New-York tribune., 1874-03-14
KNOCR.DOUN LEGISL4TION.

Dlli ihltttSl-nnoIdl, lIldttIEii, tH'
whole Union implies an interest in all its con-
sttuent parts. We are like several families
domcied under one roof each Of which has
right TO demand good behavior OF tie Others.
1t Is, therefore, with feeling 0f regret, which
otherwise might bo one of amusement, that
we read of transactions in the Louisiana Leg
islature as GrOll a. almost anything IN Don
Quixote, and of incidents there which hayo
something of the comic flavor OF Rnbelals.
On the 2itl, nit. the House had under consid-
Grafton the Governors Veto Of what is called
the Private Market Bill, the question being
upon its passage mauGrc the Veto aforesaid.
The Speaker was absent, and there was Il MIR.
Gair in the chair. All manner of motions had
been made ; half n dozen representatives had
been upOn their legs and speaking smutano-
Ously: this member had been threatening the
other with indictment the Speaker had been
hamneIing like IN inharmOnious blacksmith,
and begging somebody To take his place that he
might come down and Join in the amuscments of
the floor here was a w-maker "yociierating
cloudy and there another " gesticulating
"wildy.' while all the while Alr Speaker
hoar,ely howlcd for "0rdcI. "Order" " and
howled in vain. speaker pro tenn. No. had
? ordered the Clerk TO call the roll on the
question, and that functonary prepared TO do
so.
1t was at this interesting aud critical mo-
ment that Mr.. Gair-hc who had been Speaker
pro tenn No. mot wishing for reasons of his
own to have the roll called, with all the force
of a most uncommon genius, conceived and
executed a brilliant flank movement 1t was
simple, but for time it was effective. He
walked boldly up to the Clerks desk, snatched
the roll-boo from the hands of that astonished
flmctionary, carried it back to his own seat,
and, "dashing the volume violently down upon
his desk, loudly declared that the Clerk
should not call the rOll.' Here was touch
of the audacity of Oliver Cromwell when,
pointing to the mace, he ordered his soldiers
TO "take away that bauble." Here was some
thing of the desperate bOldness of young Gen.
Bonaparte, when, swarthy from the Egyptian
campaigns, he sought with his troops the hall
of the Five Hundred, and undaunted by howls
quite as loud as those of the Louisiana Legis-
lature, persuaded SO many of the honorable
gentlemen to jump from the windows. Mr..
Gair, having captured the oll-bool, deter
mined at all hazards to keep what he had
u III.
Squads of honorable gentlemen charged upon
him. and then retired discounted. Others tried
the effect of swearing at him fearfully, but it
was all in vain. Twice he was ANONYMOUSLY
smitten in the face, but he stood like rock. For
a moment he may be said to have been the
AutOcrat of Louisiana, combining in his own
person all the functions of the Government.
1t is true that he fell at last. They knocked
him down they took from him the roll-book;
they carried it back to the Clerk; and at last
the roll was called. Is it asked where the Ser
geant-at-Arms was all this timef We answer
that he was there. What was he dongf
Only "wildly gesticulating" like the rest of
them. Only "givinS forth vigorous shouts
like the rest of them. Only asking if "mem-
"bers intended to disgrace themselves" We
suppose that they did. At any rate it was q
very gesticulating, shouting time. Finally,
the conquered Gair, having picked himself up.
resumed the chair and the hammer, and possi-
bly, may have been making harmonious
"blacksmith' of himself ever since.
If the reader supposes that we intend TO
draw any moral from this story he is very
much mistaken. All we mean to do is to ask
him how he would like it if this Kilkenny
cat concave were his Legislature, and made
laws affecting his " life and liberty and pur-
suit of happiness i'--how he would like il if
obliged to pay heavy taxes to support this
travesty of legislation, this burlesque of gov
ernment, this parody of discussion and deter
mination2 There are some honest men left in
Louisiana, we suppose-s0me men also of re-
finement culture, self-respect and he must be
pretty hard hearted or hot headed who docs
not sYmpatbixa With such citizens in this hour