Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-01-08
AI'ItALITI. ~ son.
Augusta. Nor. goth. 1872
THE MOCK LEGISLATURE.


The extraordinary scene witnessed at the
State House yesterday, in the pretended
organization of Legislature to make
laws for the people of the State of Maine.
was one that those who witnessed it will
never forget. II was not alone thatthe State
House was packed with M excited crowd
oi citizens. and demonstrations of feeling
were Witnessed unusual and unbccon ing
in that place. TINT made the scene one
never to be forgotten but il was also that u
body claiming to be- decorous body. not
only body governed by Law but II law
making body. should turn Itself into a
body governed by sheer brute force. hav-
ing no regard for parliamentary rules and
none for the Constitution and Laws under
which it assumed to act.
From the, calling of the roll to the adj
icurument there was practically an entire
abnegation of the fact that law making
body is itself bound to obey the laws of
the land The clerk paid no regard to
the rights Of members or the proprieties
of the situation He had his lesson from
his masters aud followed their instruc-
tons. lie threatened and tried 10 bully.
and when that failed to answer his pur-
pose he refused Ia put motions or paw at
tention to points ct order the consideration
OF which might interfere with the brute
task he was performing.
The meeting was disorlcrly one. hut
civil and good naturcd considering the
great provocaiiou to he otherwise. Mr..
Hale of Ellsworth nobly. manfully.
ably. and in perfect temper denounced the
proceedings and eudcavorcd to check them
by reminding the body how feartully they
were disobcying the rules that govern
legislative bodies. and that none of these
acts could be legal unless quorum par
ticipatcd in them. But twas useless to APP
pcsifor right, justice or deccncy. ASpeaker
was declared elected and he. too. went
forward with his eyes vii fully closed to
the fact that he was not legally chosen
and that not legal act could be done
without quorum. lie turned and twist
ed and stumbled. under the sharp points
raised by AIR. Hale. and when nothing
else would answer his purpose of carry
ing forward the illegitimate and unholv
work Of the conspirators to steal the leg
islaturc. he resorted to the same brute
forcc that the clerk had employed 10 get
rid OF honest appeals which he could meet
in no other manner From first to last
there was no quorum in the House voted.
No, an officer WAS legally elected. Every
AL WAS w uttttbtt VI INV Tue ta1-e
number which voted at any time was sew
enty-foar, while sesenty-six are necessary
TO make quorum,
The constitution of Maine declares that
II requires a majority OF the whole number
Of members belonging tn the House tn
constitute quorum to do business, The
recent opinion OF the Supreme Court de-
claes that it requires a majority of the
whole number to make quorum Cush-
ing says: when the number. OF which
IAN assembly may consist. a, any given
time, is fixed by constitution. and an ALI
''quct proportion of such assembly is re-
''quired in order to constitute quorum.
1.-THE number Of which such assembly saav
s'ecnsist and not the number Of which IL
docs IN fact consist, at the time in ques-
''tien. is the number OF the assembly, and !