hi5its the Senate from choosing Speaker when
the Speaker shall be acting Governor. For
while he IS in the chair IS Governor. " the Sen
ate shall also choose Speaker pro ismPors.
Constitutionally the present Speaker is the
Speaker, but the Confederates and their friends
are determined to prevent Legislation in our
State as long as possible. The motto Of every
friend Of our Government should be '' No COM
promise with the foe. -
Should the lock be ualoeksG, you may hear
from me if any thing Of interest trsnspires.
AW