Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-12-24


Nc Johnson then presented his certificate
OF election aRt claimed to be sworn in
Mr. Whitman made motion to that effect
which was debated ut some length, and
while the Chairman was putting The ques-
ton, Mr.. Converse, who had not been
sworn in, rose, and in lond voice, claimed
10 be Senator from Muskingu,n county,
and requested TO be sworn, and that Sena.
tor, followed by the res, OF the whig Sena.
,ors, and by Mr.. Broadwell, rushed TO the
N. E. corner of the Chamber. where Esq.
Martin, OF this city, was stationed, and that
tunctionary proceeded 10 swear Them ill.,
As soon as the confusion died away, MIR.
Myers put the question on the motion to
swear in Senator johnson, and II was car
ried, and the oath of office was admins.
tered by Judge Holt. Claiming that the
swearing in OF Senator Johnson was illegal
that they had not voted, although by
their own swowing, they bad right 70 vote
having been sworn in at the time, whigge-
fy made that ground for several days Tor
resisting the organization oflhe body. If,
as was cainied, they had a right to vote,
and did not do so, they have no right to
complain, and this. after several days
speech making, they seemed 10 acqueisce
IN, Tor they abandoned that part ofthe ar
gu:nent planted themselves on the ground
that before the Senate could organise by
the election oil officers, that the body must
GO inlo an investigation Of, and decide upon
The merits of the Hamilton county contest.
ed election case, and this they claimed,
while acknowledging that The senate,lip q
dIsorgani3eI slate could do no business,
save 10 elect officers
This state OF things continued until the
afternoon of Thursday, the whig Senator,
by tie and party vote, voting down all
preparations to 60 into an election, Judge
'yers then determining tha, the constitu.
ton must be obey ed, ruled out Of order all
resolutions having for their object business
upon which the body could rot constilu.
llonally OCT, and declared that in accord
ance with the constitution, the Senate must
proceed TO the election of officers. The
clause OF the constitution, he said, was i'm
peratlya-.'ihe Senate and House>of Rep.
resentatives, wnen assembled, shall each
choose a Speaker" and members must
obey its provisions. For time the whig
senators roved and threatened, but finally
yielded. and from Thursday afternoon, un-
III the adjournment OF to-day, the Senators
have been engaged in hallotng for Speu-
ker. without ..aving efecled choice.
From the Sd day of December, TO this
the 18th oil the same month, The whole ef.
forts OF the whg Senators have been direct
ed TO preventing an organization, and so
far they have succeeded They are now
engaged, though with tactics somewhat diff.
terent. in carrying out the decree Of the
whig leaders as given 10 the members OF
the last Legislature, and which, for one en-.
tire month prevented the organization Of
the lower branch Of the legislature las,
winter.
To such men it matters not that each day
of the session lost, costs The taxpayers ol
the State some three. hundred and fifty
dollars that each week lost, costs the tax
payers of the State some two thousand five
hundred dollars, for they are SO intent up
on ruling or running, that such matters as
dollars aud cents, provided it comes from
Iue poGketS VI aho PooPlos a. Q u" oob . Ao'A'-
or in the balance, when weighed against
their usurpalion OF power.
The fraud attempted in the division OF
Hamilton county, Tor mere partisan pur-
poses, must be carried out, or the whig
lenders declare there shall be no legisla-
ture-no new constitutional support to
the benevolent institutions OF the State
Ii power be no. placed in their hands, and
thai, too, against the clearly expressed
will Of the people, it shall not be exercised
by others, for like the monarchs OF the old
world, they claim a sort oil Divine Right TO
rule. Such. claim, in this enlightened
age, cannot be allowed, and hence The
scenes of disorder which now disgl ace the
Capitol.
What the third week Of the session will
bring forth, no man can tell.
--gf