New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-17

Sham Democratic Representatives and Senators o
INDIANA OF such patent description that it re
quires great deal of hsrdhood to defend it. Tht
medical journals mention new disease which they
cal the bronze, and which manifests itself in ar
unusual brsssiDess in the color of the countenance
We noticed last Fail symptoms Of this complaint ii
Mr. Buchanan's especial organ, The PennsyiraniGr
and We must say that it has been dreadfully, and
we fear suicidally aggravated, by the attempt Of
Fitch and Bright 10 sneak surreptitously through
the windows of the Senate Chamber, and by the
kind desire of the Administration newspapers to
help them through the narrow spertures. We Will
Try to cOndense the special pleading Of The Penn.
| sytrGnisn into as narrow a compass as possible
l. The Legislature Of Indiana consists of one hun
cred Members Of the House and fifty Members of the
State Senste. OF this one hundred and ffy Members,
eghiysix Members were present In the Joint Conveu
hon, an overwhelming ma ority of the whole number.
- The record shows that there were present tween.
~ ak out of the fifty Senators and eghtytws out OF
the hundred Representatives.
B. No sooner had the twenty.sx Democrats left the
Senate to join the House in Convention than the re-
naming twenty four Republicans took up certain con-
tested sests ousted the Democrats and put in Repub-
lcsns, and thus made majority of the Senate. And
this Is followed by the theory thst all the votes Of 8
Senator prtma tdce entitled TO a seat are legal.
a. TIE PeHAsy iraniGa indulges in some CANNON
about the OF Mr. Harlan of lows, which will
dispose Of in due oder.
Now, we propose to state the facts in regard to
the matter, and by very plain tale not only to put
down The Pennsylranian, but to hoist it BY its own
petard.
/. VIII that journal be kind enough to state, for
the purposes of history uhcn the Senate agreed with
the House to 60 into Joint Convention for the
election of United States Senators or any other
officers How did the Democrats get into Joint
Convention at all True, the presiding officer Of
the Senate, upon his own mere notion was won't,
in opposition to repeated votes of the body, to
cate his chair, and, with his minority tail of Sem
atOrs at his heels, to go to the Representatives
Hall, and there, from time to time TO hold what
he was facetiously pleased to style "a Joint Con.
vention," adjourning it to such days as he thought
proper, without motion or vote. Before the acts
of this Convention are defended, let it be shown
first to have had at any time legal existence.
II. While these sham Conventions were going
on, q majority of the Senate with all its elective
ocers-Secretary and bis assistants, and Sergeant
at-Ams-remained in the Senate Chamber.
III. As to "oustng Democrats and putting in
Republicans" we will give the facts The seat Of
Woods (Sham Democracy was contested on the
ground that he had accepted State Office of emolu-
ment and had drawn its saary-thus vacating his
Senatorial position. The Committee had reported
sgainst him, but he insisted on voting in his own
case; while his political friends would repeatedly
prevent quorum of two-thirds TO stave off the
adoption Of the ordinary legislative rule preventing
such indecent and supplementary voting by con-
tested member to save bis own seat. The Repub-
licans, to expedite public business abandoned the
rule. At one time however, while the farce of
Joint Convention was enactiDg at one end of
the CapitOl-this was not the occasion upon which
United States Senators were eected-a quorum Of
the Senate being presumed to be present, as the
journal states no fact indicating anything to the
contrary, that body adopted the report of its Com
which he had clearly no right. Twice has the
Senate since that time, by full rote Of III, body,
decided that he was not legally member, and the
Secretary has refused to call his name and yet the
LieuteDant-Goveinor takes the responsibility Of
still recognizing him, and of calling upon him to
vote after the Secretary has concluded the roll.
". The Pennsylcsnian has been humbugged by
false telegraphic dispatch stating that 26 Senator'S
were present at the election of United States SEN
atOri. Now, from the testimony presented BY
Judge Trumbul in the Senate, the protest of 50
Representatives, sworn to by two of them, it is ap
~ rIyO my az A
This fact is confirmed by the report in the official
State paper the organ of Mr.. Bright, and is
not denied by these Senatorial pretenders. One
Senator refused to vote, but was in the "Conven-
ton" az spectator while included in the 90 Sem
ators who voted for Fitch and Bright was this very
Woods, who had already been kicked out by the
Senate, and whom the President had been instructed
not to call This is what The Pennsylranian calls
majority of the Indiana Senate. Mr.. Harlan was
unseated because majority of the Iowa Senators
were not present at his election. We commend the
Administration side of the National Senate to q
careful consideration of its own rule.
The Union also comes to the rescue. Ithas
heard with its exceedingly long ears, that certain
Buchanan Judges have Endorsed the election Of
Fitch and Bright and demurely trusts that the Ju-
dietary Committee will give careful considera-
ton" to those who are the peculiar guardians Of
the Constitution of the State" We beg leave, as
gently as possible, TO remind The Union that the
Supreme Judges of Iowa, "the peculiar guardians
"of the Constitution Of the State" gave formal
and deliberate opinion in favor Of the legality of
Mr.. Harlan's election-which the Judiciary Com
mittee carefully considered" and decided to be
Of no consequence.