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fanatical person, strongly wedded to his opinions, and ready to spend and be spent in what he deems the “ good cause.”
Turning from Pinch he asks if we have seen the Chambers — an enquiry which enables us to ask if he regards the Lower Chamber as a lawful assembly.
“No,” he answers with a smile; “until we get a legal quorum we are not a House.
Some doubt exists about the quorum ; our advisers tell us fifty-four Members make a quorum, but the custom is to reckon fifty-six; and till the question has been settled by the judges we abstain from acting on a dubious right.”
“ Have you fifty-four Members?”
“No; fifty-three. Speaker Hahn has allowed three candidates not returned by the Board to take their seats.
That act is wrong.
Not being a legal quorum, the Assembly has no power to give away seats.”
“Nor to elect a Speaker?”
“You are right.
So far as such things have been done, they are unlawful and without my sanction.
Michael Hahn is no more Speaker than I am President.
My Chamber is a caucus and no more; ”
1875.
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