The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-02-06


Twelve Copies.. 90
The Sham Joint Convention.
The State Journal gives the following
graphic account of the first futile attempt Of
the Democrats on Mond ay to effect their an.
archcsl purpose of foisting upon the State
two United States Senators:
Everybody expected fun on Monday, when
the Sham Convention met to elect Senators.
And everybody, except the Democrats, saw
fun of the funniest kind. The "biters were
bitten" about as deeply as any set Of trick
sters ever were. We have heard OF men who
cut their fingers with their own sharpness,
and knocked themselves over with their own
guns, but we never heard Of a prettier Illus
tration of this sort Of "back action than was
witnessed in the Senate Chamber yesterday
afternoon. The Democrats, who were play
ing What they thought a sharp trick in run
ming away to make . sham convention, were
couuter-checksd in . manner at one parlia-
fhctary, effective, and funny. The manner
thereof vas as follows:
The Senate met at one o'clock, pursuant to
Adjournment on Friday, and proceeded regu-
iarly with business till two o'clock. At that
time the Clerk was reading report of the
Attorney General. He was ordered by the
Lieut. Governor sto stop. Rising from his
chair, the President said: "Gentelemen of
the Seriate=On the 18th Of January q con-
vention Of the House and Senate met in the
Hall OF the House to canvass the votes for
Governor and Lieut. Governor. When that
duty was performed, the convention was ad-
jouned till the I'd Of February at 2 o'clock
That time having come, the Senator'S will re-
pair to the Hall of the House." He then de-
scended from the chair; and the Deriocratic
Senators followed him out Of the Chamber-
No motion was made to adjourn, and no ad-
journment vas declared. Mr.. Hammond
went out, just as Mr.. Willatd did; And left the
chair vacant He had hardly quilted the
platform q thirg he ought I'd do with facility;
as he has had good deal Of practice id get
ting off of pIatforms.) before the Senate ap-
pointed MI. Burke President protein. A
motion was made at once to take up the case
of LIE Roy Woods, Senator from Clarke whose
seat was contested, and against whose claim
the Judiciary Committee had reported several
days ago. declaring his seat vacant. The case
had been laid on the table, and was awaiting
the action Of the Senate, ready to be taken up
at any moment. 1t was taken up. and con-
CARED in. with but one dissenting voice; (Mr.
Crane Of Floyd.) and Mr.. Woods ,0as duly,
formally, and la,efuily elected. By'this time
the Democrats heard what was going on, and
and hurried back to the Chamber to stop it -
But they came toon late Their appearance
in the bar was hailed with tremendous shouts
and laughter by the Republican Senators, the
lObbies and everybody. When they heard
rh.k kol Loac xb>.. Ca
a barometer before tornado. They cursed,
and protested, and grumbled and denounced,
but il was Indignation wasted. The thing
was did," and it will take "all the Kings
horses and all the Kings men" to pull Mr..
Woods into his seat again.
While the Democrats were coming in me-
ton to adjourn was carried, and in the midst
Of the jolliest sort of fun the Senate adjourned
Mr.. Hammond for the purpose Of keeping up
Appearances, took his seat, and half choking
with laughter, made his announcement that
the Senate had adjourned. But it was a work
Of supererrogation. Everybody was up and
going the Republicans bursting with laughter
the Democrats furious and blasphemous.-
Taken altogether, it was the best executed
''check mate" of piece Of trickery, that ever
was attempted in the Senate, and it is per-
fectly valid.
There can be no doubt that Mr. Woods il
as regularly ousted as any contestant evel
was, and he will be kept so if the rules Of leg.
islation are executed as they should be. He
has not shadow Of right to vote or appear il
his seat to-day, aud he never had legal title
to that seat since he accepted second Office d
''trust and profit" The vote that elected
him was q regular formal vote, given by the
sv,r
of the yeas and nays, and none was needed
The question was simply on concurrng in
report, and it was carried by consent" 81
far as the Senate could know, q quorum wa
present. There had been no proceeding in
stituted to ascertain whether there was or not
and quorum is presumed present until
''call' shows that there is not. II Democrat
went out without waiting an adjournment;
was their own affair. The Senate is no
bound to take cognizance Of the absence of
member, or cf a dozen or any number of mem
bers, until regular proceedings show that the
are absent. IL the runaways had gone off {
get a drink, or to buy apples, or to talk in tn
lobbies, it would have been Just the same
There was no adjournment, and il they wen
away, they disregarded their duty, and hav
nobody to blame but themselves if bushes
was transacted in their absence. They ma
fuss and fret. but they will find it hard ,
show that this ejectment is not strictly pa
lamentary. AS it was simply the decision
contested case, and not an Expulsion" propt
amajority was all that was needed.
When the half dozen Democrats who fs
away from the Senate entered the House, the
found it pretty much vacant. The Republ
cans were all absent so that there was no qu
rum present i'm either House. The Renub
cans tried. by calling the "Yeas and Nays"
make this appear, but the Speaker had be.
drilled, and wouldn't recognize them. or he,
their call. In this uuparliamentary way alo
was the fact that quorum was not presel