Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-22
HEVIT,S PERFORMANCEs.

transacted by the House until their Pet
schemes are put through.
HEwlr,s PERFORMANCES.
His Arbitrary Rulings I'm the House Last
Night.
The scenes in the House at Harrisburg,
last night, referred to by the Patriot in an
article printed elsewhere, were largely due
to Speaker Hewit's rulings, maniiestly in
the interest of the Philadelphia ring op-.
posing the repeal of the recorders bill.
Billingsley, of Washington, led the ring
forces with motion to take up all bills on
first reading in their order, SO as to set
the recorder bill to the foot of the list.
A resolution by Niles, of Tioga, to take
up out of its order and pass on
first reading House bill No. 37s.
to improve numbering streams passed, and
Niles's bill was then read and the speaker
declared it carried in accordance with the
usual custom, when Wolfe rose and asked
if there was to be no vote taken. Hewitt
replied that the rules apparently contem-
plated only the reading Of bill and the
announcement by the chair that it was
agreed to and it would be transcribed to
second reading, and said that immemorial
custom had been to dispense with an act
ual vote. Wolfe raised point of order
that vote must actually be taken on the
bill. and after much complication and Bit
ter complaints of the waste of time, he was
Welded the point as we'll taken and said Ee
would call for a vote on every bill read,
by which means only could he prevent the
recorders bill from losing its place.
Il was evident they were not going to get
ahead Of tho ropnr6Qr'S hill
Myers, of VenangO, moved to hold a spe-
cial session from two minutes after ten till
midnight. Law addressed the chair for
the purpose of raising an objection to the
motion as out of order. Hewitt refused to
recognize him, put the motion and de-
clared it carried. Law demanded the
ayes ard noes the instant the vote was
taken and the call was loudly and re-
peatedly seconded, but the speaker paid
no attention to the call and ordered the
clerk to proceed with the reading of the
bill. Law persisted in addressing the
chair and was as perSistently
raped down and told by the speaker
that he was out of order and would not be
recognized. Wolfe, Ruddiman, Kneass
and others Indignantly and vehemently
protested against this action of the speaker,
and, though the arbitrary choking off OF
Law was applauded by certain fellows
of the baser sort, who shouted to the
speaker that the House would sustain
him, it. was evident that the highest privi-
| lege was being sacrificed to the alleged
desire to forward the reading of a few bills.
Law persistently appealed to the speaker
for recognition, and intense excitement
prevailed. Finally Hewitt ordered him to
| be seated and called the sergeant alarms
| to enforce the order. Wolfe seized his hat
and coat, and with a muttered anathema
of contempt for the speaker walked
out of the House. Business was at 4
standstill, and Law escaped the attention
of the officers only because everybody on
the floor was in disorder. Kneass ran af-
ter Wolfe and brought him back to con-
tinue the fight, while Faunce read the
Times circus editorial and remarked that
the principal performers advertised had
not taken prominent part. Seeing
Wolfe coming back Faunce charged him
with hurting fire brand into the House
by demanding vote on first read.
ing of bill, which involved the
privilege of calling ayes and noes,
and would come up in future to the
great delay of business. While Wolfe
rose to his favOrite business Of personal
explanation Hewitt ordered the readin g
of bills to 60 on, Law all the time stand
ing in his place and calling for recO2 milton
and leave to take the point of order. which
the speaker with equal pcrtinacity refused.
Bill 35, changing the close of the season
for several kinds of game, was read and
declared passed, WOlfe's call for the yeas
and nays being unheeded.
At 1904 the speaker declared the
| 0IS RI
and the special session convened.
larity of the action. Wolfe moved to ad-
iourn. Hewitt ruled the motion ont of
order on the ground that the special busi-
ness for which the session was appointed
had not been taken up. Law finally got
an opportunity to ask Hewitt why he was
not recognized and allowed to make his
point against the regularity of the pro-
ceedings. Hewitt said he would not
recognize him now because Law
had not stated his point of order
when the motion for a special session
was originally made. The House shricked
with laughter at this fine bit of Hewitt S
humor, for Law had not ceased for one
moment since the motion was made to de-
mand recognition by the chair for the well
understood purpose of raising this very
point of order. Wolfe renewed his
motion to adjourn and was ruled out
of order. Law asked permission to
make statement, which he would put to
vote. It was refused and Law persisted
in stating his position, Billingleys on one
side trying to drown his voice by shouting
that he was out of order, while Wolfe on
the other side shouted almost as vocifer-
Ously that Law was in order. Hewitt Or
| dered the sergeont-at-arms to compel
Law, Billingsley and Wolfe to take their
seats. The sergeant-at-armsg gently push
ed Billingsley into his seat, while Potter
subjected Law to moral suasiOn and
another assistant charged on Wolfe. Quiet
was restored without a breach of the
peace. Several unimportant bills on first
reading were then taken up in succession.
One the first one Wolfe moved to lndefi-
nitely postpone and called yeas and nays
for the purpose of delay. Hewitt ruled the
motion out of order. Wolfe appealed.
McReynolds moved to lay the appeal on
the table, and on that motion Wolfe
called the yeas and nays. and thus
accomplished his purpose after eight
bills wero passed. Hewitt declared bill
165 carried, without paying any atten-
tion to Wolfe and his distinct call for
yeas and nays. seconded by Hills and
Law, before the result of the vote was an
nounced. This brought out Wolfe's
most emphatic protest, and SO much
bad blood had been occasioned that
several country members approached
Wolfe with muttered threats and an
evident disposition to do him harm