Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-01-29

From the Providence Daily Journal.
UNITED STATES SENATOR.
1t is well known to our frccmen that the
statute Of this State requires that the Legis-
lature shall elect U. S. Senator, at the ses-
sion next preceding the expiration of the
term of the old incumbent Our Law is per-
fectly clear upon this subject, and is as strong
and as imperative as words can make it. Ii
leaves no dscrction-it does not say the Le-
gislature may, but it says the Legislature
"shaU" elect at the session merit preceding the
expiration of the term of the old incumbent
Well, the October session or the adjourned
session, which has recently been holden,-is
the session, at which the law mperatvely re-
quircs that a successor to Gov. KNIGHT, whose
term expires on the fourth of next March,
shall be chosen. The appointed session has
passed, and no Senator has been elected
All must admit, then, that the law has not
been complied with, and that its requirements
have been in some way or other effectualy
mllfed, and made Of none effect
The question then arises, why has not an
election of Senator been made at the late
session of our Legislature ? This is ques-
ton most interesting to the people of this
State. 1t involves considerations Of various
and of the most weighty character. 1t is due
to the frcemen of Rhode-lsland, that to this
question, a candid and full explanation and
response should be given.
The answer which the facts Of the case
most abundantly furnish is, the election has
been prevented and defeated by intrigue and
management; knowingly and designedly pre-
vented; and that the law has, by a concerted
trick, been wilfuly an d Intentionally nullif-
ed. will proceed to fortify this position by
! facts which cannot be shaken or dsproved.-
To do this, it will be perhaps proper to state
the situation of parties in our Legislature
and particularly the position Of parties at the
last October session. The Wing party mum
| bers fl votes-40 in the House, and one ir
the Senate. The Jackson party numbers il
the whole 80 votes, and the Antimasons II
| votes. At the October session, the question
was solely between the Wing candidate ant
! Mr.. Porter, the Jackson candidate. The
Antimasons proposed no candidate at thai
session. After thorough drilling of the for
ces opposed to the Wing candidate, it wa:
ascertained that that candidate would, by the
aid of the votes of two Antimasons who al
that session pledged themselves to support
him, have been certainly elected. The Sen
ate then, at the urgent solicitation Of Mr.. Pot
ter, and of Mr.. Spraguc who served the for
mer as a drilling sergeant with the Antima
sons, refused to join the House for the elec.
ton of a y. S. Senator, at the October ses
sion. The election of course, went over tc
the January session, which is but an adjourn
mcnt of the October session. During the
whole of the first week of the January ses
| sion, there was but one candidate named ir
! opposition to the Wing candidate, viz: the
standing candidate of the Jackson party, Mr.
ELISHA r. POTTER. During the whole o.
the first week of the January session, Mr.
| WILLIAM SPRAGUE, Jr. declared himself il
favor of Mr.. Potter, and was very busy in en-
deavoring to prevail upon the Antimasonic
members of the Legislature, to vote for tina
/ gentleman. He succeeded partially, but no
effectually;-because he knew that if ther,
was one Antimason who had honesty ant
: principle enough not to be transferred, hi.
whole labor would be lost, and Mr.. Potter
I his Jackson fiie,,d, would be defeated. Their,
was at least one such honest man. Mr.. BEN
NETT Low, Of Warwick, resisted most man
fully the attempts Of Mr.. Sprague and the
other Antimasonic leaders, to seduce hin
from his fidelity to the known will ofhis con
stituents and to transfer him to Jacksonism
1t is due to Mr. Low, to state that he utterl,
refused at both the October and January ses
sions, TO vote for Elisha r. Potter, or any 9th
or Jackson candidate. lie was determine,
that his conduct should be consistent witt
his professions, and he continued firm an,
maintained his integrity to his town and prin
ciples to the last. Mr.. Low, it was well as
certained, could not, and it was though
! somewhat doubtful If one or two other Anti
masons could be forced and whpt by IN
leaders to draw perfectly kind in the JacksoI
collar, which had been So carefully fitted 70