River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-01-15
TIE MAINE LEGIsLATURE.
Iat resting EYfn's Connected With tho
Opening Thereof.


let resting EY'n's Connected With tho
Opening Thereof.
The day set by the law for the open
ing Of the Maine legislature was Jan.
9TH. An Augusta dispatch Of that date
says: The largest crowd that ever
made its way 10 the state ouse,
began to move thitherwar6 as
carly as s o'clock this morning. Tho
police at the capital were without
badges and had no appearance of boar
ing arms. There wgs q perfect jam in
The corridors, halls and stair ways, and
it was with great difficulty those allowed
to enter the legislative halls, push, 4
their way thther. There were Ve.y
many vacant seats in the house, as the
republicans carried out their pro.
gramme, and kept away, few only
moving about in the rear end of tho
hall. with no disturbance whatever. AZ
q quarter to nine the clerk of the house
w. +. Gibbs, called the roll for the Sc
/ lection Of seats. The republicans did
/ not respond to their names, neither did
the fuslohists, who have been reported
! as not affiliating. AS the quorum was
conceded in the senate, the public in.
terest vas attracted to tho proceedings
| in the house, the galleries of which
were crowded, Assistant Clerk Gibbs
| proceeded to call the certified roll Of
/ members.
| MIR. Halleck moved Chat elected
members of the house from cities, and
whose names are not on the roll, be ex-
cluded. He supported his motion in q
/ long speech. Objections were made,
/ and the motion from the other side of
/ the hall was ruled out of order by the
assistant clerk, who refused to put the
motion, or which the republicans with
drew from participating in the pro-
ceedings. A message was then sent Il
the governor and council, stating that o
quorum OF the members of the house
was present, ready to be qualified.
Great excitement prevailed during Hal
| ieck's remarks and uproarious applause
followed.
After the notification to the governor
that quorum was present, the COVER
| nor appeared and qualified the mem.
bers. He then announced that 76
members being a quorum, they ha2
taken and subscribed the necessary
oaths and were regularly and duly con-
stituted the house of representatives.
This announcement was received with
wild applause from the outside.
Governor Garcelon said he now put
into their hands the ooinion of the SUI
preme court, as well as the petition OF
the gentleman from certain cities
claiming the seats, and invoked their
careful consideration of the same.
Three cheers were given for Gov.
| Garcelon, followed by prolonged Kisses.
The quorum was made of75 fusionists
and Que republican-Eugene male.
The fusionisis NOT participating, were
Messrs. Sproat, Of Virsinia, Voter, OF
Farmineton, and Snow, q 5kkowhegan.
The house proceeded to organize
by the election of John G. Tai.
bot, as speaker. by a vote oil
70, no quorum. naIeB oplection
was overruled and Talbot was conduct
ed to the chair. Three cheers were given
for Hale.
w. e. Gibbs was chosen clerk by o
vote of "A. Hale, again raised the point
of no quorum but was again overruled.
The republicans claimed fraud in the
counting of the quorum, and Tia;
names were signed to the list of persons
not present.
HI. Charleton Cheever was chosen as
sistant secretary by vote of GO, again
was the point raised that no quorum
had voted, and again was it overruled.
The question of notifying the senate
| of the organization was debated, Hale
taking the ground that there had been
no legal organization of the house, and
no other body could be informed there
of. 0verruled.
The protest of members from the five
cities was presented by Hale, who pro-
ceeded TO address the house, urging that
| the people of Maine are waiting with
! most intense anxiety for settlement OF
these cases. The only way to allay
the great excitement prevailing is
10 admit these members who arc
clearly elected, according 10 the ex-
| pressed decision of the supreme court.
This course viii alone propitiate the
| people of Maine. lie moved that the
! house 60 into committee of the whole
and consider the cases. The legislature
ought not to take a single step nm
til even handed justice is done. The
house refused TO go into committee
OF tho whole, five voting III the afiirma-
/
committee on elections when such
committed is appointed.
The Pennington and other cases were
also referred.
MIR. Dlckey remarked that the SUI
promo court lad nothing to do
with the action Of the leg stature,
which drew forth q plea from
Hale. defending the court and asking
that the constitutional barriers be not
swept away. lie said tat the election
of officers and lave passed by this body,
as now constituted, would not be legal.
At three o'clock the house adjourned.
At 10 o'clock the senators elect we're
called to order by Sam'l Lane, secre-
tsry of the last senate. Prayer was
offered by Rev. Sam'l Upiohn. The
roll was called and all the members,
without exception, responded to their
| names. The senate recognized by
electing John d. Lawson, President;
A. q. Andrews, Secretary; Francis u.
Green, Assistant Secretary, and the 9TH
| er fusion officers nominated in caucus.
There was very little excitement over
the organization of this body. BY a
vote of 18 to II it WAS decided to refer
! the matter ofthe contested seats to a
special committee for instruction TO
| act at once.
The result OF the day left the legisla-
ture in the hands of the fusionists, but
the republicans insisted that the
triumph would be but temporary.
Gov. Garcelon's term of Office expired
at midnight ON the 9TH, and the presi-
dent of the senate, Mr.. Lawson, tenn
porariIy filled the offieo Of the
executive.
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