Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1856-01-24
The Action of the Senate on Receiving
the Governors Message

The Action of the Senate on Receiving
the Governors Message
| Doubles there is difference of opinion as te
the propriety of the Senate organizing aud re
ceiving the Governor message; and consequent
ly difference of opinion as to the wisdom of the
course of those Republican Senators by whom il
was done.
Let us explain it briefly.
1t is mistake to say, the Senate or the Leg
islature recognized "Gov. Barstow." They re
cognized no indiriduai. They struck out of the
resolution the name of Barstow," and simply
recognized, what the constitution and law pro
vides shall exist and continue without interup
| ton, to wit:-the Government They denied that
we were in condition of anarchy or revolution
and affirmed only the peaceable and harmonious
continuance and exercise of the various functions
of government. The Senate had and has, under
the constitution and laws, nothing to do with
Barstow any more than it has with the indirid
uals who compose the house of Assembly, and its
interference with the occupant OF the Executive
Chamber would be as much out Of character, a:
its interference with the occupants of the Assem-
! bly, Chamber The Governor has no right Il
question the certificate of Senator, nor has 6
Senator the right to question that of the Cover
/ nors. The law provides n very different way
! of testing the right of n Senator to his seat i
has also different way of testing that of a Gov
ornor. The Supreme Court is the regularly con
stituted tribunal TO test questions Of that nature
and before this Court that question was pending
Surely then, no person will claim, that the Sen
ate should have expressed its opinion and taker
a distinct position on this question. 1t woult
have been notonly uncourtcous tothe Court blu
it would have been supremacy foolish, in view o
the possibility of the Court reversing their opin
ion in its decision
But it is said, why not adjourn, and do moth
:ng until the question was decided " Cnde
some circumstances this would have been a sen
siblc proposition. If there had been a certainty
that the decision of the Court would have beer
had in any reasonable time, and the Democratic
house would have agreed to an adjournment ,ther
an adjournment would at least have done III
harm. But the constitution provides that one
house shall not adjourn more than three days a
n time without the consent of the other. Their
the Senate would have had to meet and adjourn
every three days white the Democratic house
would have kept them at it, until doomsday, un
less the Senate sooner backed out. Would this
have been sensible? On the other hand, it may
be two years before the matter is decided, ant
perhaps even longer in which time there coul(
have been no legislation. As little faith as vi
have in legislation, we are yet sure, the people
would not be content to go two years without
Legislature.
Those who reflect will readily apprchend the
difficulties which surround the matter, and We
are sure after such reflection will admit that tht
wisest course has been pursued.
The matter rests where it legitmately belongs
and with the only tribunal which has jurisdiction
over it, or which can determine it That tribu
nal will determine it, and if a change is to b,
made, will make it, In the meantime, no opin
ion on the question has been expressed by tho
Senate or the Legislature. Nothing has beer
done to prejudice or aid either contestant, but th'
legislature has simply gone forward in its legti
mate duties.
C THINK 1t VIII prove quite lhlpoSSlp4e 10
any person to point out the least practical goot
to any person, to the State at large, that wout
have resulted from the Senates' refusing to or
ganize, while the difficulty, the trouble, the cx
pense, and the ultimate litigation it would have
created, would have affected the next quarter o
4 century.
We have an abiding confidence that when this
matter is looked at not in partizen spirit bu
in candid manner with reference only to prac
teal and useful results the verdict will be unan
imous, that the Republican Senators alluded to
acted well and wisely. S.