Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1849-03-16
THE OHIO LECISLLTURE.

I'M yuAV LEUloLAANh
This body has, now, been in session nearly
thres months and half, without having passed
a single act, Of 4 general nature. the repeal Of
the Black laws excepted, that will benefit the
people. The Locofocos Obtained a majority
by fraud, and that majority thus obtained, have
by their acts brought deep and lasting disgrace
upon the hitherto fair name Of this great State.
That party aIIheir 10Th Of May Convention de-
Iermined that no Legislature elected under the
Wing APportionment law, should be organized
they declared that Democrats elected under
il would refuse TO take their seats, and they new
er would have consented to an organization had
the Wings succeeded in slscIing decided ma
iority. They. succeeded, however, in electing
to the Legislature more members than they an.
ticipated, and afterwards concluded that they
could, by fraud, obtain majority, and their 10Th
of May platform was, therefore, abandoned.
In order TO effect their object, under the new
plan Of operations, it was necessary to prevent
the members elected from the lst district in
Hamilton county from obtaining certificates Of
their election, and have them given TO Pugh and
Pierce whom the people had refused to elect.
This the Locofoco Clerk Of Hamilton county,
was induced, by The leaders, to do. We next
find the very men, who, but few months be-
fore, had pledged themselves never to take lhelI
seats, by preconcerIed plot, seize upon the
Stale House, at an unusual hour, for the purpose
of preventing an organization of the House, ia
the usual way. Their object in doing this, was
to exclude from seats the legally elected mem.
bers from the LIST district Of Hamilton county,
and they finally succeeded in accomplishing
their object. In that way they fraudulenlly, OBJ
tained ths ascendency in the Legislature and
have since, by their acts, disgraced the State.
But why were Spencer and Runyan excluded
from seats in the Legislalurei Because, say
the Locos, il was unconstitutional to divide Ham,
ilton county. Is such the iaCtl a majority o.
the last Legislature, sworn to support the Con-
stilution, believed that they had the Constitution.
al right to divide it or they are perjured men.
The Attorney General, under the soIemnities oil
an oath, at the request of the Legislature, gave
it as his opinion that the Legislature had the
constitutional right TO divide a county. Will
any body believe that Henry Stansberry PERU,
, red himself when he gave that opinion? Again
every Loco(oco in the House voted to divide
Hamilton county so as to make Two LocofocC
, districts. If they, really, believed ii TO be un
constitutional to divide county, they knowingly
/ and wilfuly perjured themselves. Who will
charge them with having done so? By .he
f own acts have they proved the Galsity of the
charge. The true reason, then, why the Loco
foco party object 10 the division Of Hamilton
' county, is because one Of the districts happened
; to be Wing. Had it been divided so as to leav,
. both districts in the hands Of the Locos, W
should have heard nothing about the unconsti
onality Of the act, TO prove which we need on
y to refer 10 the votes of the party in the lowe
House.
, We are, therefore, forced to the conclusion
thu. Messrs. Spencer and Runyan were legal!
T. elected to the Legislature, and were excluded from
e their seats, merely, because they were Wings
e Men who could be guilty of such an act for par
ty purposes deserve tho execratons Of every
honest man, and we confidently believe the peo
pie, the honest people, will yet right the wrong