North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-03-20
BASHEE.

l Il
! There is an island called the Bashce, Sit
uated in the Pacife Ocean, near the Friend
! f1y isles, inhabited by fine race of men,
Their history, so FAR as learned it, was
peculiar; and thinking 1t worth repeating
| retained " hat could of it in my memory
-, 1t seems that this race. being farther adv
vanced in the arts and in learning than the
inhabi'ant of the neighbdring islands, had
/ formed a new kind of Government, the
powers of which were created and restrict
ed bv written charter or constitution
This constitution placrd all the legislative
power in an assembly Of learned men elect
ed by the people, called kongris. The
executive powers were placed in the hands
OF one man also elected by the people,
called the Chin CHI. The kongris had
the power to do all things necessary for.
the common defence and to provide for the
general w.lfare and besides had such es-
pecial powers as are generally conferred
upon like bodies. ....-. -.....
., The people were highly pleased with
the manner in which their government
worked. Every thing went on peac' fully
and quietly. If they had any grievances,
their kongris redressed them. The news
Of their happiness spread to the adjoining
islands, and produced many revolutions
there, But, though the neighhoring pen-
| pie sometimes cut off the heads of their
/ kings, ana at other times banished them,
they never succeeded in establishing a
like government the reason of their fail
ure being the tact that they were not As
intelligent as the inhabitants Of Bashee.-
| As brfore remarked. all the grievances
of the people of Bashee were one by one
removed, They became exceedingly hap
py. The only thing that prevented their
happiness from being complete and perfect.
was the extreme heat of the sun in the
middle of the day. This island being near
the equator, the sun at Laon was nearly
over their heads, and the heat was was SO
great that thew were forced to leave their
labor, and seek the shade for three or
four hours every day. All agricultural
pursuits were nez!c":ed, mechanics
were forced to Law idle, their mariners were
unable to row their galleys; in fact, all
kinds of work had to be stopped. The
people of Bashee subn tilted to this extreme
heat patiently. Indeed they had never
| known the time when the heat was not AS
great at that time of the day; nor had
they ever seen people that were able to
avoid IT, But at last time came when
something was TO BE- done about it. As
said before, they were an intelligent peo
pie, and at the time am row speaking
of, they had elected the most Intelligent
kongris that ever met Or: that island. The
oldest and most intelligent momherE of this
kongris was Buk Shot. who had long oh
served the evils Of the mid day heat Of the
sun. Accordingly, at the commencement
| of the Session. be brought the matter TO the
attention ofthe kongris. He stated that,
"in his boyhood, in bis youth, in his man
hood, and in his Gid age he had foudly
vearned for the time when the people of
| Bashee could be cool at noon" After
speaking as earnestly, solemnly and impress
sively. which his great age and great learn
ing enabled him to do, he proposed bill,
the main provision of which was that the
heat of the sun shonld at no time exceed
eighty degrees. This bill was received
with great applause by the learned kon-
girls. "Itis just the thing for tIe country"
said one. at is a crying shame that this
matter has been neglected so long cried
another. Al least two thirds of the mem
bers expressed themselves highly delight
ed with the measure. They were going TO
pass the bill with great satisfaction, and
| already they seemed to feel the cool breeze
at noon, when me Of the members by the
nam of Ti>k, who was the editor of great
paper in great CITY, got up in his place
and said he wished to debate the question.
He then stated that he donbted whether
heir constitution conferred the power on
the kongris to make such law. He sta
ted, that he deprecated the extreme heat
Of the sun at midday as much as any
member of that bodv-as much as Buk-
Shot himself, but respectfully submitted
toat they had no power to make such a
law. and deemng it unconstitutional, he
should be compelled to vote against it
Several members arose and expressed
themselves after the same manner But
Buk Shot took the floor and in a withering
Sperch denounced them as milk -shps, as
lazy droncs, who wanted the heat as an
excuse to lie idle; and above all, as trail
tors TO their country. .a ....
This speech completely covered the
opposition and made them heartily
ashamed Of themselves. The bill was then
passed by tremendous majority, Tisk
even voting for it. The laws of this conn
try required the signature of the Chim-Chi
TO all their laws, and if he disliked a.mras-
ure he might veto it, and then it would re-
qulre two thirds vote, or else it could not
become law, Every one thought the
Chm Chi would at once sign the bill, for
1t was understood that he was a great
friend to Buk Shot. One of the opposi-
ton however, whispered around that the
Chin-Chi'wonid not sign the bill Where
| upon the presiding officer of the kongris