Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-01-16
From the Indiana Journai.
INDIANA LEGISLATURE.
REPORTED ny ,. D. JONES.

THURSDAY Monsrso, Jan. 8, 1857.

Senate met ut o o'clock.
Mr.. Bearss, Of Miami moved that Mr..
Burke, Of Wayne, take the Chair and pro-
coed TO organize tho Senate.
The Senate was called 10 order by
Lieut. Governor Willard, who ordered
tho calling Of the roll Of members by the
Clerk Of the last session.
Mr.. Burke ordered tho calling Of The
roll by Mr.. Cravons, Of Jefferson, acting rs
temporary Clerk.
The Senators were invited 10 present
themselves and take tho oath Of Office.
Judge Gookins administered tho oath
TO twonty-sIx Senators, aud the Lieut.
Governor 10 twonty-thrce.
Confusion onsucd-the two Chalrmcn
alternately calling the house TO order, and
tho two clerks calling the roll Of men,
bep.
TWAS moved TO go into the election Of
Principal Secretary.
Mr.. Burke put the question. which
carried.
This clerk OF last session, on order Iof
tho Lieut.. Governor, called tho roll, and
declared no quorum present.
Johnathan .. Harvey, Of Marion, was
nominated for Principal Secretary aud re-
colyod unanimous vote OF all members
responding 10 their names.
James II. Tyner, OF Miami, was nomI-
mated for first Assistant Secretary, and ro-
coIved the unanimous support Of all tho
voting members.
The two clerks, on calling tho roll, an
nouncod absentoos, and tho Chairman do
clarcd no quorum present.
(sccnos OF confusion followed. Mem
bors addressing one or tho other Of the
two ChaIrmon. the Lieut. Governor rap
ping with his hammer and general
buzz existing all over the houSc)
Simeon Cheney, Of Clinton county, was
nominated for Doorkeepor, and received
tho unanimous support Of alI the voting
members.
Amid scenes Of confusion the newly
elected officers went toward and were
sworn Into Office by Judge GookIns,
A motion was made 10 20 into an cleo
ton for Sergeant az Arms, but the quca-
ton was not put
The old clerk again called tho roll and
declared twenty members present.
Tho new clerk, on calling tho roll, de-
elarcd twenty.sevon members present q.
A motion was made 10 adjourn TO 2
o'clock, and was discussed by ono or two
members.
The Lieut. Gov. announced tina. II tho
Republicans wished revolution, they
might as well have It to-day as at any fu-
ture time.
Mr.. Burke, Of Wayne, replied tina,
they were not here for revolution, but Ia
prevent revolution; they wished TO tram.
pie upon the rights OF no one.
Mr.. Cravens, Of Jefferson, said II was
we'll known what the object Of the DEM
oeratic party was. lie would stay there
until the crack Of doom before the scheme
Of tho old line party should be carried
out. The Constitution OF the State did
not confer express power upon the Lieut.
Governor TO organize the Senate.
Mr.. Suit, Of Clinton, remarked, that the
Lieut.. Governor was disposed to DO ex-
ceedingly fair. lie supposed the whole
difficulty was whether Mr.. Cooper, Of
Rush, should be sworn In or not lie
was for testing the legality Of his election,
after organization Of the Senate.
The Lieut.. Governor remarked, that II
the gentleman from Rush presented the
! right kind of certificate he should be
sworn in.
Mr.. March, OF Delaware, said, he came
as Representative OF the people. lie
was willing the Lieut. Governor should
preside after the Senate had organized
but the Constitution conferred no power
upon the Lieut.. Governor to organize the
Senate Of tho State. Ho moved the ap-
pointment Of committee OF three "a
agree upon some plan Of adjustment.
Mr.. Wallace, OF Montgomery, said Il
was useless to read law to a prejudiced
jury. He asked where was the law tc
authorize the Senate to organize itself Ia
tho manner that tho Republicans were try
ing TO do at that time ? II there wal
! no law for tho course the Lieut.. Gov.
ernor, where was the law for tho course
the Republicans proposed ?
Mr.. Murray, Of Howard, read from the
Statute in relation to tho qualifications Of
officers, and stated that the Lieut.. Cover.
nor had administered tho oaths 10 mem
beers whom he had sworn in, in an informal
ahu hebh uihnhcts Ait ucciNfcu thut Wv
Lieut.. Governor had no power express
ly, to organize the Senate. There wal
Statute empowering tho Secretary oI
State, in certain cases, to organize the
Senate and the Auditor Of State, 10 or.
ganize the House Of Representatives, and
in times past such organizations had been
made. Each branch of tho Legislature
has the right to Judge ofthO qualifications
Of lie own members. That power did
rest in tho Lieut. Governor-the Consti-
tuition nowhere gave the presiding Officer
power, er e0icio, to organize the Senate.
Ilc claimed that tho Lieut.. Governor
had no power to judge Of the qualifications
Of members, but he had part in judg.
ing of the right Of tho member from Rush
to seat in that body-that the right OF
power did not belong to the Lieut.. Cover
nor but 10 the Senate itself.
He believed tho Republicans were Ia
- n - a