Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-05-21
Riding Rough Shod
Over the Minority.
PLUCkY FIGHT WAS MADE,
Action of Majority Was Clearly Illegal
and Unconstitutional.

All day long yesterday the state Senate,
with a Republican majority of 20, strug-
gled over the "bill to send Mayor Carroll
to Cranston jail" During the earlier part
of the session this bill was introduced in
the House OF Representatives by an as
semblyman from Pawtucket:
section l. The presiding ofiicer of any
board OF aldermen, common council, town
council or of any public deliberativc body
created by act OF the General Assembly, who
shall refuse or neglect when acting AS such
presiding officer To put to vote OF the body
over which he presides any appeal made
by n member OF such body from any ruling
of such presiding officer or who, when such
aninppcal has been sustained, shall refuse
or neglect tn put to suck body the
question which caused such appeal to
be made and any clerk OF recording
officer of any such body who shall refuse
or neglect TO record in full the proceed.
| ings of any body OF which he may be clerk
| rs aforesaid shall be fined for such neglect
or refusal not less than 500 nor more than
= 900 and imprisoned not less than six
months or more than one year and be forever
disqualified from holding the once, or the
office by virtue of which he IL such presiding
officer.
Sections This act shall take erect on and
after its passage.
The bill was the special order OF the day,
and 1t became evident at very early hour
that the few Democratic senator's were in
no mood to be trifled with i'm the effort Of
the Republican majority to restrict and
reduce the powers OF the Democratic
leader OF the Spindle City OF the Black
stone valley.
The contest against the bill was led by
Senators Pond, the Democratic Mayor Of
Woonsocket Champlin OF Block Island
and Captain Church OF Tiverton.
The Senate disregarded all rules, and in
turn suspended the well-known rules 30
and 80.
Rule 80 provided that the provision re-
lating to the printed bills should not be
suspended during the last week OF the
session except by unanimous consent. The
Republican majority contended that al
though the session would have to adjourn
within few days to meet at Newport,
no one knew absolutely when the session
would come to an end or that the last
week OF the session was Mt hand.
The bill, the Republican leaders said,
must be passed at this session, and that
all other business must await the settle
ment OF the question.
II was admitted, during somew hat
heated debate, by Lieutenant Governor
Stearns, that the bill was calculated to take
care OF the city.of Pawtucket, where, he
said, matters in the city government had
| for some time been i'm rather disturbed
| state.
During the long wait for the Senate to
come to some final conclusion, the House
took a recess with final resolution OF ad-
journment awaiting TO be rushed through.
During this interim Speaker Capron OF
the House passed his time in coaching
the Republican Senate leader Mr.. Woods,
while ex-Speaker Wilson was at the elbow
OF Gov. Ladd TO advise upon the diff
| cult and complicated situation into which
a handful OF adrot Democrats bad put
the overwhelming Republican majority.
Senator Champlin, who led the debate,
said the bill was an outrageous piece OF
| legislation, and unconstitutional. lie
said the bill came from disgruntleed
politician OF the city OF Pawtucket.
Among the features OF the days debate
was rather warm controversy between
Senator Champlin and Lieutenant Gov
ernor Stearns, the latter misinterpreting
an allusion TO the old men Of the Senate
as personal reflection upon him.
Mayor Pond in n vigorous and forcible
manner portrayed the difficulties that
could easily arise under the Iprovisions OF
such bill as that tefore the Senate.
lie was thoroughly convinced that there
was a mighty big cat I'm the meal.
II was o'clock when the Senate Repub-
licans, worn out and weary, voted with
the Democrats TO adjourn till today to en-
gage in the unheard OF thing in Rhode
lsland-a Saturday legislative session.
There was a tacit understanding that the
Democrats should assent TO vote upon
the bill at o'clock this afternoon. The
Democrats conferred together and eagerly
discussed rule 80, and they came to the
unanimous opinion that in the event oi
the bill passing, IL would be clearly illegal
and unconstitutional under the provision