The Barnum Resolution In The Legislature “How The House Was Adjourned”

by Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr.
Weirs Times Contributing Writer

It may sound odd but Phineas Taylor Barnum’s circus was called Barnum’s Great Moral Show at the time it arrived in Concord, New Hampshire in the year 1881. Though the creator of many hoaxes, intended to entertain customers, Barnum was also known on occasion to promote moral conduct in others.
It was Barnum’s practice when he was the head of his “great moral show” to send free tickets with his compliments to clergymen, a practice that was continued after he was gone. Before the circus was to perform in Hartford some tickets arrived by mail addressed to a Reverend Dr. Hawks with P.T. Barnum’s compliments, but the Reverend Hawks had been succeeded by the Reverend Dr. Walker at that pastorate, and it was Rev. Walker who received the mail. It is said that when opening the mail for Rev. Hawks, and receiving the tickets with the note that it was with the showman’s compliments, Dr. Walker observed the tickets for a moment and then remarked:“Dr. Hawks is dead and Mr. Barnum is dead; evidently they haven’t met.”
When he was alive in 1881 Barnum’s circus came to Concord in the month of June. The month of June was also the month when the New Hampshire legislature convened to transact its business on behalf of the state. The legislators were elected in the month of November of the previous year, but didn’t meet until June. One day a group of newspapermen were gathered in front of the Eagle Hotel when the advance agent for the circus happened to come by.

Mr. Thomas, the agent, was a friend of some of the newspaper reporters, so the chance meeting at the Eagle Hotel was a cordial one with introductions to new acquaintances. One of the newspaper men jokingly said,”Mr. Thomas, what would it be worth to you if a resolution were introduced in the House adjourning the legislature to attend ‘Barnum’s Great Moral Show.’ The resolution will not pass, but the fact itself can be telegraphed to all the metropolitan newspapers.”
“Boys,” Mr. Thomas replied,“you may have all the tickets you want for yourselves and friends.”
A member of the legislature was found who was willing to introduce the legislation and the Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives agreed to accept the motion.
In those June legislative sessions the first hour was devoted to routine procedures which didn’t demand the complete attention of the House members, many of whom used the time to read the newspapers. On the day chosen, and at a time considered appropriate, the resolution calling for the legislature to adjourn in order to allow its members to attend the circus was read by the Clerk, with a list of whereas’ preceding the resolution. By the time the Clerk finished reading and the representatives realized what was happening the newspapers were put down and the attention was all on the proposed action. After a short period of silence, a number of representatives, seeking to preserve the dignity of the legislative body, asked for the opportunity to speak. Each one denounced the resolution in no uncertain terms as they insisted that shutting down the legislature for the benefit of the circus was an insulting suggestion.
The legislator who introduced the item was probably listening with fear that he might come under personal attack. Finally, however, one of the leaders of the House is said to have attained recognition and proceeded to give a speech which proved to calm his excited colleagues. He then made a motion that the resolution be laid on the table and the House voted to accept the motion. As predicted the motion was defeated but the purpose for which it was offered was accomplished and the next morning the story was published on the front page of all the metropolitan newspapers. And I assume the newspaper reporters received their tickets.
That, moreover, isn’t the end of the story.
The legislature was in session the day the circus came to Concord, and a number of the members were in on a secret plan, along with the newspapermen. That secret was to make maneuvers that would cause the legislative sessions that day to be shortened so that they also could attend the afternoon circus show. The circus was to begin its acts at two in the afternoon and the secret was to enable the House to adjourn at one o’clock.
Someone made a motion to move the scheduled afternoon session to the morning and the vote was in favor of the motion. When it appeared that the business would probably end at the hoped for time agreed upon by those in on the secret to assure closing for the day at one o’clock as the third reading of certain bills had been taking care of, the unexpected happened. A legislator who was not aware of “the secret” proposed that the House take up some unfinished business from the day before.
Determined to avoid prolonging the day’s work, before a formal motion could be made, a member from the north country of New Hampshire received the recognition of the Speaker, announced the death of a fellow member, and out of respect for the deceased legislator, made a motion that the House adjourn in memory of and out of respect to that member. The member had been elected the previous November and had died in December.
Nevertheless, the motion was agreed to, and the house adjourned to the enjoyment of the reporters covering the event, and reporters and legislators alike were free to attend the circus.
P.T. Barnum was born on July 5, 1810 in Bethel, Connecticut and died in Bridgeport of the same state on April 7, 1891. This master showman was also at times a politician and served as Mayor of Bridgeport as well as in the Connecticut legislature. He married Charity Hallett in 1829 and was married to her for 44 years. They were the parents of four daughters. Barnum called his circus “The Greatest Show on Earth,” and is remembered for a number of memorable events and people he displayed to the public. One was using a small person to perform, one whose real name was Charles Sherwood Stratton, which was changed to General Tom Thumb.
The year following the 1881 appearance of his circus in Concord Barnum added a huge elephant named Jumbo to his assorted group of performers. He sponsored the concerts in the United States of a Swedish opera singer named Jenny Lind who made a lot of money for him. Her popularity opened the way for her name to be used in connection with many manufactured products, one being the Jenny Lind bed.
Through mergers the Barnum Circus eventually became the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus which continued long after P.T.’s death. Its last performance was in May of 2017.

Robert Hanaford Smith, Sr., welcomes your comments at danahillsmiths@yahoo.com.