Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-03-28
ROW IN THE NEBRASKA HOUSE.
The speaker Deposed-He DAVIS n Pts.
tal on the Sergeant.at-Arms.

From the Omaha (Neb.) Herald, Feb. 1871
On Saturday last, Mr.. Rolfe, a men,
Der elect from Otoe county, arrived.
His credentials were presented in due
form, and by d vote Of the House they
were rejected. Pending the motion, Mr..
Daily arose to speak. Mr.. Harvey, from
Otoe, made a point Of order, to wit:
That, the yeas and nays having been
ordered, debate was not allowable. The
speaker (Chapin) overruled the point,
Mr. Harvey appealed. The speaker put
the question on the appeal in the usual
form: "Shall the decision of the chair
stand as the judgment of the House, =
The roll was called, and l6 gentlemen
voted yea, and II nay. The speaker
decided that the "decision Of the chair
is not sustained" Eg.
Shorty after this action, a call of the
House was had, and after two or three
motions that call further proceedings
under the call be dispensed with had
been made and lost by the speakers
vote with the minority. Mr.. Harvey
arose to u point of order, viz: That the
.call" had ceased by virtue Of the pre-
sence Of all the members subject to the
call. The speaker decided the point not
well taken. Mr.. Childs appealed. The
question was put as before, "Shall the
decision of the chair stand as the judg-
ment of the House ?"-and the vote re-
suited: Yeas, l6; nays, II. The decision
was overruled by the House, but the
speaker announced it "the appeal not
sustained
Upon this question Mr.. Rolfe claimed
hi, right to vote. Mr.. Harvey appealed,
The question was put rs before upon
sustaining the decision Of the chair
The vote s~tood-yeas, l6; nays, II. The
Speaker voted yea, and declared "the
appeal is not sustained
Mr.. Harvey again rose to a point oil
order: That the House was not legiti'
mately under a call, because objection
having been made when FIVE members
demanded it, should only have been
ordered by a majority vote.
The Speaker decided adversely, and
an appeal was taken. The vote upon
sustaining the decision Of the chair was
the same as before-l6 to land the
Speaker made the same announcement
that the dppeal-not the decision of the
chair-was not sustained.
Mr.. Harvey declared the course of the
Speaker and the minority, "illegal, rev.
dictionary, subversive of the public in.
terests, and intended solely for the pur-
pose of stopping the legislation Of the
session :" and moved, under the rule OF
the House, that "'the office Of Speaker
be declared vacant, and that DR.. Abbott,
of Washington county, be chose Speaker
pro tempors." Mr.. Harvey put the ques'
ton to a vote Of the House, and it wal
carried.
The excitement instantly became in
tense. Members sprang to their feet,
some rushing one way and some another
The Sergeaut-at-Arms, Mr.. Howard, act
ing upon his duty as peace officer of the
body, made his way to the Speaker
stand, when the now e1-Speaker, Cha
pin, drew his pistol, cooked it, and,
aiming it at the head Of the Sergeant
alarms, threatened to blow his brains
out.
This was the only weapon or threat 81
violence that the occasion brought forth,
Mr.. Howard, undauuted and perfectly
cool, assured the speaker thathe should
enforce the orders Of the House, bu,
that he should not allow violence, when
the latter hurriedly departed, though
closely supported by Mr.. Daily and Mr..
Wiles. The Sergeant-at-Arms then
stood up in the Speakers desk and
stated that a majority Of the House hav-
ing displaced the Speaker and elected
Mr.. Abbott Speaker pro tenn, he invited
that gentleman to the chair. The lat
ter assumed the chair, when a call OF
the House was ordered, and, thirty-four
members answering to their names, the
regular business Of the session was re-
sumed. The deadlock was unlocked
by strictly parliamentary proceedings.
Mr.. Rolfe was sworn in by Governor
Saunders, aud legislation, so f~actiously
and wrongfully arrested by the false
ruling and stubborn exercise of arbitra-
ry powers by the ex-speaker, was pro-
ceeded with in order.
At an early period thereafter the lead
crs of the factionists, headed by their
chief, Chaplin, the man responsible for
all the disorder, made indecent haste to
fee from the scene of their own folly.
To expedite their exit, they scaled the
bar Of the house, and such another
"getting down stairs as then and there
occurred has not been heard Of since
Thad. Stevens great feat in Harrisburg.