National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-01-08
MAINE UNDER MOB RULE.
Open Disregard Of the Constitution
and Law.
A Farce Instead of TIngcdy-An Assistant
Clerk Found TO DO the Dirty Work.
Parliamentary Motions overruled
business Carried on With
out Quorum-Stormy
Scenes in the House.
Law, Order and Decency sot Aside.

Law OfUcf nhN DeCenCy NV hhlNSs
AUGUSTA, ME-, Jan. THE Senate organ
lied by electing John ID. Lamson president; A.
G. Andrews, secretary; Francis b. Green, as
sislant secretary, and the other Fusion officers
nominated IN the caucus Inst night.
In the House Assistant Clerk Gibbs pro-
cecded to call the certified roll Of members.
Mr. Hale took tho floor aud claimed that cor
tain elected members OF the House from cities
are not on the roll, and moved that they be
included. This led to a lengthy speech from |
Mr. Hale and objections from the other side. |
Hale was ruled out of order by the assistant
clerk, who refused to put his motion, where
upon the Republicans withdrew from further
participation in tho proceedings. message
was then sent to the Governor and Council,
stating that quorum of members of the House
was present and ready to be qualified.
Great excitement prevailed during Mr..
Hales remarks, and uproarious applause fol-
lowed. After notification to the Governor that
n Quorum was present. the Governor appeared
aud proceeded to qualify the members. He
subsequently, announced that seventy-siX
members, being Il quorum, had taken and sub
scrbed to the necessary Oaths, aud were the
regularly and duly constituted House of Rep
rcsentatives This announcement received
wild applause from the outside. Governor
Garcelou said that he now put into their hands
the opinion of the Supreme court, as well as
the petition of gentlemen from certain cities
claiming seats, and invoked their careful con-
sideratiUn Of the same. Three cheers were
given for Governor Garcelon, followed by pro-
lOnged Kisses.
Tho quorum Is made of seventy-fvo Fusion
lists and one Republican, Eugene Hale. Tho
Fusionists not participating arc Sproul, of
Vealie Voter, Of Pennington, aud Snow, of
SkowhcgGn.
At quarter to o'clock the assistant clerk
to the House, w. +, Gibbs, called the roll for
selection of seats. The Republicans did not
IN tlnir upitlpr did tho Eu-
sonsts, who have been reported as non
afiliating. AS quorum was conceded in the
Senate, public interest was attracted to the
public proceedings in the House, the galleries
of which We're crowded. At 10 o'clock the
Senators-eect were called to order by Hon.
Samuel NJ. Lane, the secretary of the last Sen
ate. Prayer was offered by Rev. Samuel Unjohn.
The roll was called and all the members, with
out exception, responded to their names. Sena.
tor Locke, Of Cumberland, at once gained the
Aoor and read protest from the Republican
members against the Senate proceedings.
The Secretary refused to entertain the mo-
tion and messenger was sent to the Gov
ernor and Council, informing them that the
members of the House were present for the
purpose of being qualified.
The Governor and Council appeared and
the oaths were administered. Senator Locke
then renewed his motion, but the Secretary
would not entertain it. The Senate proceeded
to the election of President of the Senate the
Republicans refusing to serve on tho commit.
tees OF participate in the election of officers.
The Senate elected James ID. Sampson pres-
dent protest being put in by the Republican
members that the election was not by legally
elected members Of tho Senate.
The House proceeded to organize by the
election of John G. Talbot us Speaker by a vote
of 72-nO quorum,
Mr. Hale objected, but was overuled and
Mr.. Talbot was conducted to the clair. Three
cheers were given for Mr.. Hale.
Mr. w. L.. Gibbs was chosen clerk by voto
of "a. Mr.. Hale again raised the point of no
quorum, and was again overruled. The Re-
publcans claim that there was fraud in count
ing quorum, and that names were signed to
the list of persons not present
n Carleton Cheever was chosen assistant
secretary by vote Of 65. Again was point
Of order raised that no Quorum was present,
and again was 1t overrr 'ed. Tho question of
notifying the Senate of the organization was
debated, Mr., Hale taking the ground that
there had been no legal organization Of the
House and no other body could be informed
thorcof overruled, The protest of members
from Ave cities was presented by Mr. Hale, |
who then proceeded to address the House In
an impressive aud telling speech, urging that
tho people of Maine are waiting with the most
intense anxiety for settlement of these cases.
The only way to allay the great excitement
prevailing Is to admit those members who are
CleNIly titClcu hCCOIullk W luO SAplcbSeu uG-
cison of tho Supreme court.
This course will alone propitiate the people
of Maine. He moved that the House go into
Committee of the Whole and consider tho cases.
This legislature, ho said, ought not to take Il
single step until eyen-handed justice Is done.
The House refused to go into Committee of
the Whole, five voting in the affirmative, and
the matter was referred to the Committee ON
EleCtions--When such committee is appointed.
The Pennington aud other cases were also re-
forred.
Mr.. Dicsey remarked that the Supreme
court had nothing TO do with the action of the
legislature which drew forth plea from Mr..
Hale, defending the court, and asking that
Constitutional barriers be not swept away.
He said that the election of officials under tine
laws pussod by this body, as now constituted,
would not be legal.
AT o'clock p, m the House adjourned,
MOST DIsGRACEFUL SCENE.
Boston, Jan. IA special dispatch to tho
Herald from Augusta says: Tho scene In
the House of Representatives this morning
was simply dlsgraceful. Mr.. Hale was gem
tleman, and acted like one, and ho must have
been ashamed of his friends. The repetition
of tho oath after the Governor was drowned
by tho Kisses and grOans OF the mob. The
Fuhonists put things through regardless of
parliamentary law. The scene was unprece'
donted in New England. The Fusionists
DhuoI INV sum- uhh bllS lNNpubllNhln 80 W pIo
Supreme court. Ii was impossible to preserve
order in the House, and row would have re-
suited il an attempt to expel the disorderly
persons had been mado.'
There were scenes in tho the House never
before witnessed in New England Tho su.
preme moment uanlO whom the assistant clerk
refused to put a motion to adjourn, and Mr.,
Hale, standing upon q desk, put the notion
himself, which was followed by dCafcniBg ar.
plausc and tho immediate withdrawal of the
Republican members. The whole audience
then rose, and there followed a tremendous
storm OF applause, The audience seemed to
be largely on the side of the Republicans. The
result of tho day was nearly a triumph for the
Fusionists, but the Republicans say It win be
Gphemora. How, amid SO much excitement
and intense feeling, good order could be pre-.
sorYed was q marvel.
The Republicans held q secret caucus to.
night to determine on future action, at which
there was full and free interchange Of opin,
Ion. II IL Thought thar the Republicans viii
oil qualify tomorrow and participate in legs.
latye action.
Tho story is started that the Fusionists will
tr.,nnrrn,y In,ipivc EuUaYp ITuta pf big geat