New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-01
SHEEHAN'S OFFICIAL OATH
1T PROVED no BAR TO VIOLATION OF Ihb
CONSTITUTION.
zIs PROGRESSED CONTEMPT FOR THE oi''NN''
LAW OF TIE STATE AND The NATIoN-Dh-
SyrSe THE RIGHT or PETITION WHEN
LII ,xnrrrrREn WITH MS PLANS.

p,r.,o sent 40 ,speelan.-"what Is the Oohsulu,
~, be.ween friends ?" was the question W -
.y Timothy !. Campbell ana u sn'o re ~, s,omn
nax,m among Democrats OF ,he laihh'"ny 80. ,oadar
Sn.ak.r William r. sheehan, OF TINS cry ,ro ,an,
- ,,.,, r.ruany and the candidate Oh DIE ia'''"r
o' h..o "a lieutenant. Governor amended INC
esA,r ra,in last winter while he was speaHer =,
,ao Assembly, by SoIdly announcing from hs paw
he Speakers desk ,,,,too,s
snar.r sheehan followed up this ahho""o0
rmssiateIy by proving thet he cared NOT u'e 'n'P ~
-, &C. olthc- for the Constitution OF the on'S
e..,o. ., Of the state Of Ncwlork. pit. snee ,.
tronds here declare that he Is an ahIe anu
,.,rv.ra man extremely we'll read ana wen -,
ON legal matters. That being true. nc 'a'i,O'' 49,
s,opnd Of ignorance lie excused Tor hJ' o"'s nc
rrsnda,os Of the Constitution. When nc Wa 49,
n."O@ .s v . ,or,her NJ the Assembly he declared
- IA. cath Thai nc would support the Cohsu'u.'"
az I-,,od states and Of the state Of Ne"-for"' pu'
Nc TOOK the first possible opportunity 20 pir"" ''''
that he swOre TO Keep <,, e,..o, ,,o,s,tn.
,rbs first amendment 10 the Uniied suaues w"
A., r.ods as follows. Congress shan make no ia"
"on i. - ae,abi,sbn,ent of religion or prohiOiuhs
- 49, evercise thereof: or abridslng the lrceuo" "a
80. 90 Of the press or the right Of inc pe'Pi1
,.soeabIv 10 assemble and 10 petition ior icu'e''
grievance u 20 tbe Constitution
Then in Section 10 Of Chapter Oh u'e ,,.r w.
~ the state Of York, it says NO -" 1T, 80
assemble and TO peu"oH '"0
department thereof" ,,. = choobon
a. ,he speaker of the Assembly william r sheen"1
o.,od occasions broke his cath of once ana u-''0"
.bs constitution by Arbitrarily prohiO''"e -,
class Of citizens the right OF petition asd",, 80 md
Mr. sheehan's friends excuse nm III ny a,,,,d.
a., .norsooal organ The Buffalo Courier up
"a on the timsy aud unsupported erOuiu .'"' ~ -
:. % tnc ont the rules of the Assembly SpeaNer
- ,ros member Of the Assembly coihui'''eo
,hicb drew ND and reported to the Assei"O'y ~ 80
~ rnles now In force. That Delhe t"0 49, - til.
a. no entirely familiar with Them i""' oSP 49,
80 90 he the case with him molc 'ia'
a,v other Democratic member Vi r.
-, A,srg the last FIVE or six years r''
-. =, ttat lime he was the leader OF the inino'i's
I'd no was constantly his feet dcoauhe WIN .'o
Reppblican leaders on questions "illc" az ~ o
tbe meaning Of rules and the cohsuu0'o" 20 -
-, ~, me ne,iding officer. Then, too ms career
as sneaker ought certainly 10 nave conipoi0u '"
fmiliarize himself with each rule ana WIZ" 10
ono % the first rules that he studied aiVer ho
"a been elected Speaker was as 10 MS OWL u"''' "
Speaker lie foInd this lad down = oudou
He thc speaker shall decide all points u o'U''
subject to appeal a. ...o-.ors which are
This rule apples to all OF the queS'ionS
,n,clv IN arise during session OF the Assembly -
.iA.F , ., the regularity of motion, the standing
"a . committee report rs well as the receipt Vi /"
43o, Hut in deciding points OF order inc
sneaker is not supposed to defy the CONSTITUTION VI 0
accented rules Of parliamentary PROCEDURE ''iT
more the speaker is not supposed 10 oo"S""o wv
Assenblv ruIes 50 that the effect will be directly con
rury TO the meaning and intention OF inc r''"' ~
s.nvinr 10 The Roman Catholic clergy and to lhe n!
socet,c, of the Roman Catholic Church the HSht oi
patlon 10 the Assembly, one OF the three department
NJ the state Government, speaker sEecHGh oeleu uc
Constitution and fairly mlsconSirned an Assembly,
ule The rue that he says prohibited him as speaker
from receiving The petitions against the passage Oh INC
notorious and vicious stadcr bill reads as follows;
Petitions memorials and remonstranccs may be
nresented 10 the clerk at the close Of each days Ses
hon"
The language of the rule (, plain and explicit and
Speaker rhechan knew all along that 1t was neither
mandatory obligatory upon him as the pIcaons
oficer of the Assembly TO refuse to receive ana nave
,ead nv the clerk petitions, remonstnnccs or me
MORALS
Mr. Sheelan was member of the committee oi
Assemblyman Of which General James ". lueted was
chairman that drew up the present Assembly rules
He worked with the other members of the com
mntee on them duDg the summer OF 177'
and signed .hc report before ii was presented
TO the Legislature for adoption at The
session Of 800. The for the changing Of the
rules was to expedite the business Of the session rs
much rs possible and to do away with number o.
forms of procedure which experience had found to be
more or less of block 70 the rapid transaction OF
instancc, was the committee of the whole. This has
been abolished and bills now arc discussed at length
On their second reading. Another form which con
sumed much time The order OF the receipt OF
petitions This generally consumed great deal OF
time. Nearly all Of the 128 members OF the Assembly
receive daily by mail petitions protesting against or ID
favor OF pending measures In the rush OF business
few of the members would think properly to lnd0Tse
their petitions, aud when this order OF business would
DO reached members woud ask for delay while they
got their petitions into proper shape for presentations
Then too, 1t frequently happened That a member who
reached the Assembly Chamber late in The day would
break ga upon other order Of business and ask
nnnnmoE- consent to introduce petition at that
time. This interruption generally caused confusion
and destroyed the regularity of the proceedings
therefore. The committee. % which NJ" >heeh1n was a
member decided ~ eliminate from the regular order
Of business the order oi the receipt Of petitions,
hut the committee reported. and the Assembly Of 1890
adopted no rule prohibiting th" presentation or the
acceptance of petition. INmonStiance or memorial
The committee simply said that petitions, memorial
and circumstances may be- landed 1, the clerk at The
close Of each days session. General Iu~tcd IS too
rroGcicnt "a pariamcntarisn aud too close n student
of the Constitution ask the Assembly to perform an
unconstitutional act 90 adopt rules drec,ly in d"
Gsnce Of both the National and the STATE Constitu
lions The rule regarding the pfoc~tation Of pcti
and indOiscd by Mr. >:cchan merely made per
mSSlDc Tor tue hitliO'IN OF lHc Assembly 10 MANU-
Of session in place OF rfmg from the time given Ion
the consideration Of till> for that purpose.
speaker Susclau did not ccG,iuc the rulc Away a
lie dld When Ec q, -.rod u prevent The reading Of th
Roman Catholic petitions. lie changed his mind Ie
cardins u To the conditions. When he declare,
that the rulc prohibited tire acceptance Of he petitions
~ was - prevent the member, from hearing the IN
famous deuunuatluns by the Roman Catholic ClCrG'
Of one oi the most dangerous auC nalicou, measure
ever pre- -outrd To- tie legislature measure WhiC
would have opened tor twenty four hours ot the dan
and ur cnc day ot the year. IN the towns and ctic
tl ~f1fo fIn ltV .
This measure. speaker ~hee'1n and AsscmbNms'
Joseph Bluu,cuths. % New-loIk. had taken coptlaC
mas. aud speaker ShCeiau feared that the raadr
Of inc petitions Wuuld draw Demo, ratio votes from tH
hill. lie therefore hTDGc his constitutional oatn o
Office deGcd the Constitution and ndscOnStructcd tht
AssemAy rules for TN, purpose. ndcr similar con
dtous a. Lieutenant Governor. there : no doubt bu