The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-02-15
Correspondence of The Alleghanian. !
Our Harrisburg Letter.

|
Things an the State Legislature What has been
Done, and aohat is Doing-A Bit of Sport in
the House-Ths Representatives. soOuld rather
Hear Henry Ward Beecher than the CaU of
| Outy-4 LtUely ReUie1O Of the Democratic
| Gu6ernGtorial ''Situation"-Cdss, Gunner.
Packer-Repn6lican Sentiment, &C., &c.
HARRISBURG, Feb. 5, 1866.
You will have observed that up to this
time little of Importance has been done in
the way of legislation. Bills of local
nature have been read in place, and some
have been reported from committees res
| olutlons have been offered, some of them
adopted, and petitions and remonstrances
without number, principally in reference
to running the street cars in Philadelphia
on Sunday, and for relief to old soldiers,
or the widows of old soldiers, have been
piled upon the Clerks desk. The absence
Of the Governor somewhat retarded the
business Of the session but it is fair to
presume that work will commence in earn
est IN the course of a week or two.
There was a little sport in the House
this evening" Pursuant to adjournment
on Friday, session was held at halE-past
seven, p. M; but many members had been
attracted to the Court House, to hear
Henry Ward Beecher, who had been an
nounced to deliver lecture there SO that,
when the House met, there was barely a
quorum present. A motion to adjourn
was negatived, and Mr.. Weiser, of Le-
high, offered the following resolution:
Resol0ed That the State Treasurer be re-
quested to inform the House what amount the
Banks of this Commonwealth advanced in
1862 upon the circular of the State Treasurer
to meet the August interest of said year in
coin, the names of the Banks advancing, and
the amount by each also, the terms of the
said circular of the State Treasurer; also, the
amount advanced in coin by the Banks in
1868 upon coin certificates, the amount ad-
vauced by each Bank, and what Banks still
hold the coin certificates.
On motion of Mr. Weiser, the rule in
this case was dispensed with, aud the reso-
luton was read the second time. On the
question of agreeing to the resolution, the
| yeas aud nays were called, when it ap-
peared that there was not a quorum pres.
| ent, 80 members voting yea and votinS
| nay. Then commenced the fun. a call
of the House was ordered, the yeas and
nays called, AZ members only answering.
! Before the clerk commenced calling the
yeas and nays, the Speaker (Mr, Davis, of
Phila'da., temporarily in the chair,O d.
rected the doors to be closed, and the
| Sergeant-at-A Arms aud Assistants to see
that no member was permitted to escape.
Notwithstanding this precaution, one or
two members escaped through side door,
but being Immediately pursued, were
brought back by the officers amidst a
general litter of the House.
Mr. Ruddiman, of Philadelphia, moved
| tnat the Sergeant-at-Arms be despatched
after the absent members. The Speaker
directed that officer to go in qrest of the
absentees and bring them into the House.
| A motion to adjourn was negatived, 1S to
81. and the clerk was directed to call the
names of the abseutees and enter them on
the journal Some humorous excuses
we're made by the colleagues or friends OF
the absentees, for the purpose of keeping
their names off the journal, and in the
midst of considerable noise and confu-
sion," laughing and joking, motion to
adjourn to II o'clock this morning was
carried.
To-day (February 6th,) being private
calender day, the morning and afternoon
sessions were occupied in considering and
disposing of some eighty or ninety bills,
none of them affecting the interests of
the good people of your section OF coun-
try
session was gone through without the
transaction Of any business worth Eoting.
The resolution of Mr. Weiser, of Lehigh,
given above, was indefinitely postponed,
and beyond this have nothing to COM
municate in the way OF legislative lntelll-
gence.
The city of Harrisburg is dull, extreme
ly so; contrasted with this time last year,
when this was military center, soldiers
plenty, and hundreds Of strangers here on
military business, the difference is as stri-
king as that between sick man and one
in robust health.
As yet there has been no very loud
political talk, no rough exchange of opin-
ions between the two great belligerent
parties, no revelation Of important move
ments; but there have been whisperings,
sometimes caught by the ears OF attentive
outsiders, which when considered and an
alyzed, are not altogether destitute of in
terest. After the last meeting of the
Democratic State Central Committee, con-
lecture was busy for time as to what was
the result of their deliberations That, l
! elieve, is no longer secret By some