Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1875-02-05
From the Harrisburg Telegraph of Tuesday last
Speaker Patterson Disgraeed.

dbO DpIahSA VA Illdb oOND ~
trample on the constitutional rights of a
minority member, and the cool and fixed
determination Of the member in question
Wolfe, of UniOn-to resist such lawless and
unwarranted usurpation.
The facts are substantially as follows
Mr.. Talley, of Delaware county, made a
motion that the petition Of sundry citizens
of Lancaster county, questioning the quail
fcatious of Mr.. Rosenmiller, of said coun-
ty, to a seat in the House, be taken up
from the table and referred to the Commi-
tee on Elections. The point of order was
raised by Mr.. Leigh, of Philadelphia, that
this could not be done because the petition
was presented and the motion laying it on
the table was made before the members had
been sworn in and the House organized,
and that therefore it was not part of its
proceedings nor in its possession. The
Speaker, Mr.. Patterson, decided against
the point of order. An appeal was taken.
After considerable discussion, and not
withstanding the advancement of unan-
swerable arguments in support of the
appeal, the Democratic side-the Speaker,
contrary 10 all prorriety, roting IN support
OF has o,cn rHliag-with but two dissenting
votes Barnett, and Carson, of Pittsburg
all honor to the intelligence. honesty and
manly independence of these two men
voted to sustain the erroneous ruling of the
Chair During the discussion Of this point
of order, the Speaker, Mr.. Patterson va
Gated the chair, and placed Mr.. Lusk Of
Butler county, therein.
Mr.. Wolfe, after the yeas and nays had
been called, but before they were announc-
ed, arose and informed the Chair that he
proposed TO raise and that he would pro-
ceed 10 write out the point of order, that
as the taking up and referring of the petit
ton was, under the circumstances, sub
stantially and original presentation Of the
petition, and that us the order for presenta-
ton of petitions had been passed it would
take two-tbird vote to suspend the rules
for the purpose of receiving the petition.
The acting Speaker, Mr.. Lusk, announced
the yeas and NAYS aud declared the deci-
sion of the Chair in the original point of
order sustained by a majority vote.
Mr. Wolfe then presented his appeal as
to its requiring two-third vote in the
form of a stated point of order, which was
read by the clerk. He then proceeded to
speak in support of his position, when Mr.
Talley interrupted him by raising the point
of order that Mr.. Wolfe's point Of order
was not properly before the House. The
acting Speaker, Mr.. Lusk, over-ruled Mr..
Taley's point of order, and Mr.. Wolfe was
proceeding TO speak in support of bis point
of order, when Speaker Patterson, in a
hasty and excited manner, resumed the
chair and called Mr.. Wolfe to order and
insisted on his taking his seat. This Mr.
Wolfe refused to do, insisting that he had
the right TO raise the point of order-that
the point of order was before the House,
and that he had the right, secured to him
by the Constitution and rules of the House,
to be heard in support Of his position.
Speaker Patterson yehenently insisted on
his sitting down. Mr.. Wolfe as determin-
edly persisted in asserting his right to the
floor. The Speaker then ordered the Ser.
geant-at- arms 10 remote NJ. Wolfe from
tie hou.
The sergeant-at-arms approached Mr..
Wolfe in respectful manner, and request
ed him to sit down. Mr.. Wolfe, in firm
but gentlemanly manner, told him he would
be obliged TO insist upon his rights. BY
this time there was general rush towards
Mr.. Wolfe's desk, and an unanimous,
united and fierce voice went up from the
Republican side, protesting against the
outrage and declaring that Mr.. Wolfe
should not be removed. For awhile there
was considerable jostling, holding and
pushing by the members and officers by
each other, but no violence was used. The
widest uproar and confusion prevailed.
Amid this excitement Ny. Wolfe, keeping
remarkably cool, urged his friends instead
of interfering with the sergeant-at-arms
directly, to insist on the Speaker retracting
his order to the Sergeatat-arms TO remove
him.
The Speaker, finding himself in fearful
"hornets' nest" extricated himself from
his very unpleasant dilemma. This ended
an affair, which, in addition TO the disgrace
and fearful pecuniary loss which an incom-
petent and bitterly partisan Speaker is now
heaping On our proud old Commonwealth,
might have stained his soul by eliminating
in the irreparable loss of many precious
lives.
Mr.. Wolfe tcas ia The right. and deserves
the gratitude of every true patriot in the
Commonwealth for having the nerve to
insist that the rights guaranteed to the
minority by the Constitution and rules OF
the House should be maintained at all
hazards. Many man, of softer stuff,
might have allowed the dOmineering and
selfconceited Speaker of the House Of Re.
presentatives to play the pretty Nero, by
! riding trough shodn over his own and his
party's rights, but any one who knows
Wolfe, of Union, knows that his love o.
right and justice and his matchless courage
would not permit him tamely to submit
| 10 such an outrage.
Let the Democratic Press and Democra.
| tic Legislation ana Conventions through
out the land for once withhold their dolefu
notes of sympathy froGi the poor, down
trodden whites Of Louisiana. Let them
cease their prating about the usurpation
tyranny and C;esarism of Grant and Sheri
| dan. lie: them for a single moment forget
the fearful wrong newly perpctrated by al
arrogant majority in the Halls of Congress
Let Capitalization and State rights resi-
! from their increasing conflict. Throw
wide open the columns OF your papers, lei
your rostrums resound with eloquent con-
! gratuations that Pennsylyania's House o
/ Representatives, instead Of having Il;
Ii