Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-01-09

last session.
As substitute Mr.. Billingsly offered
a resolution (if the Senate concur) that
the business of the General Assembly
rema ming unfinished at its adjournment
on March 90, 1877. be taken up and
Of in regular order.
Mr. HUM argued against consider
ing the old bills, his principal points
being that if they were taken up it
would require until the Goth Of March
to dispose of them, even without debate
or amendment that the session would
thus be prolonged for one hundred and
fifty days, and that there were impor-
tant measures, such as the reorganiza-
tion of the National Guard, the discus.
sion of the riots and the consideration
OF the report of the Municipal Com
mission, which would suffer by confn-
ing the attention of the House to the
old aud, in many cases, unimportant
bills ef 1877.
Mr.. Potts replied that scores of local
bills had been lost last winter by the
d;latory conduct of the House. They
affected vital interests in different coun-
ties, had been properly advertised and
should nov be taken up and disposed
of. He was thoroughly in favor of
giving the people the worth of the
money which they paid their legislators,
did not believe in receiving pay for a
session of one hundred days and actu-
ally working but eighty ,one, as had
been done last winter, and insisted that
the action, advertising and progress al
ready made with the local measures
should not be wasted.
MIR. Long declared that the Attorney
General inclined to the opinion that if
a bill had last session been properly
advertised such advertisement would
sustain the reintroduction Of il during
the present session The formal opin-
ion of the Attorney General was quite
accessible.
The proceedings were interrupted by
the entrance of Secretary of the Com
monwealth Quay, who presented the
annual message of Governor Hartranft,
which was read. At the conclusion of
the reading the recommendations con-
tanned in the document were, on motion
of Mr.. Huhn, referred to the apprepri-
IN oamp,ftaas
The House concurred in various res
olutions of the Senate, viz: Printing
the report of the Municipal Commis-
sion (both majority and minority; or
dering joint meeting of the two Houses
to open the vote for State Treasurer,
and permitting the Senate to adjourn
over from to-day until next Tuesday
evening. This action of adjournment
affects the Senate only, and not the
House,
Mr. Walter (of Delaware) asked per-
mission to offer resolution, prefacing
it with the remark that he desired that
s'tbe rights of individuals might be de-
termined and tina. justice might be
done" He then presented the follow
ing:
Hhersos, 1t is alleged that o. F. Bullard,
member of this House from Delaware coun-
ty. is detained from his seat under arrest in
violation of the second article of the Con-
stitution and of the privileges of this House !;
therefore,
ResOired, That the committee on the iu-
dietary are hereby instructed, with all prac
ticable dispatch, to inquire into the circum-
stances of the case and report TO this House
whether any breach of its privileges has
been committed, and what action should be
had thereon that the said committee have
power TO send for persons and papers, to sit
during the sessions of this House and TO
report at any time.
Mr.. Sherwood did not believe that the
House was prepared to shield any Grim
inal under the cloak of its privileges.
The charges against Mr.. Bullard were
those which involved a dastardly injury
to widows and orphans, and whether he
was innocent or guilty of those charges
it would be wise and proper for the
House to leave his case in the hands of
justice.
Mr.. HUM deprecated any attack
upon Mr.. Bullard before be had been
proven guilty. Meanwhile it was no
part of the duty Of the House to pre-
suppose his guilt, but simply to con-
slider that one of its members, being
charged with crime, had asked for an
investigation by the body OF which he
was component part. While the Eng
llsh authorities had held that the privi-
leges accorded to Parliament we're no
shield against criminal act, the pre-
cedent afforded by our own Congress in
the Culver case, in 1866, was a safe
one, and he desired the House to follow
this precedent and refer the subject to
its committee for an investigation. The
matter of guilt or innocence did not
now enter into the case, but simply the
question whether any breach of the
privileges of the House had been COM
mitted.
Mr.. James said that a member (.Nr.
Bullard) being absent and the House
having no official knowledge of the rea-
son for such absence, and being unable
to take any proper action without such
knowledge, it was plainly its duty
through committee, to inquire into
the ability or disability Of the member.
The resolution of Mr. Walter was
theh adopted.
Adjourned until Thursday morning,
the 3rd.
JANUARY 8, 1877.
The House was called to order at IL
O'Clock.
The Speaker announced that the uniinish-
sd business before the House was the amend
ment of Mr.. Billingsly, to commence busi-
ness where it was left off at the last session.
Mr.. Long announced that he was author
lied by the Attorney General to say that he
had given no decision at all in regard to re-
advertisement of local or special bills un-
acted upon at the last session; " that the
requirements of the Constitution had been
complied with if the bills had been adver-
10 ,,t l.