The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 183?-1840, 1840-01-03
Mr. Randolph then read the paper, as fol


as such in conformity with the laws of said
State, having been in part excluded from
our privileges in this meeting of the mem.
bers of the House of Representatives, deem
it our duty to place before this body and the
country, our views with respect 10 the rights
of our State and ourselves, and the powers
and duties of this meeting.
We therefore affirm in the presence of the
members of the House of Representatives
here assembled and of the whole American
people, the truth of. the following PROPOSE
tons:
That by the Constitution Of the United
States each State has the power TO prescribe
by law the time, place, and manner of hold
ing elections for its own Representatives III
Congress, which power includes the right of
prescribing the time, place, and manner of
ascertaining and making known the result
to Congress and the world
2 That the determination of the State au-
thortias authenticated in the manner pres
cribed by the State laws, is the only evil
dence Of the election Of members of the
House of Representatives which can be re-
ceived prior 10 the organization of the House
and is final and conclusive until reversed
by the House itself duly organized.
3. That no one who cannot produce the
evidence of his election prescribed by the
laws of his State is entitled to take seat'in
the House of Representatives, and no one
who does produce such evidence can be ex-
Guided before an investigation by the House
without gross violation ofthe constitution of
| the USand the rights ofthe states themselves.
| 4. That the House of Representatives can
No bo tint ollty
rum formed, until all the States of the Union
have had an opportunity to appear by all
their Representatives, and that constitu-
tional quorum is not merely a majority of the
representatives., elect,-after the arbitrary
exclusion yf other members on any preteXt
whatever, but majority of all the members
from all the States after each States has had
an opportunity to appear by her representa-
tiyes, and to constitute part of that quorum.
5. That the body here assembled, having
no judicial powers, possessing no means of
sending for persons and papers-not legally
authorized TO examine witnesses, under oath
and expressly forbidden by the law to go in
to the consideration of any business, before
the House is organized, and the oath to sup
port the constitution administered to its
members-cannot exercise the highest judi
cial function belonging to the House of Re-
personalities. that of reviewing and revis-
ing the decisions of the State authorities in
relation to their own elections; and that its |
only power is to require the persons appear
ing here as members to produce the creden- !
tials prescribed by the laws of their respec- |
tive States.
6. That the State of New Jersey, having, |
by law, prescribed the time, place, and man
ner, of holding elections; and also the time, |
place, and manner, of making known the re-
suit; and having, for that purpose, selected |
the highest kind of evidence known TO the /
Constitution, to the common law, to the par
limentary law, and to the law Of nations-a
commission under her great seal, andsigned |
by her ExecutiYe-has thus made known to
Congress and TO the world that we are her
representatives in the twenty-si1th Con-
gres.
This body having in derogation of the prin-
ciples above affirmed, refused in part to re-
cognized our credentials, and that upon the
authrity of paper, which emannatng from
and on officer not recognized by the laws of
of New Jersey regulating elections, and
therefore not under the sanction of an Off
cial oath--stating merely differences from
other papers, themselves not evidence, being
exparte affidavits taken without authority of |
the law and without notice to US, and proved |
by the law itself to be false upon its face, |
could not be received as proof of the facts 1t |
asserts in any court of record in the Union, |
and an intention being manifested to carry |
further this insult to our State, and to consul |
mate the outrage upon her rights by, exclu-
ding us, Der Representatives, from taking
part in the organization of the House-We,
in the name OF our STATE and of ourselves, |
and in behalf of our Common Country and of
all the other States, whose rights are out
ragged in the violation of ours, do most So
lemly Protest against every such usurpation
of power by this body--and do utterly dis
claim its right to do an act which will be a |
bolder and more fragrant violation of the !
constitution ofthe U.S. and ofthe laws and & |
rights ofthe States themselves, than has ever
yet been attempted in this country.
Washington, December 18th, A. D. 1899.
JNO. B. AYCRIGG,
CHARLES G. STRATTON. /
JOHN B. P. MAXWELL,
WIN. HALSTED,
T. JONES YORKE,
Mr. Randolph moved that the paper be re-
ceived aud entered on the journal.
At this point Bynum rose, and began to
show off in his usual mock-heroic style Of
angry uperation-obiecting to the paper,
and declaring that the member who offered
it deserved the censure of the House, and
even erpuEsisn! This extravaganza caused
a general and loud laugh of contempta and de-
rision; which only made the little man more
noisy and violent than ever. After he had
gone through his antics, the meeting pro-
ceeded to business. No body condescen-
ded to answer this North Carolina declaimer.
Mr.. Mercer called the previous question
on the motion to receive the protest of the
New Jersey members.
Mr. Dromgoole denied the power of the
Chair to PROFOUND any question on such a
paper as the one Just offered.
The Chair replied that the paper had been
read. and was therefore before the meeting,
and he was at liberty therefore to put the
question on it.
Mr. wise insisted that Mr. Randolph had