Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-12-21

We publish so much of the Report of the Joint
Committee of the Council and House of Represen.
taves, relates to the question: whether there is
any valid objection to the Legislative Assembly's
holding its session at this time
Your committee suppose that by the spi-
rlt OF this lnqulry,ls meant, whether there is
any law of Congress or of this Territory,
which would prevent the holding Of u ses-
sion of the Legislature at this time, or
would render invalid or nugatory any
law which it might pass
The law of Congress, organizing the
territory, provides that "the time, place
and manner of holding and conducting all
elections by the people and the apportion-
ment Of the representation in the several
counties, to the Council and House of Re-
representatives., according to the population,
shall be prescribed by law, as we'll as the
day Of the annual commencement of the
session of said Legislative assembly,
(Organic act, sec. 4. Accordingly, the
Legislative Assembly have " prescribed by
lar" that ''the regular session of the Legis-
lative Assembly shall commence on the LIST
Monday of December, in each and every
year." Or. S. page 1871
In pursuance of that law the members of
the Council and House of Representatives,
DID meet in their respective Halls, at the
Capitol, on the first Monday Of December,
1912, and commenced the session of the
Legislative Assembly, by organizing their
respective houses in the usual manner
Iu conformity to long established USAGE they
adopted a joint resolution appointing a COM
mittee to wait upon the Governor and in
form him Of the organization of the two
houses, and that they were ready to receive
any communication he might have to make
to them. To this customary message Of
courtesy, to a coordinate branch Of the
Legislature, the Governor made the fol-
lowing reply: mot conceving that the
Legislative Assembly had authority by law
to meet at the present time, he had no COM
munication to make to them"
He refuses to make any communication
to the legislature, because, he says he con-
ceives, they have no authority to meet at
the present time. Why the legislature has
not a right to meet at the present time, he
has not thought proper to inform them, and
your committee cannot from any reason
by him assigned, determine, whether it is
because the "prescnL time" is not the pro-
per time, or whether it is because the mem
bers Of the legislature are not legally elect
ed as such. The Govern or, no doubt, with
some object in view, has seen fit to with
hold from the legislature and the public, his
reasons for so extraordinary course Of
conduct. And as your committee can ina
CINE no other, they have presumed that if
the Legislative Assembly has not the au-
thority by law to meet at the present time,
the only reason is the one that rumor and
the public press has assigned, viz: that in
a law passed at the last session Of Congress,
occurs the following paragraph: "No ses-
sion of the legislature Of territory shall
be held, until the appropriation for its ex-
penses shall have been made" Your COM
mittee have been unable to discover that
any law, either Of Congress or the Terri
tory. which will furnish any ground Of ex-
cuse for the singular conclusion of the Co
vernon, but aware that like opinion has
obtained to some extent out Of doors, your
committee will proceed, as well as they are
able, in the short time allotted them, to ex-
pose the fallacy of such an opinion.
The act of Congress ''making appropri-
atoms for the civil and diplomatic expenses
of the government for the year 1872" APP
proved May Is, 1912, contains the usual
appropriation for the payment of the ex-
penses of the annual session al the Legis-
iative Assembly of the Territory of Wis
consin. The amount thus appropriated is
$40, OOO If any doubt exists as to the in
tention of Congress in regard to the appli-
cation of this appropriation, it will be re-
moved by mere examination of the seve-
raj acts of Congress, which have been passed
since the organization of our Territory,
making appropriations to defray the ex-
penses of our legislature. The title of the
act last referred to, is in itself convincing
proof to your committee that the amount
appropriated was for the express purpose