The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-08-08

done, and what they came into the hall 10 |
do. Now, when they came into this Hall,
they did not do, nor attempt to do, what
they had decided to do. Then, judging them
by their acts, we must come to the conclusion
that the statement which he makes here is
palpab!y false. He goes on to say:
intend to tell the country what their caucus said
they should do intend to tell the country everything
that done in by the Democratic party which
is sitting here to day.
In reading the Statutes of the Territory, we found
that the returns of elections should be made to the Sec
rotary Of the Territory and that the Secretary of the
Territory was, perhaps, the only proper custodian Of
those returns My reading of the Statutes expressly
requires that at given time these shall be made
to that officer of course this applies to the election of
Councillors and Delegates to the Legislature and of
of the election of all the members of this Convention
he had them mostly then.
Now, here he admits that he did no even
have at the time they came into this Hall on
18th of July all the returns of the Registers
Of Deeds of the election of Delegates to this
Convention.
Well, sir, what did our caucus determine do? We
passed vote that the Secretary of the Territory should
go into the Hall of the House of Representatives at the
proper hour,
THAT proper hour he admits to be II
o'clock NJ
and call the Convention order-not call any member
the CHAIR nor by trick take the advantage
of the adversary but proceed and call the Council Dis
| trcts in the order in which they stand. Ev
cry before will bear out in saying that this
was the course which the party l address ng
expecte to pursue when we came into that hall.
When we had called the Convention to order, and the
Council Districts had been called, it supposed that
in the ordinary of parame ntary proceedings, he
would, k the Clerk of the House of Representatives
Congress- have list of members made out. And why
should he have list? Because the returns made
| to him.
He admitted little while ago, that the
returns were n It all made to him
And who else should have the list? Certainly not Mr..
nth, Delegate from Rice County. 1t perfectly
proper regular that the Secretary should have such
list. We therefore expected when came into the
Hall, without violence without pistols in pockets,
without sending for neghbors to keep us from being
whipped by the Border Rufians, Qaughter); that in
of the most usual and regular of pro-
ceedng, the Secretary would call the first Council Dis
rict and allow the members to forward and pre-
sent their credentials then the second third, fourth
fifth, SIXTH seventhyes sir. call the Seventh Council
District, toO-and shall have something to say of the
rights the Delegates from that district presently We
intend to proceed thus with the Districts until they
had all been called, when if quorum appeared, the
Convention would be ready to transact business.
Having proceeded to this point the intention expressed
in caucus was, inasmuch several of members
had not come in knowing that in consequence of this
alarm which had been sounded throughout the Territory
calling GU the Republican Delegates to be here they
here, armed capapie, that having slept upon
their arms they were expecting some great develop
ment. If, on calling the roll, it resulted, as
expected that the Republicans had the majority we
|
ganize until our men should have had time to come in,
although had to believe the appeal would be
like the appeal made to sinners thousand times, and
with about the same effect.
/ Now wish gentlemen to bear that last
| remark in mind, so that they may see, when L
come to read the Pioneer and Democrat, if
Elk Governor German has not probably had
more appeals in vain and appeals to one of
the greatest sinners without effect, than al
most any man who has lived since the time
of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
| Qaughter)
This the course marked by the Democrats in
to pursne, forty -four of the herepresent will
bear me witness. We had no arms pistols, no bowie
knives border ruan revolver party to take possess
ion Of the Capitol at midnight. We had in
temptation such have furnished food for the Repubi
party during the last eighteen months. Nothing of
the kind, were resolved should emana from but
| the course proposed to pursue precisely what
would have been pursued by any deliberative para-
| mentary belly in the country. Every man before
knows this was our intention five could secure an adj
journinent until our could come in, of
| should have been glad to do So
Now Sir, judging them by their acts and
not by word Of the Ex-Governor, how does
the matter stand Did they attempt to
do a single thing which lie said they had de-
came here to do, with the single exception
they attempt to ask for credentials ? Did
they t. en- undertake to call the Districts. Did
they attempt temporary organization at
all ? They did not. Not the first step was
taken toward it. Then we say, when the
declaration is made by him that they came
here for that purpose and did not attempt to
consummate it, but did do something else,
we have the right to say that the statement is
knowingly false, and is made for public CAPT.
tai. BY their words we are to judge them:
This is all we asked here. We only asked that when
into that Hail. the roll should be called those
members whose seats contested should stand aside
until we had ascertaned whether quorum present,
and then that their cases should be determined accord
ing to the law and facts.
Now, that IS all any man would have
asked-all that won'd have been proposed
by This Convention had they c"me in and
made objection to members whose seats
they proposed to contest. How would the
matter have stood then They had the mi
Eority, and were n"t prepared to go into an
oreanza ion and they intended to ask for an
adjournment in order to give time for their
absent members to be present. Now, how
long did It take them to organize after they
left and had the matter in their own hands,
with all the bogus delegates to procure
How long did it take them to satisfy them
selves that they had sufficient number to
organize? [ believe from about Tuesday
the 18th, until near two weeks from that day.
Did they intend tn ask this Convention to re-
main here all that time. unorganiZed, for the
purpose ofpermittng their members to come
in? They would not dare tie the people
they did. Hence we come to the conclusion
that the assertion which has been made time
and again must be untrue, and that they
came in here for the purpose of making a
motion to adjourn, and leaving this Hail.
thereby surprising that they could prevent
the organic ton of this Convention This is
all charged upon them.
Well sir Mr. Chase the Secretary of the Territory,
walked up to Chair first and called the Convention
ORDER then MIR. North, precisely in keeping with the
position of hat body of who had remained in that
ha from midnight until day. and from day until IL
O'Clock at noon, to prevent the Border Ruffans from
forestang them and performing any by which they
should get the advantage also into the desk, and
made motion, which he himself put to the Covcn-
ton.
Now, sir, what are the facts in regard to
that matter They did come into this hall,
and large proportion Of those who are now
member, of this Convention were in their
seats. Did the Democratic members, when
they came IN, take seats as men who came
for the purpose of organizing Convention ?
No, sir, they came rushing in as body, and
the very first thing done by them was to
move to adjourn, and the next thing they
did was to ltave the hall. Now, was that
according to parliamentary usage? Who
ever heard of parliamentary or legislative
assembly acting in that manner? How do
men usually assemble, upon occasions of this
kind Why, in the morning as soon as the
, doors are open, men begin to drop in, one al
!, ter another, exchange sautatons, and by the
; time the hour arrives for organization, mem
. bers are in their seats. They are not out IN
some secret caucus they are not devising
/, ways and means by which they can defeat
an organization. They come in like men and
take their seats promscuously thr ugh the
house. How did these men come in In a
parliamentary manner? They admit that
they came in as body. They say they had
; a right to. Who disputes the right? But
! we say it was supplementary. No instance
of the kind can be found upon record. They
: did make motion to adjourn. They did it
while MANY, if not all, their members were
standing. That was not exactly parliament
tary. / believe the parliamentary usage is
to rise from a seat and address the chair
Did the mover upon that occasion rise and
address the char2 And were the members
sitting, when he did it? Most undoubtedly