Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1845-03-29

son and Van Buren,, a fair Senatorial Dis
trict, should be attached to Lafayette and
Johnson for Earty purposes, and for fear
that a wing should be elected from that
district; said there had been high function
aries cxerting an underhanded influence in
this matter, and that il was unfair; that he
was as good democrat as any in either
end of the Capitol and he believed better
than most of them, for he could not vote
for such unfair and unequal districts as this
bill proposes.
Mr.. Speaker spoke in reply; said that he
had been charged by the gentleman, Mr..
Reynolds, with exertng an improper infu-
ence over the members of the House upon
the subject of this bill, but he dared him TO
name one man over whom he had attempt
ed to exert such influence; that it was not
true that he had made any such attempts.
Mr. Reynolds rejoned, and said the gen.
tleman from Howard Mr.. Jackson, seemed
to take all he had said to himself; that he
could prove what he said, which was that
high functionaries of this State had at.
tempted TO exercise improper influence in
this affair; he alluded to those who had
some influence and of couase not to that gen
Hemdn.
Mr.. Neal next addressed the House in op-
position to the report; said he assumed to
be but plain man, and would therefore
speak plainly, said ,hes bill was any thing
and everything except fair or honest-and
that no honest man could place his hand
upon his heart and say he felt honest in the
support of it; that it looked as if all were
made to bow to the will of the Lieutenant
Governor, who had been round stirring up
his Serfs and minionS, and that man whom
he could not trust politically he would not
trust with his purse.
Mr.. Gordon addressed the House in op-
position to the bill; complained of and pro-
tested against the unfairnesS of attaching
Clay and Ray coun ties to the county of
Platte to form double Senatorial District.
Mr.. Davis called the attention of the
House to the sixth and seventh sections of
the third article of the constitution of the
constitution Of the State of Missouri; said
that upon this subject he would merely
state his constitutional objections to form
ing double and treble Senatorial Districts;
that there were occasions upon which q
representative should rise above mere par.
ty tactics, and that upon this occasion he
must not be considered as party man or
whig; that when he saw the constitution,
the permanent law Of his country attacked,
he felt that party should crumble into atoms
and that the representatives of the people
should stand together as one man. He
said he saw no power in the legislature to
form double Senatorial Districts; that such
power, if it existed under the constitu.
ton, would permit, upon the same princi-
pie, the North side of the Missouri river to
form one, and the South side another Sen.
atorial District, and thus would be defeated
that independence secured to that branch
of the law-making power by the constitu-
tion; the same constituency would send up
up Senators fresh from the people each ses-
sion of the General Assembly, and the
Senate of Missouri would no longer pos.
sess that independence which the constitu-
ton had intended to be placed in their
hands by securing their seats for four years,
in order that they might serve as check
upon the hasty or inconsiderate legislation
of the House of Representatives. He
said the Senate of Missouri was an imita-
ton, in miniature, of the United States
Senate; that there, six years were given as
a senatorial term, and that such was neces-
rary to prevent preci plate changes in the
affairs of the Government
Mr.. Williams made an interesting adj.
dress in opposition to the report of the
committee, in which he went at length into
the details of the bill; he attempted TO call
out some of The leaders in support of the
bill, but in vain; all that he could get from
them was from Mr.. Speaker, who rose mot
being in the chair and said he was not
going to reply to the arguments of gentle
men of that party who assumed TO them.
selves all the talents, and all the honesty
and decency of the country.
Mr.. Williams retorted; said that no one
had made boast of either of the attri.
butes mentioned; that for himself he clai-