Josiah Turner Jr.

Josiah Turner and the N&O

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:10:52 -0500

In true Southern fashion, Dome has found an embarassing relation.

As it turns out, the last person to be expelled from the state legislature—for calling the speaker a "gander head" as you may recall—was publisher of the forerunner of the N&O.

Here's the story, from William S. Powell's inestimable "Encyclopedia of North Carolina" (p. 944).

The Raleigh Sentinel was founded in 1865 to "fight against the domination of carpetbaggers and other forces" during Reconstruction, Powell writes. Josiah Turner Jr. bought the paper in 1868:

Turner's crusade is considered to have been largely responsible for the recapture of the state legislature by the Democrats (then called Conservatives) and for the overthrow of Governor William W. Holden in 1870 and his impeachment in 1871.

But, Powell writes, Turner was "no financial wizard" and the paper ended up in the hands of the publishers of the Raleigh Observer. Eventually, they folded the paper into the N&O.

Who has been expelled from the legislature?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:05:23 -0500

Answer:

At least 13 people were kicked out of the legislature between 1757 and 1880.

Below, the year of their expulsion, their names, districts and alleged crimes.

1757: Rep. James Carter, of Rowan County, for embezzlement.

1758: Rep. Francis Brown, of Currituck County, for perjury.

1770: Rep. Herman Husband, of Orange County, for libel.

1779: Rep. William Gilbert, of Tryon County, for fraud.

1784: Rep. Edward Clay, of Caswell County, for theft.

1786: Sen. Benjamin McCullock, of Halifax County, for a military pay scandal.

1786: Rep. Henry Montfort, of Warren County, for a military pay scandal.

1787: Rep. John Bonds, of Nash County, for a military pay scandal.

1809: Rep. John Clary, of Perquimans County, for fornication with his stepdaughter.

1816: Sen. John Roberts, of Carteret County, for fraud.

1835: Rep. Robert Potter, of Granville County, for brandishing a gun during a fight.

1875: Rep. J. Williams Thorne, of Warren County, for publishing a "blasphemous" pamphlet.

1880: Rep. Josiah Turner Jr., of Orange County, for calling other legislators names.

In 2007, two House committees decided to consider expelling Rep. Thomas Wright of Wilmington.

More on expelled legislators

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:10:24 -0500

Scott Mooneyham has dug up the goods on the 11 legislators who have been expelled.

The syndicated political columnist writes that Josiah Turner Jr. was supposed to be censured for calling other legislators names, but he got upset listening to the public scolding, let out a few more choice words and left the chamber. That's when he was expelled.

But Mooneyham writes that Turner was not the only one kicked out for unusual reasons.

Among the others kicked out between 1757 and 1880:

* 1809: John Clary of Perquimans County, for having an affair with his stepdaughter.

* 1835: Robert Potter of Granville County, for brandishing a gun and knife during a fight over a card game.

* 1875: J. Williams Thorne, for publishing a pamphlet that questioned the Bible.

For a complete list, click here.

More cowbell!

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:13:27 -0500

Rep. Thomas Wright could pick up some tips from Josiah Turner Jr.

Over on The Progressive Pulse, Adam Searing dug up a good story about the last North Carolina legislator to be expelled by his colleagues.

According to an Oct. 5, 1878, article in The New York Times, Turner was running as an Independent Democrat for Congress.

At a meeting in Franklin County, one of Turner's political enemies, M.A. Bledsoe, started speaking first and would not give up the floor.

Bledsoe would not stop, but attempted to continue his speech, and every time he said anything Turner would ring a cow-bell that he had purchased and brought along for the occasion.

According to the Times, the crowd laughed and Turner got to speak.

So if Wright brings a cowbell to his ethics hearings at the state legislature, don't be surprised.

Kicked out

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 18 May 2007 08:35:53 -0400

The North Carolina legislature last kicked out a lawmaker in 1880.

House Speaker Joe Hackney has said that his staff is researching whether Rep. Thomas Wright could be expelled for campaign finance problems.

The practice has been rare in modern times, in part because many legislators choose to resign.

But it was common in the 18th and 19th centuries. The last legislator expelled was Josiah Turner Jr., a Hillsborough lawyer and editor of the Raleigh Sentinel.

After losing a Congressional race, Turner's behavior became "very erratic," according to one account:

He manifested a special antipathy to the speaker, Hon John M. Moring, whom he denominated as a "gander head," and his conduct was so obstreprous that at length the body, worn out by his unruly and unseemly proceedings, was driven to expel him as a member.

Hackney's staff is also trying to determine what a "gander head" is.

Hat Tip: The Insider