, 1869-02-27
MICHIGAN.
The Legislature Of Michigan,
The Personnel Of Both Branches.


In session IN this city for nearly fly days,
and By this time its collective character and |
Tie individual pecnlisrtties Of Its members |
have become well understood. The Progress !
of its business Is daily reported In tho de. |
tpatches Of 1uz tribune, but possibly some
Interest may be felt In the men that form the
legislators as well as In the measures that
constitute the legislation.
TIE rERsosSEI or ruE sa1Arx.
The Senate Is an excellent one-better than
usnally assemblies In the upper chamber Of
our State House. The majority OF is MEN,
bers are men Of legislative experience, and
thote who are most influential In shsplng Its
action are fortunately addicted to clear.
headed, practical and liberal views- As
neither rival partiea nor interests hAyo yet
clslhcd In its deliberations, 1t can scarcely
be said to have . leader, but TO use Dun
dreaFyisml, II It bad, that leader would be
William 3 Williams, OF llegau County. He
Is the President pro tim. and Chairman Of the
Judiciary Committee was q member Of the
two preceding 5tnntes, and also occupied q
sest upon the door OF the Constitutional
Convention Of 1857. Judge Williams Is 10
the prime u lifs. and re}oices In personal
appearance that meets the D0rsay test OF
impress. He il one Of those men Of delibcr-
ate judgment, who subuue 1mpulse and are
Enaasd Ike e..ss .aa LIE r.,hsl ina Tho sae
brilliant legislators. His stability In this re-
spect, united with bis unsuspected integrity
oplul0ns Eery great weight among bis aaso.
clatet, and his influence is much heightened
by the Renialty Of his maLuers, his expcrt-
ebcc. and the fact that his speeches arp u.
Nays practical and never purposeless. The
Chairman Of the Commltteo on Finance Is
1rthN K q Nf ha 1aAf
and barker Of Hudson. He Is not fnao-
cier of the ncW school, but a.tll cltuEa to What
Is called :. the possibly exploded but certainly
sensible ideas" thai the best way to pay
debts IL TO Eetstneh, and that the stare
public properly. NJ. Boies IL gentleman
in middle life, seuator who speaks rarely
but always well, and a legislator who Views
all "schemes" In our State affairs with feel
| iucs akin 10 those With which x. B. Wash.
hume regards national ''jobs," although be
| is never brukque nor offensive.
The fun Of tho session has been mostly cou-
| flned to tho Senate, and the gentlemen re-
spotstble for most OF the waggely that en-
hyens Its proceedings are Lorenzo s. Mason,
| Of Detroit. and Peter d. L. Peirre, Of Grand
ineut in this State, and is man Of iine abIl-
tiles and great good sense-the last statement
| being made With tliHiuc mental rrsesya.
tton, based upon the fact that he Is one Of the
most uncompromtstnG Of Democrats. Hts
droIery l. Is ludescrihable ash is luimltab1e,
but vein Of lrrtpfessfble humor runs
through all his motions, suggestions, and
speeches, the result being cufions tnorsele
Of wit and wi:dom, practical good sense, and
jolty uousense. Mr. Pe4rce came here with
IN established reputation As the u~npar1el
wit and Joker Of the Northwestern counties,
ever possessed. His normal condition seems
to he one of rol4ickinE fun, and there IL ap-
paently no limit to tie oddness Of the teata
of which bis imaslr alton ID
capable His conversation is string
OF dyeztirg anecdotes, keen hits. puus, In.
and all kinds Of verbal pyrotechnics. As q
senator, Mr. Peirce is amusilg enough at
times, and Is responsible tor repeated shouts
Of laughter, but he does not oytract in this
ro't, aud as Chairman Of the Important Com
mlttee on Public Instruction, be Is one u
The most industrious and attentive of mcm
bers. Dr.. E. ]. Boulne, OF Niles, Is tue pro
prtetor Of cApsuc wit, which m prevloul
Legislatures has pticked number Of bal
looms and abated several Dnlsauces, but IT
his present surroundings, he tlnds but llttit
occasion Tor the drawing Of his keen weapon
Legislators, also deserves mention In thE
connection, for In the few speeches be doe
make, the iuclslye manner In which lie cut
. bis way to the marrow Of the Qucs
| lsQH GAHh1QGTEQ& ~ ulhulS entertaining.
The pugnacity Of the Senate Is cen.e1ed il
Mr.. Fitzgerald, oi Marshall one Of the nev
members, lawyer or profession. an ma
tf ability ard promise. Il would be cttllcul
10 ask Tor more ''pluck' in one human be
Ing. II he chances to take tides upon ques
tiou be hghts II out TO the bitter end wit
: un,aiilpe hear,ine<s aud vi9or. Els resolu
{ tion Is not affected In the slightest by the fac
that be may not have single supporter, IN
It l. refreshing To see him defend q hopeles
: cause by all possible means aud die" game
: at the last.
L. Norris, of Ypsilanti. Is probably th
= possessor of the most varied cultivation an
echolarship Of all the Senators, aud his prt
D fcs6ional nltafnments havs secured for BIZ
I the privilege o: re repr~teutt7c the Democratl
= minority upon the Judiciary Committee Th
4 Ezra L. Koor. OF utllSdale. new Senator III
young man, but one who has already ealuc
influence by his sterling good sensc and &c,
ColoDel john H. staud,sh, Of Nexase'
: is ore Of The ablest Of the Senators. He Say
i, put little, and says that In the nildest !
), voices and the most concillatory Of msrncr
but. from the velvet paw Of soothtE
n speech occasion will cali The shar
8. eisss Of ss keen s s1Iels at ns4t and 1
further particularixation Of individual pee
tfar1ties. Senator's Rich, Adair, CarItto
r Jones, Pen,l. s1ith, Andrews, N1nsor NJ
Warner aro all gentlemen OF legislative C.
: peiicncc and ane standing, .snd OF utll1
Il and ability. As WAS said at the outset, ii
r body Us whole Is one Of unusual strength
~ TIE PERSONNEL or TIE HOUSE.
!" The House Is mainly composed Of new m,
'e OF only local reputation as yet, there bels
e but ffteeu OF Its members who bare BEEN pr
- viously connected With legislative oodls
The Speaker, Jonathan J. Woodmnn, OF VI
Buren, County. Is certainly the moss ex pei
ebc. AID probably the ablest Of the r ~pt
- senta'iyea- BE Is one Of the finest specine
Of that large class Of In 'e1lleent farmers tn
p constitute the best element OF our popul
1t tioh. Mr.. Woodnan ia slow aud careful
pr his habits Of thought and speech. sound u
= considerations in judgment, unpFetendi1
Y In manners, and disposed. lu matters
Ill public, as well as Of private b.
ness to look st the pr9ct1!
eP chair hcts studiously impartial aud courleo'
st and no presiding officer escr was or could
m more firmly possessed Of the retpcct aud &C
~ fdccce OF bis associates, The Speaker T
70 tim, and the Chairman Of the Committee
m Public Lands Is Major Benjsmiu ". Hustt
Of Vassof, yonrE man who atst beca1
prominent as member Of the Constitution
Convention. Tie is Industrious, attentive a
be popular. and also meets the crucial I
Sc .hieh Edwsrd spssci;ss, Esa;, APPLIED 2 to
ftrnal popsense about him."
Al Henry II. Holt, OF Muskegon, Is Chalrm
II. Of the COMMITTEE on Ways and Means, q
IL one Of the most hardworklue and thorous
40 IL useful Of nembess- E'isha F. Mead,
re Romeo, Is the Chairu Al Of the Lud ciary Ce
Chairman Of tho Comml'tee on lucorpo
tiors, ard both these gentlemen are very
BY lutpttal members By virtue Of their past
N pericAce aud the care!nl attention With y b
a. thclr duti.s arr discharged. The ablest mt
bcr On the floor is probably hon Beojsr
L. Baxter, Of Tecu1nseh, gentleman VIII
we'll advanced In years, has been long in p
ou. lie life, and 1s very edtct.re as a speaker.
u The Hcusc is not blc.sed with any E,
no" oratoriesl talent. The most pleasing spca
Il HoD. Ni1lism D. Williams, Of Onronas 2
ne who has yery ruelodious yolsc, u:es
Ia Language, and does not exhibit his Cif's
frequently. The most eff ctive speech OF
y" g Htou, however. has been made BY The :
rty erable Judge Kingsley, OF Aun Arbor, y
mi persuaded Il Republican mai orlty, in one
-, tho contested election cases. 70 keep DE-.
cratic member In rls scat. The most en-
to1 tatninc speaker Is Dr. Kteln. OF Dctz
ro- whose French origin /. betrayed By the
culiarity OF his sceentt, and who dieu:
the few subjects upon which be sddrtl
the House with p1nse-ey thas Is Of
tra Kalamatoo, is Always listened TO With in
~. est, as be IS c1c Of those gentlemen wh
optuions arc Always moulded By thatSqua
OF Of character which Mr.. Liuc1ln called no
lst, kerse," and the oG-haud manner Of Ar.
ler, Of Sewaygo, Is very amusing 1t Ii
!. and gains him attention, whenever he II
nee9 The House has also It's bore''-as all |
1& 1& isla,nscs have-sonorouk Of voice, rolubl
. M speech, who speala upou about III qaest1
Q,fno 1nd rersrStlr nnan all aides nj MI nnaaf
1s8S S8S after fashion that recalls Hosea Blselt
5.ns feat Of *'tacinG South BY North" 1t
9 San e also It's great mcmbers, who Eay little, NJ
~" closely, work industriou4ly and shrew
non and secure locsl aud mould general Leg
utm S1a.tsaa ~ r,rlvIaS. ccwoarn5 .ataS,t,
tho "poweffully client" ....y