Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-01-13
Legl.1ature--.hoiee OF senator.

has rarely if ever before been eAhioiteo III o o
iatnre since the organization of the government
.o;rit. which was disgracefuI to those in whom II
was manifested and which, if carried out to It's
legitimate results, would stop the progress of eglsla
lion, subject the majority to the will ofthe minority
and finally overthrow the system of repr, sentative
government.
Our readers are already aware that the organlza-
ton of the government was delayed for some days
by alleged informalities in the senatorial returns Tor
Essex County. AS soon as the investigation was
closed, and the vacancies in the Senate filled, on
Thursday, motion was made 10 assign an hour the
next day for the election of Senatorn the Congress
of the United States. This motion was made, IN
pursuance ola vote passed by the democratic mem
bers of the Legislature, and afterwards concurred in
BY the Free Soil members This seemed the most
appropriate time in the session for this purpose
More members were present than would be likely to
be at any subsequent period, the Committees not
being appointed, the House was sitting without
business to do, and if this, the most exciting quts
ton ofhe session could be disposed of now, itwoud
leave members to proceed with the usual business Of
legislation, it could come up in its regular
course. But the proposition was met, at once with
The most determined opposition, by Schouler ofBos
ton, and Kellogg Of Pittsfeld, and motion to ad
iourn was carried.
On Friday, the motion renewed, but the time
fixed in the mo,ion for the election, was II l-2
o'clock on Saturday the assignment of the time for
tie election, being required by the rules to be made
the day previous thereto. The opposition then
renewed, and the worst possible SPIRIT almost, was
manifested on the occasion. The majority were de-
nounced by Kellogg and Schouler, terms unfit to
be applied to the representatives Of free, enlghten-
ed, and moral people, and with vehemence of pas
sion, that showed how much they were chagrined
and irrated by the political change in the Common
wealth. A series Of expedents was then resorted
to, to o'the question, and defeat the action Of
the House, notice of which condensed from the
report of the Boston Traveller, will be found in this
paper. The actors in these scenes did not hesitate
to it as their intention, by every parliamentary
expedent which the rules and orders of the house
would permit, to prevent any action, and to thwar
the will Of the majority
1t being thus evident that the minority were com.
hencing the active business ofhe session in this fac
tous spirit, and that their system of tactics was tc
be the procrasnation and delay Of the public bust
ness, it was determined to meet the spirit promptly,
and to put it down. The repeated motions to ad-
j)urn were, therefore, steadily voted down, were
all their other propositions, fast the vote could
be at, till about o'cockin the evening, when,
under the operation of the previous question, the
original motion was put and carried by majority Of
forty-eigM.
1t would be unjust to the wing minority to include
all lis members in the which is due to this
factious course. Gen. Netteton of Chicopee, in a
brief speech, administered merited rebuke to his
associates and repudiated his allegiance to the Bos-
ton regiment when they undertook to embarrass
the public business in the manner they were then
doing. But the exceptions were few, and bunker
ISM, as usual, held almost unquestioned sway over
the party.
After the motion carried, Cheesborough OF
Taunton, (whIg) moved reconsideration. This,
by the rules ofhe House went into the orders of the
day, and was the FIRST business in the consideration
Of the orders Of the day, Saturday morning.
When it came up, in due course, on that morning,
the stated that the object he had in view in
making the motion, had been accomplished in anoh-
err way, and he would, therefore, Withdraw it, The
speaker then stated, that it required the consent Of
the House to withdraw it, and, if no objection was
made, he would consider it withdrawn. Immedi-
ately thereupon, Moses Kimbal of Boston, rose and
renewed the motion. This was mannuvre, e Sc
cure another days delay, as it was supposed that
the motion must go ITO ne orders of the day and
lie over TO the next day, unless the rules could be
suspended, which requires a two. thirds vote,
and could therefore be prevented by the Wigs
Considerable discussion then arose upon questions Of
order the writer Of this article contendinS, that the
assent of the House to the Withdrawing Of the mo-
ton equivalent TO decision that they ould not
reconsider and that the efore, il was not open for
the renewal of the motion. Iftbe mover could with
draw, and had withdrawn the motion, without the
consent Of the House, another member would have
an undoubted right to renew it, as, otherwise, he
would be deprived of his right to have the question
decided by the,House. But, conserving 10 the with
drawal, he had waived that right and could not re.
new the motion. And even il he had the right d
renew it, it would stand in the place Of the orgna
notion and must be acted upon, as that woul have
been, at the present time. BY any other consiruc-
ton Of the rule the house never could make an as
ssnment ola election for the succeeding day, with
out leaving it in the power Of two persons, by com
bnation for the purpose, to defeat the intention 0
the house-and thus the most important election