The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-25
QUAY's FIRST LEGISLATION.
He Secures a Divorce for Coy. Cur
tins Daughter.
From the Ne1o York Sun.


HARRISBURG, Jan. 19.-Until the adop-
ton of the new constitution of PennsyI-
vania in 1874 the legislature of the state had
power to grant DEGREES. Matthew s. Quay's
career as a statesman began in 1866 when
he was elected to the lower house of the
Pennsylvania legislature. His first act as
legislator was to offer a resolution having
for its object the granting of a divorce.
Owing to the high connections of one of the
parties to the desired legislation it was par
ticularly important that no publicity should
be given to it, and in managing the pro-
ceedings necessary to secure the desired an
nulment of the marriage and at the same
time accomplish the object without spread
ing upon the records any of the details of
the affair, Quay's genius in legislative ma
nipulation thus early manifested itself.
Andrew G. Curtin was then governor OF
the state. The legislature was republican.
Quay was trusted follower of Curtin, and
il was at the request of tho governor that
he offered the divorce resolution. The par
ties to the separation asked for were Henry
Lloyd Mcconnell and Mary Wilson Nc
Cornell. The latter was the daughter of
Gov. Curtin, and she was then but II years
old. In 1865, about the close of the war,
Miss Curtin met a handsome and dashing
Young volunteer army officer named Harry
Lloyd Mcconnell. He was captain
stationed here. Nothing was known of his
a Gtecedents, and his social standing was
not high in Harrisburg. The governors
daughter, still a school girl, fell in love
with Capt. Mcconnell, and he induced her
one afternoon to go to the Office of Justice
Of the peace and marry him. After the
ceremony the bride went home to the ex-
ecutive mansion to inform her father of
what she had done, and to make peace with
him for herself and husband
But Gov. Curtin did not choose to permit
his daughter TO throw herself away on an
unknown adventurer, and she never saw
her husband again. The governors power
and influence were great then, not only in
the state, but with the national authorities.
He at once brought them to bear in the case
of Capt. Mcconnell, and that Dresumptuous
soldier did not remain long in Harrisburg
after his clandestine marriage with Gov.
Curtin daughter, who herself soon regret
ted the foolish step she had taken. The fact
of her marriage to the young officer was
kept 50 quiet that it never was known in
Harrisburg social circles. When Rep
resentative Quay offered the resolution
to divorce Harry Lloyd Mcconnell
and Mary Wilson Mcdonnell there
was not a half dozen legislators,
besides himself and Senator Morrow b.
Lowry. of the Erie district, who knew that
Mrs Mcconnell was the daughter of Gov.
Oui NO ies9I"UIOh was never prilted
on the record, the committee to which it
was referred in the House was discharged
from considering it, it passed the House un-
der suspension of the rules, went to the
Senate, where it went through the same
process, and was signed and became a law
in less than two hours after Quay rose IN his
place and presented it.
The governors daughter, always q great
social favorite, sudquently married into one
of the wealthiest and best families in an
adjoining state. Nothing has ever been
heard of Capt. Mcconnell since ne departed
from Harrisburg.