The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1835-05-13
RHoDE.isLAND LEGISLATURE.


ccord;nv. 1, usage. the Senate and House of
representatives assembled in the Senate Chamber
Grand Csm,niitee, His Exceency the Governor
the Char, and proceeded to business. Mr. b.
nzard called the House to ORDER and the Grand
bmmittee proceeded'to receive the credentials OF
Representatives elect All were present and
alifed, except Jeremiah Nj. Clark from New
horeham.
Nominations for Speaker being called for, Will
hn, Sprague, Jun. and Henry Y. Cranston, were
nmed As candidates. The House then retired to
heir Chamber, aud on taking the ballot for Spea-
er. the vote stood. for Cranston, 37--Spragne
4. So Cmnston was declared elected. One mem
er, Clar, Of New Shoreham, absent, who would
ave voted fof Spraguc Messrs. George w. jack
BIN, and Elisha r. Potter, jr. were elected Clerks
kithout opposition.
THE House then joined the Senate, in Grand
Committee, aud The proxies for General Officers were
Dceived from the several towns in the State.
A memorial was offered by =. Hazard, from per-
ms in Jame mestown, against certain supposed illegal
|otes givenin that town, at the late election, and
y. H. accompanied the memorial with some re-
narks going to chow that all memorials, protests,
~ of similar character should be presented, and
tcd on, before the for Governor, 1t. Govern
y and Senators should have been acted on. He
kcc0rdingly offered motion that special commit
Zee be appointed, to- receive and investigate said
4ocnments. and report at o'clock, =. NJ. this day.
A good deal of discussion occurred on this mo-
kion, AZ bu, little interest in the MAN, and finally,
The course proposed, ,aftcr having been far modi-
|i.d as, that the whole business should be referred
10 the Conmitce to be appointe to count the votes,
with the instructions to report before counting them
TIE following gentlemen were then appointed as
of said Committee, viz: From the County
bfProvidencc, Messis Titus aud Simmons-New-
port, Ruggcs and Gray-Washngton, c. Allen and
Bristol, D'Wolf, and Haile-Lent
DANES, and ID. Greene.
Mr.. Simmons was objected to by Mr.. Mathewson
as mcrnber of the Committee, and another mem-
her nominated in his stead. Messrs. Tillinghasi
and B. Hazard, thought the procedure very extra
ordinary one as, according to the common usage of
the House, each party should have The privilege of
placing on that committee, without objection, its
portion of members. Mr.. Simmons insisted on
knowing Mr.. Msihewson's objection to him. Mr.
Mathew son stated his objection to be- Mr.. Simmons
great activity il, the recent election. Mr.. Simmons
then entered on his defence. in speeches,
pied good deal of time, and, after some sharp
fhooting, aud personal appeals, between him, and
other members, he was placed on the committee.
During the foregoing discussion also, Mr.. B. Haz-
ard incidentally, Introduced the question as TO the
right of the present Senate, to vote on the question
of the election. That right, he dcnied-he denied
even that the convention of the two bodies constitu-
ted, legally Grand Committee, the terms of SER
vice Of the Senate having expired. This question
being out Of place, al this time, was not discussed
= The proxies were given into the custody of the
Secretary, and the Grand Committee adjourned to
o'clock, p. M
Afternoon The Grand Committee assembled
according to adjournment
Mr. Clark, fom New-Shoreham, appeared, was
qualified, and took his seat
memorial was offered from James Fenncr, and
others, against the admission of the votes from the
81 Ward in the city of Providencc-When, on mo
ton from B. Hazard, after much debate, and many
notifications, it finally voted that all memorials,
&c relative to votes given in at the
late election, he submitted tn the Counting Commit
tee, with power to send for persons and papers,
should the committee deem 1t necessary, and that
they report soon as may be.
The instructions were then repeated TO the Com
mittee to complete the investigation, and report to
the Grand Committee, before counting the votes
A number Of memorials certificates, and other doc
uments were then handed in, and The Grand Com
mittec adjourned, TO meet again, Tomorrow, at ii
o'clock, A. nj.
Thursday, Nay Z, 1885. III o'clock, A. Nj.
The Grand Committee met according to adjourn
mcnt, and, after having been called to order, Mr..
b -ayton remarked that he believed the Counting
c ,mmitec making but poor progress in the
isness ofinyestigaiion in consequence of the body
being equally divided on some questions, and moved
T. add "m. Sprague, Jun. TO the committee. This
called forth debate, which resulted IN call for the
Com mmttee to appear before the General Assembly,
to report progress, and state the diii:utcs, If any
which ohs,r,icted their proceedings.
During the above debate, Mr.. b. Hazard again
incidentally introduced the question us to the legal
ity of the Senate voting the eleciion.-iie sad he
had re-examined the law, and the charter; aud had
become more fully confirmed in the opinion he ex-
pressed yesterday. lie stated that the General As
semhly pending the election, was placed under SIM
liar circumstances to what they before the two
Houses were separated by law. Mr.. i;rayton in
quired what were the powers of the Senate while
thus acting before The charter.
Mr.. ii. replied that at that period, the General
Election convened the company; and the Senate,
or Board of assistants, did of course vote the
question. He said lhat the people of the State
would no, tolerated proceeding, and should it