Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-03-09
Number 43
THE srEAKER7S STATEMENT.

cceuinsS SHonlu attempt to place MIN In
n false position before the people of thu
state. He made the following manly and
straightforward statement in reference
to his decision:
"My decision in declaring the house
adjourned at II O'clock was strictly il.
accordance with the rules of the house,
and other action would have been an
usurpation OF authority upon my part.
When the house of representatives met
upon the Sd OF January. 1899. the fol
lowing resolution was adopted, to wit
Resolved, That until otherwise
ordered. the rules Of the house of rep
resentatives of 1897. as presented ia
Smull's handbook, be adopted for the
government of the house during the pres
ent session.
Among the rules in operation during
the session of 1897 and re-cnacted by the
abov" resolution for the government OF
the present house was the following:
Rule J9-'rhc house will convene on
Mondays at S O'Clock p. in. and adjourn
at 10 o'clock p. m, and on Fridays Will
convene at . O'Clock AL adjourn at IL
O'Clock a. M
On the 10th day of January, 1899 the
following resolution was unanimously
adopted, to wit;
Resolved. That until otherwise or
dered, the sessions of the house. on Fri
days. shall begin at 1890 o'clock a. m,
and the same order of business now pre-
scribed shall be gone through with. and
that additional sessions of the house be
fixed for 11.5o clock a. IN, for Satur
days and Mondays.
This resolution changed the hour of
meeting from . to 1870 o'clock n. m., but
bta Hf lif,1
altered.
SAT II O'clock Friday, Mr.. Marshall.
of Allegheny county, in parliamentary
form, called for the order of the day.
hasing his demand upon the above men
toned rule, providing for the adjourn
ment of the house at 1t O'clock In ac-,
cordance with the legislative practice
prevailing in the house since the organ-
cation of the state government. and fol
lowing prccedentS recognized in all par
hamentary bodies. the order of the day
i'll such contingency compels the speaker
to adjourn the house in accordance with
the rules. There was nothing whatever
unusual or arbitrary about the matter.
To have acted otherwise would have
been contrary 10 the rules of the house,
which are as sacred and binding upon
the officers and members as the statutes
and constitution of the commonwealth.
'Since my decision | have consulted
Messrs. Weiss and Gilbert, of Harris
burg, two of the best constitutional law
ycrs in Pennsylvania. who have advIsc,
that not only was tl- course pursued by
me not only proper and legal. but that
any other course would have been con-
trary to the rules of the house and with
out authority in law"
An emphatic and unequieocai indorsc-
ment of Speaker Fairs action is that
given by John f. Faunce, the wei!
known Philadelphia lawyer and Demo
cratic Lender. Mr.. Faunce was speaker Of
the Pennsylvania house of represents
tivcs in 1SS3, and proved one of the
ablest speakers the house has had. His
experience as a legislator and his promi-
nence in legal circles give his opinion
especial weight particularly as it comes
from t~,uan who is opposed to Speaker
Farr politically. Here is what Mr.,
Faunoe says over his signature:
THE rules adopted 10y legislative
body must obviously be obeyed by every
member of that body, from the highest
10 the lowest. Otherwise condition
would result bordering little short of
anarchy. II has been stated in public
print that one of the rules governing the
present house provided that il should
meet at 1890 o'clock on Friday morning
and adjourn al | O'Clock on that morn
ing. As have seen no denial of this
statement take it for granted that it is
true
This being the case s Aaker Farr had
no alternative bur TO declare the session
adjourned when the hour OF IL arrived
aud a member called for the order Of the
day. FL. was bound to do this by the
rules of fhe house. and for him to have
refused would have been Hagrant
usurpation of authority. Parliamentary
law and precedent is so clear upon that
point that l cannot see how anyone could
fail 90 comprehend il.
"I'he only way in which the session
could have been legally continued later
than ] 1 o'clock Friday morning was by
suspension of the rule providing for an
adjournment at that hour. The suspen-
sion was possible only by a two-thirds
vote, and it should have been taken be
fore the call for the order of the day.
Had there been speaker in the chair
favorable TO the side that wanted the
session prolonged beyond the hour set by
the rules for adjournment. and had he de
clined to recognize the call for order os
the day. his action would have been as
Illegal and nnarchistic as Speaker Farr's
was legal and in keeping with the re-
guiremcnts of law and order
.'1he action of the members who, fol
lowing the adjournment. proceeded TO re-
organize the house and place Mr.. Bliss
IL the speakers chair, is to be deprec-
atcd The legislature could not, under
such an organization. perform any legis
lativc duties and its proceedings were lit
lie short of mockery. No committee ap-
,ointed at such II session could be recOg-
ni2ed nj any subsequent session OF the
house.
1T is the duty and should be the pleas
urc OF every presiding officer to strictly
enforce the rules irrespective ms to whom
or what it may effect. He cannot afford
to violate rule even TO accomplish a
good purpose"
Colonel \. X Mcclure. whose news
paper. The Times. of Philadelphia has
been vigorously opposing Senator Quay.
Is ont IN n leading editorial declarn