The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-03-23
OUR HARRISBURG LETTER.
HARRISBURG, March, 2lst, 1877.

hARhlSbUht, MNTVu, SiSN ioff.
This has been one of the most exciting
weeks OF the session. On Monday night
there was sort of free fight in the House
over the bill to prohibit the Sheriff of Phill-
delpha from appointing deputies TO be pres
ent at election polls. A special session to
consider this bill was ordered by majority
vote to be held on Monday night ten min
utes after the hour Of ad dournment III o..
clock) of the regular session. The Demo-
Gratis insisted that it required n two'thirds
vote to order a special session to copsid
er any bill ont Of its regular order. The
Speaker decided that 1t only required ma.
,rity. Then the fun comm, nn Il. The
Democrat. became frantic and denounced
the Speaker as II "bull-1ozrr, a fraud" aud
id scpuudrel." They shook their fat,
under hi. unsr and told hm just what they
thought Of him in language more emphatic
than polite But it. was all of NJ usc; the
speaker pro te8, NJ. Hum, OF PHi'alelphit,
smiled emphatictliy amid the confusion and
the war.like demonstrations and in spite oi
the frautiJ objections of the Democrats, de-
clared the res solution ordering a special ses-
sion adopted. When the regular session
closed, the Democrats went home and did
not put in an appearances at the special sP+
sion which met ten mi lntes, afterwarl. 81
the Republicans. bad things all their own
way aud the bill in question WAS passed and
sent tn the Senate tor Concurrence. IL has
DOT yet been actei upon by the latter body
Yesterday afternoon J. Donald Camcr,H
was elected United States Senator by 4. vote
# ll6 for J. y Cameron TO 10 for And. II.
Din in the House and Il lot j. y. Cameron
to Is ior And. Ii. Dill in the Senate. In
spite of all the talk of bolt ou The part Ot
sone Republicans, Mr.. Cameron received
tho vote Of every Republican member pres
eut except Mr. Mspes OF Venango. who did
not vote at all. In fact the Republican vote
was more unanimous than the Democratic
two Democrats not voting tor the caucus
nominee.
The local option bill came up in regular
order and was summarly kicked out Of the
House on Thursday last. Its introduction
and discussion caused the widest excitement
and for time the House was nothing bat q
noisy rabble. The bill was amended 50 as to
submit the question TO a vote of the people
of the whole State instead of by counties
The bill thus amended was defeated by q
vote of 6S yeas to l09 nays.
As the session nears its close and legisla-
ton draws to focal point matters of gener.
al political Importance outside begin to EN-.
gage the attention Of politicians and numer.
| Gus candidates are mentioned for the vari.
Gus State offices to be filed at the coming
| election. The oficers whose terms expir.
under the workings Of the new Constitution
are State Treasurer and Auditor General
and by the inscrutable working OF Pre-
vidence that of Supreme Judge. The
present incumbents Of the two first Off
ces are ineligible for reelection and conse
quently new men must take their places
The gentleman who will be the next Re
publican candidate for Supreme Judge i,
pretty well settled. Hon. J. P. Sterret o
Allegheny will be placed before the peopl'
for election to the position which he nov
holds by Gubernatorial appointment. Fo
Auditor General on the Republican side
several pro m;nent gentlemen are mention
ed; among them Howard J. Reeder O
Northampton, Galusha A. Grow of Susque
hanna, Edward Scull of Somerset and j.
| passmore of Srhnvlkilf
For State Treasurer, the Chief Clerk of tn
Treasury Department, Capt. w. B Hart
seems to hold the winning cards.
There was some talk during the last wee
of extending the session of the Legislator
until the 3lst of March, but most of tn
members seem so thoroughly tired of Har
risburg and its surroundings that do nc
think they can bring themselves to the poiu
of prolonging their stay for another weel
| Monday was the last day upon which bill
passed in the House could be transmitted t
the Senate, and rice versa. The House
consequently now engaged in the consider,
tion of Senate bills and the Senate is wres
ling with House bills. There are about 40
bills still on the House calendars that cam,
be acted upon during the present tessio
All these bills will retain their places q
the calendar and the business of the ne.
session will be taken up where it is left {
by the present one.