St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-11-27

recess vi twenty lulllutes, anu TIE Steep
ing spectators brighten up. Some Of
the members scatter to the lunch room
and elsewhere, down stairs, but hurry
back to be in time for the "fun.'
Soon Gen. Foster takes the vacant
Speakers chair ard announces that the
official returns show the gentleman from
West Haven is elected speaker, and he
knows that he will be an Abel one.
Mr.. Abel comes slowly to the chair.
He is a demure looking gentleman, with
long hair tucked behind his ears, but
with twinkle of sport in his eye. He
makes a burlesque 'of the stereotype
speech of presiding officers on taking the
chair, claiming the sympathy Of the
house, and reminding them Of the long
forgotten fact that $50 err is human"
which is applauded at each sentence.
Mr.. Gleed, with solemn air, offers a
resolution adopting as the rules of the
mock session, those of the Vermont Re
form school declared passed by the
speaker without putting it to vote
Motions to lay the speaker on the table !;
to lay him under the table; and that he
be suspended by unanimous consent, fol-
low quickly, and all are pronounced out
of order, under the rules.
A joint resolution on Benders-To
wit: ''Resolved that no member shall
90 on bender tonight" is introduced
and referred to the committee on the
Grecian Bend.
The speaker announces that he is
about to adjourn, and new one is in
continently elected Declaring that it
was high time the democracy were rep
resented in the Speakers chair, MIR. MI
ner conducts Mr.. Brigham to the chair
He takes hold with energy, and orders
the house to rush in its business. The
member from Searsburgh asks leave to
introduce bill, and inquiries, without
waiting for a reply and with intense
feeling, if it has got to this, that a re-
publican can't be heard on the floor of
this house? The speaker informs him
no, for it wouldn't be democratic. The
bill is introduced, however, and proves
to be an act incorporating mammoth
Shad and Mackerel factory. A resolu-
ton is introduced of inquiry whether
every member of the house has been sup
piled with an ''early rose" potato, which
is referred to the committee on Euchre
Another resolution is introduced direct
ing the speaker TO reprimand reporter
for taking seat on the floor of this
house. This is an alusion to a mishap
which betell one of the reporters the
other day, whose chair suddenly collaps-
ed into kindling wood, leaving its occu-
pant seated amid its ruins on the floor !;
and like every other sally is received
with uprorious applause and laughter.
\ resolution is offered directing the
sergeant-at-arms to provide twelve dozen
gross of Halls cough balsam, for the use
of members when the member from --
has tie floor; and fresh roar of laugh
ter rises at the expense of member who
has been once Or twice coughed down,
in debate
The democratic speaker now resigns,
and in response to long and simultaneous
calls, the gentleman from Proctor
takes the Speakers chair. He finds a
quantity of unfinished business on his
table. Among the pile, sundry epitaphs
in rhyme on deceased members One on
a member who died of his efforts on the
bill giving the bodies of criminals in GER
tain cases to the doctors for dissection,
winds up with the affecting legend. that
Ills life b that none respect him
Or gricve that SATAN now diss cts him"
Another recites that whereas one
throw of Deaths dart is enough for most
folks,
''For -- three times the dart swung,
For nothing csc could OPP his tongue"
There are other funny ones, which
double up the members in commissions of
laughter. Among the unfinished bust
ness, the waggish speaker now discovers
Il bill to enable towns on the line of the
Tehuantepec railroad to aid in the con-
struction of said road, by bonding all the
inhabitants who live within sound of the
whistle. A bill appropriating all the
funds not otherwise appropriated, for
bounties on woodchucks, which is intro
duced and referred to the committee on
"muskrats," is taken by the speaker for
a sign that this thing is ''beginning to
run cmptins." He announces that the
recess is over, and calls Speaker Grandey
to the chair. The lockers on dispense,
and the house once more settles soberly
to work, which goes on till four o'clock
in the morning, when the closing resolu-
tons are adopted, the final speeches OF
the presiding officers made, and the ses-