The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1855-08-07
Correspondence Of the indianapolis Journal.
REPUTATION OF THE RUFFIANs BY THE
GOVERNOR hHt


GOVERNOR -.
| PAwNEE, (Kansas Torr,ory,) July 7, 1855.
MEssRs EDITORS; You will no doubt be as
| tonshed at tho new light thrown upon legisla-
| iion, con stitu,ional law and powers ofCone ress
by tho Legislature of Kansas which adjourned
| from this Place yesterday after asessivn of five
| days. The first bill introduced after the House
was organized was to adjourn the Legislature
from this place to tho Shawnee Mission, or
Manual Labor Sehc o. located about two miles
from Missouri, near Wcstport.
Mr. Hutchinson Free State member, made
a speech against it, arguing that tho organic
act authorized the Governor to 'ocate the first
Legislature and determine the place of holding
its sessions-that they had no power to order
tho Governor TO move his office aud locate per-
! mancntly at the Indian school--that tho Gov
ernment had been at the expense of fitting up
very largo two-story stono building; sixty
{, OF long by thirty wide, with bic desks,
&C., and that the citizens had tocn at much
expense in preparing for their accommodation,
and that the officers at Fort Riley had gone-
| ously offered them whatever accommodations
they should lack in tho town With n carrial
at their service, free of expense to take them
to and from their place of meeting. He thought
il unwiso, unnecessary, and contrary to the or
ganie act making il a Territory, sc. The
Speaker, Mr.. Siringfellow, said there was no
use in spending timo to d scuss this bill. They
had determined what course to pursue two
m nths ago. They had told Mr.. Reedcr what
10 expect, &c. The bill finally passed. The
Governor vetoed it. 1t was then passed by
two third majority. A committee was appoint
ed TO wait on the Governor and tell him the
res'li. He replied that by that act they had
dissolved themselves; that he should not follow
fbgsst N ta "a f,ri bnr of fbair
ceedings. They were no longer Legislature.
Early the fret or second day of the session
a resolution was introduced appointing Com
mittee on Contested Elections, with instruct
icns to examine persons and papers. No seat
was contested. No person was sent for; but
on the second day after their appointment tho
Committee reported that they bad fargo bun
die of papers put into their hands by the Gov
e nor concerning election frauds, &C., but
Il ey had not opened them. They had also
concluded not TO examine the porsons elected
at tho May election and holding seats by au-
thorty of tho Governors certificates, as they
had determined before they came ere how to
dispose of this matter. They would therefore
recommend that all posfons elected at tho first
election of March 3lst, in Kansas, whether in
the opinion of the Governor they were elected
legally or Illegally, should bo entitled TO their
seats, and that all those elected at Tho second
election should retro. This report was adopt
ed. And tho members holding Free State
principles were expelled without trial or ex-
animation.
One of them (Mr Jcsso) said as he had not
heard before the Committee ho would state to
tho House that he was Clerk of the first eec
ton in tho Third Representative District
Tint early on tho day of election, before many
of tho settlers bad como in, body of armed
men from mMissournumbering abont three hun
Gred came to the polls and took violent pos
session Of tho ballot box. They drove away
tho officers appointed by the Governor and put
In sofno of thoir own number. They then pro-
ceeded to vote in Pro-Slavery Delegation
from tho District. The people repudiated it,
and tho Governor set the election aside as H.
legal, and ordered a new one. The result was,
that at tho noxt election the Free Soil ticket
was elected by ar overpowering majority
Aud he had no doubt but that iiirco fourths of
the voters in Kansas were fof making it FREQ
State.
Mr. Wattles said that os his days of legisla.
ton were dgawing to q close, he mus, express
his admiration to the House for tho frankness
and openncss which had characterized all their
proceedings. Hc then thanked the Chairman
of the Committee on contested elections for
his frankne's in disclosing to tho House and
tho North this new and unheard of method of
dealing with persons holding contested seats.
lie also thanked tho speaker for his candor in
stating that discussion on these questions was
of no use, ms they wcr, determined on by the
Pro- Slavery patty two months ago, aud they
had told Gov Rcojor So. IIe also thanked
The House for expellng him from IL "a mem
ber, they had fairly come out and made Tho is
sue. Eo wss ready to take il as they bad laid
1t down, unirsmmcled and uncmbarl assed by
any other question. Shall Kansas be a FREQ
State? Let the sovereign squattcrs OF Kansas
determine this a-.. -. ff..
1t Is to such place as this that they want
to go. where they can inimidate and overawe
by violence the legislation or The country.
This Fall will be the time for emigrants from
Free States to roll in. Bring. clothing, sheet
ing, &c, and send plows. Tho question will
soon be settled. Jndiaua ran settla IL alopa