Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-06-14
HumOrs Of Legislation.
Last Scene of all I'm the New York State
Legislature.

Legislature.
A reporter describing the scene in the
State capitol on the last night of the
session says: The members began al.
most Immediately after the meeting to
turn the Assembly Chamber into
bedlam. They began by slyly blowing
the tin horns which they had surrepti-
tiously brought into the chamber, and
from that they began to throw paper
balls at each other from one side OF the
house to the other. The Speaker labor
ed in vain to restore order, and threat
ened to call out the name of any men,
Der who was detected in violating the
rules of order. This acted as check
only for a few minutes or so, and then
the untamed reformers got worse than
ever. The tin whistles were blowing in
all parts of the house, large wads of
paper saturated with water were thrown
at members heads, and occasionally
one of the heavy document-fles, weigh
ing twenty pounds, would be seen fly
ing across the chamber, bringing up
against the shoulders of some unsus-
pecting person, fairly knocking him off
his pins. A silk hat placed in con-
spicuous place on desk would not last
two minutes. At last the Speaker rap
psd more furiously than ever, and di-
rected the Sergeant-at-Arms to earnest
any person found blowing tin horn. "
This only made the members laugh,
and although they eyed the officers of
the House little more closely they
were soon joining in at worse rate
than ever. Finally the Speaker, in rap
ping on the desk so hard, broke his
gavel, the head Of it flying off upon the
floor.
During all this time the Clerk
was reading out the bills and passing
them all by himself, notia single mem
Der voting on them, the Clerk simply
marking every member as voting in the
affirmative. And here justice should
be done the Speaker for the watch he
kept solely and alone over the bills that
were being rushed through, for when
ever bill of doubtful character was
taken up he would command the House
to be silent at least long enough for
them to hear the Clerk read the title of
the bill. If the Speaker got really
angry, as he often did, he would rise,
and a few raps more violent than usual
would bring the House to order, caution
ing them that no business would be
transacted until perfect order was re-
stored. All would then be silent for
moment, but as soon as the Clerk had
spoken the first word again q sound like
the dying groan of game-cock would
come from the rear of the chamber.
Sometimes the stiffness would be
broken by high, sharp note, immedi-
ately followed by another just two oc-
taves lower. At such times the Speaker
himself, although boiling over with
rage, was often obliged to laugh and
sit down from sheer exhaustion. While
these scenes were enacting in the As
sembly Chamber the Senators up stairs
were beginning to feel boyish also. In
the midst of the evening session Mr.
Woodin vacated his chair as presiding
officer, and well-known lobbyist, who
was standing near, volunteered to pre-
side, and actually took the chair of the
President of the Senate, and was allow
ed to remain in it about two minutes,
when one of the Senators came to his
senses and demanded that the lobbyist
be compelled to vacate.
The scene from this time on grew
from bad to worse, and then, at half
pass three A. H., the Assembly took a
recess for the purpose of holding the
customarymocks session. There was little
hilarity left, it having been all expended
in the regular session. The Speaker
vacated his seat and Mr.. Pierson was
carried up from the floor to supersede
him. The scene that followed this was
simply brutal. There was not the least
display of any wit, but the mock SEES
sion was much more orderly than the
regular evening session. The heavy
document files were thrown about with
more force, and that was all. Many al
individual will carry home a scar on his
head as the result of being in this me
lee.