Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1858-07-24
The Battle Oh United States Se""'"r
commenced I'm tho Legislature.

nublcan Senators were more Pro'"P' All"
constant in their attendance in the seats than
tbs Democrats and were thus enabled to
mt through that body, several measures
which did not please Mr.. VAN ErTEN ana
Others of the Democratic leaders.
They would endeavor to be sure to arrest
their passage by cali of the Senate; but
as the Standing Rules existing at that time al
lowed bare majority to Immediately Sus-
nand further proceedings under the call, di-
rectly after it was instituted, their privilege
of a call to get in their absent members anu
to stop business until they were brought III
nv the Serreaut-at- Arms, did not practtcaoty
amount TO much.
ErrEx introduced and had passed an amend
q7ent TO the Standing Rules of the State Sen
ate by which t1coMirds of the members pres
ent were required to suspend "a call
Very good-the Republican members as
sented TO this rule, on the principle that be-
inc a minority, the more rules'were framed to
prevent the arbitrary tyranny of majority,
the better for them and their constituents.
During the remainder of last winters ses-
sion. and during this summers session up TO
this time. the Senate has worked along, with
out difficulty. under this amended rule.
But the Lecompton Democracy have lat
terly determined upon committing the out
rage upon propriety and on the rights OF the
people, of forcing an election of United States
Senator to succeed General SHIELDS through
at the present session of The Legislature.
The law, to be sure, prohibits the election oil
q Senator, except at the session of the Legis-
lature mart preceding the commencement OF his
term Of office and righ.faliy therefore the
session to be held in due course next winter,
should choose the Senator. The Lecompton
leaders however are afraid to trust the people
to elect another legislature, which they fear
would not select FRANK STEELE, or one of
his stripe, to represent US in the Senate OF
the United States, and they have therefore
planned to ernde the lar by postponing the
next winters session. and then have the pres
ent legislature choose SHIELDS successor.
In the way of the execution of this nice
project were severe obstacles first, the alert
and powerful Republican minority, and next
the fact that some of their own men are alb
sent and at least one or two of them who
cannot be got here at au
As long as one member of the Senate is
absent it is in the power of any Senator to
move call of the Senate; and, as the rules
stand at present, the Senate can be tied up
and all business locked-as in the Capitol
removal case year and half ago-unless
t,yo-thirds of the members present vote to sus-
pend the call.
As, however. the Republicans in the Senate
are in the minority, in full Senate of only
Mree-par!ies respectively stand Democrats
90 to Republicans 1.-THE Democratic lead
ers have conceived it probable that the Re-
lublicans would resort to extreme measure of
putting the Senate under a permanent call,
until the time fixed for the adjournment of
the Legislature sine die, on the Cd OF August
proximo, was reached, rather than allow Le-
compton Democracy aud Indian TraderiSm
to succeed in their scheme of defraudng the
people and the next Legislature, out OF their
right to select the United States Senator to
serve for six years from the 4th of March,
1859.
To avoid this possible contingency of a
permanent call, they On Saturday last, in the
State Senate, sought to take time by the fore
lock, and to clear the way of all obstacles to
the triumphant election of Fort Smelling
STEELE.
To get rid of the two-third rule in suspend
ing a call, became in their opinion, an inds-
pensble requisite to winning the game. Cum
ningy waiting, therefore, until after the
the usual hour of adjournment-after one
o'clock-when the members usually straggle
off to dinner, and those from surrounding
counties put off early to pay visit every
Sunday to their famlies-under the supposi-
ton that no important business would be
done-the Democratic Senators seized upon
the opportunity when they were, through the
accidental absenteeism of enough of the Re-
publican members, in tempoI aay majority
oftwo- thirds, TO attempt to put through in
the most summary manner, motion chang
ing the Rules SO as to make mere majority,
instead of t,co-thirds of the votes of members
present, only requisite to suspend a call.
Well, the ball opened by Senator HALL,
of St. Paul, moving to suspend the rules so
as to amend section 81 of the Standing Rules,
which require a two-thirds vote to change
rescind or amend any rule of the Senate, by
substituting a majority instead of two-thirds.
Before this motion was put to vote,
Senator VAN ETrEN, of ST Paul, moved to
amend Senator HALLS motion, so as to re-
consider the vote by which the Senate last
winter adopted the above rule-that is to
say, with view to abrogate his own rule 4! of
which he was the father! 1t may be re-
marked that Mr.. VAN ETTEN's motion was
supposed by him, and others perhaps, to be,
more cunning than Mr.. HALLS, under tie
supposition that mere majority could always
reconsider a vote, and that thus they could
get around the requirement that rendered
two-thirds necessary to change, amend or
rescind any rule of the Senate "a ridiculous
position Tor Mr.. VAN ErrEN to take most
certainly.
The Republican Senators, however. saw
the game, and instantly moved call of the
Senate.
This the Democratic Senators. THROUGH
their accidental two-thirds majority, forth
with suspended.
When, Immediately the Republican Sena-
tors, arranging that one of their number, Mr..
RIpPATH shonld stay to watch fha Demo-