Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1870-01-14
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.
LETTER FROM HARRISBURG.
HARBIsBURG. Pa, Jan. 7, 1871
ORaANIZATION.


The organization of the present Legisla-
ture was effected on Tuesday last. In the
Senate, Charles II. Stinson, of Montgomery,
was elected Speaker; George w. Hamersly,
Of Philadelphia, Chief Clerk, and L. Rogers,
of NJ Kean, and f. Williams, of Pittsburg,
Assistant Clerks. Mr.. Hamersly has oe.
cupied the position of Chief Clerk for many
years and thoroughly understands the duties
of his Office Mr. Rogers has been at the
Assistant Clerk desk for the past six years.
Mr. Williams occupies his present position
for the first time In the House Butler B.
Strong, of Tioga, was elected Speaker Gen.
James L. Selfridge, of Northampton, was
reelected Chief Clerk for the third year,
although his place was strongly contested
by Mr.. j. w Blanchard, Of Lawrence. E.
G. Lee, Of Philadelphia, was reelected As
sistant Clerk, and John Smull of Harris
burg Resident Clerk
THE SPEAKERS.
Senator Stinson, the Speaker of tho
| Senate, Is now serving the third and last
year of his term. He Is a resident Of
Norristown, Montgomery county, and ha,
quite an extensive legal reputation. HC
is considered as identified with the reform
movement, and will, doubtless, prove an
efficient and impartial presiding officer.
b B. Strang, the Speaker Of the House
of Representatives, is also a lawyer BY pro
fession, and has attained considerable en-
inence at the bar He has served fouI
years previously as a member Of the House,
and the present is his third term in sue
cession He Is thorough pariamentarian,
and is admirably qualified for the position
Of Speaker
INFRINGEMENT AND REFORM.
One Of the leading ideas of the Repub-
lean majority Of the present session will be
to effect a marked reduction in the public
expenditures. The disposition manifested
at the first Of the session is that Of thorough
earnestness in this direction The nrmber
of officers is made to conform to the law Of
1868, the Legislatice Record will likely be
| abolished, the number Of extra public docu
ments printed viii be greatly reduced, the
frankipg privilege will either be done away
with or so modified as to prevent its abuse,
and numerous other measures will probably
be adopted to make the reform movement
Of practical value.
SENATE STANDING COMMITTEES.
On Thursday the Speaker announced the
standing committees of the Senate. The
most important ones, with the names of the
cbairmen, are as follows Finance Mr..
Billingfelt, of Lancaster; Judiciary General,
Mr. White, Of Indiana; Judiciary Local, Mr.
Osterhout, of Wyoming, Corporations, Mr.
Graham, of Allegheny; Railroad, Mr.. Con
nell, Of Philadelphia; New Counties aud
County Seats, Mr. Lowry, Of Eric Mr.. Con
nell has for some years held the chairman
ship Of the Finance Committee, and his dis
placement and the appointment of Mr.
Billingfelt, the acknowledged leader of the
retrenchment movement in the Senate, to
the position, Is in accordance with the ex-
press demand of the people for greater
economy in the expenses of the government.
The House committees win probably be an
uounoed on Tuesday Of next week.
TIE LEGISLATIVE RECORD.
From present indications the further pub
lication Of this expensive and useless public
document viii be discontinued. The Senate
has passed resolution expressive of the
sentiment Of that body that it should be no
longer published, and the temper of the
House appears to be about the same. The
cost Of publishing and mailing the Record
Of last year did not fall far short of one
hundred thousand dollars, and was of but
little use further than to give members an
opportunity to display themselves in print.
CONTESTED ELECTIONS.
In the House there are two contested
seats. Robert G. Graham, Democrat, con-
tests the seat of John F. Mooney, Repub-
hcan, from the Sixth District of Phiadel-
phia The returns, as made, give Mooney
twenty four majority, while the contestant
claims thirty four more votes than the sit
ting member The committee. as drawn.
consists Of Messrs. Milliken, NcAteer
Forsyth, Bowman, Carliu, Dimmick. Leidie
Brobst and Hall The political complexion
Of the committee is eight Democrats and
one Republican, Alr. Bowman being the lat
ter. This viii give the contestant very
coed show Of getting the scat. In the
other case Joseph A. Geisz, Democrat
contests the seat Of John Forsyth, Republi-
can, from the Thirteenth District Of Phila-
delphia. The petition sets forth that the
sitting member Is no. a citizen Of the Uni