Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-18


committee of five to whom was referred
Mr.. Ruddiman's resolution expelling Mr..
David Palmer, of the Pittsburgh CONNER
cial Gazette, accusing Speaker Hewitt of
misusing his Office to defeat the Pittsburgh
riot claims bill would make a report. The
first hour of the session was taken up
with the presentation of petitions which
were more than usually abundant. The
galleries of the House were full and
many senators were on the floor to
see the fun. About eleven o'clock Chair
man COlborn of the special commit
tee, arose and presented the report
which was read by the clerk. The report
set forth that the committee found the
charges made by Palmer utterly without
foundation and entirely unwarranted, and
they considered him guilty of the grossest
violation of the privileges and courtesies
extended to him by the House. The testi-
mony taken by the committee was also
read, giving Palmer's statements in which
he reiterated many of the charges made in
the obnoxious letter and gave the evidence
til It had induced him to make them. The
House unanimously accepted the report
| of the committee.
Mr.. Vogdes, of Philadelphia, who occu-
pied the chair then stated that the Ruddi-
man resolution was before the House. MIR.
Lowing offered as substitute resolu-
tion of censure and at once an exciting
discussion began which lasted until nearly
one o'clock. Most of the Allegheny dele
CATION, with the exception of Finn, sus-
tanned Palmer and stoutly asserted that
they had been ill-treated by the speaker in
the matter of the reference of the riot bill
to the appropriations committee. They
avowed that they were responsible for the
tenor of the article in the Commercial
Gazette as they expressed the sentiments
therein to Palmer, only he had not put
them as strongly as +! icy had been given
to him.
This brought Speaker Hewitt to his feet
in his own defense, and in speech of
some length he repeated much that lie had
said on tho previous morning in denial. 1t
occurred to somebody that as the Ale
gheny men took SD much of the blame, it
might be just as we'll to include them in
the censure, so an amendment to that
effect was offered. 1t was met with laugh
ter and cries of :" Yes. Yes" The ALLIE
gheny men did not seem by any means
aversc to being censured except Finn,
who wanted it distinctly understood that
he had said nothing at any time to war;
rant anybody in including him in such a
resolution, and he desired that it be
changed SO as to except his name. Mr..
Moore, the mover of the amendment, said
he was surprised to hear Of such dcnials,
but nevertheless would withdraw the
amendment.
Thereupon Mr. Boland sent in an
amendment to DO read. 1t set forth that
this was the day fixed for paying homage
to the great patron saint of Ireland, St.
Patrick, and therefore it was moved that
in honor to- the day the house adjourn.
The amendment was greeted with chorus
Of hisscs and laughter. Speaker Hewitt
however was not amused. He sprang up
instantly on a question of privilege. He
thought it was disgraceful in any man to
offer such an amendment ut such i time
no matter to what class Of people it might
refer. He was on trial before the House
and before the people of the state on a
serious charge. The fair name that he had
so long borne had been assailed and he de-
manded its vindication. He wanted no
half way steps. He demanded either to be
branded with integrity or infamy, and any
man who would move to adjourn under
such circumstances was doing disgrace
full thing.
This aroused Mr.. Billingsley and he
vOciferOusly and fiercely declared that
Mr.. Boland had done nothing disSracefnl
That gentleman certainly had the privilege
of the floor and had as much right as any
body else to make motion. The speaker
had already been sufficiently indicated by
the adoption of the report of the commit
tee, and Mr.. BOland's motion was in order.
The speaker, however, decided that the
| amendment was not germane to the reso-
luton, and was therefore out of order.
At this point Mr.. French obtained the
floor and accused the speaker of threaten
ing to remember" him for being vindic-
tive in his matter. A long personal con-
trOversey followed between French and
the speaker, in which the latter asserted
that he did not intend to remember Mr.
French in his capacity as speaker, but
would treat him as we'll as everybody else
with the strictest impartiality.
| just here MIR. Neill caused great hub
bub by calling the previous question.
Half the House was on its feet at once
twenty men were addressing the chair at
the same time and sthe widest confusion
prevailed. ''We propose to prove that
we've been ill-treated before get through"
cried an Allegheny man. "Yoa can't shut
US up like that, We will have our say
cried another. The speaker tbundered
away with his gavel until comparative or
der was restored and then Mr.. Neill with
drew his call. Thereafter the discussion
took a still wider range. Mr.. Lands at
| tempted to defend the appropriations CON-
mittee from some aspersions that he
claimed had been thrown on it, and al
though he was repeatedly called to order
fatty refused to sit down until he had fin
ished. Mr.. Finn, of Allegheny, attempted
to reply but was cut off by loud calls to
come to order.
Mr.. Kneass managed to get an editorial
from the Philadelphia Press read rs part of
his remarks and Mr.. Faunce endeavOred
but failed to get the whole matter indeii-
nitely postponed. At length at about a
quarter to l o'clock everybody's patience
became pretty we'll exhausted and when
Mr.. McCachran moved the previous ques-
tion he found plenty ready to second.
The call having been successful the chair
asked whether the main question should
be put. Mr.. Billingsley called the yeas
nays with the object Of consuming the
time until one o'clock and then
calling the orders Of the day. The
house agreed by large majority
to receive the main question
One o'clock having arrived the orders of
the day were called but Mr.. Hewitt arose
and stated that the previous question hav-
ing been called and agreed to nothing else
could come before the House and that
therefore the whole subject would have
to be disposed of before an adjournment
wOnl6 he in Orf7,. Tho vor;ons ,,,ouJ