Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-03-05
Extra Session OF Congress.
The Washington correspondent ofthe New
York Herald, writing on the l4th, SAYS:

1Ofk Herdtd, writing on the l4tn, says:
Should an extra session take place. it will be
called for june and special elections would have to
be held in all the Southern States but those which
| have slready held elcctions-Florida, Arkansas,
Missouri, South Carolina and Virginia, which elect
| in May. The President proclamation would have
to 90 out to California and Oregon by the 5th Of
March, or those States will be uniepresented.
We find the above gong the rounds Of the
press. If all Extra Session Of Congress
should be called, it is worth while to consider
the predicament in which Minnesota will then
be placed.
1t is fact that this State will not be repre-
scented in that Extra Session, if it is held, at
all in the House of Representatives and only
by Mr.. RICE in the United States Senate!
The term of Messrs. PHELPS and CAvAN-
AuaH, our members of Congress, viii expire
on the Sd of March next: and there have
been no others elected to take their places!
Gen. SHIELDS term expires also on the Sd
of March, and his seat in the Senate must re-
main vacant until the next session of our State
Legislature in December next!
For this condition of things, the Democratic
Party Of Minnesota, and Acting Governor
SHELLEY are sohOlly responsible.
1t is only another amongst numerous in
stances which are daily crowding the public
mind, showing the utter ncompetency-from
lack of brains or pcinciple-of the New Style
Democracy, with all their greed for once, to
manage Governmental affairs!
In our first State Legislature, which met in
December, and again in June, 1858, law
shouM have been passed providing for the
election Of Members o.. Congress At the last
fall election.
No such law did then, or does now exist
on our Statute books. For some reason tho
Democratic leaders were determined there
should bs no choice of Congressman in Octo-
Der last. It is thought their reason was
and some of them have said-that they feared
insuitable defeat, and hoped by postponing the
election, things in time might change for the
better in their behalf. Like MIcAwBER, they
hoped " something would turn up" Posses
sing majority in both branches Of the Leg
islature, they accordingly resisted every dis
tinct proposition made by the Republicans
to pass a lao authorizing Congressional
election!
In the last hours of the session, however,
in bill regulating elections, the Republicans
managed to insert, quietly, general clause,
worded in general terms, under which an
election for members of Congress could have
been held last October.
Soon after the passage of this act, the Leg
islature adjourned-while the bill went to Mr..
SIBLEY for his signature
The secret about it was for some time well
kept, and no doubt the bill would have been
duly signed by him and have become a law;
but for Democrat having overheard, at one
of the Hotels, Republicans talking about it,
and its authorization Of Congressional cleo
ton; who Immediately posted Mr.. SIsLEy up
concerning the gunpowdcr plot the Republi-
cans had thus formed to blow up the Demo
cratic party by aLLo,oing the People to choose
their National Representativcs-an that, too,
before the Democratic party was ready for
it, and before the party HAD their forgery
cards all stocked up at Ottertail and in "Pem-
bina, Cass and Todd" to win it in spite of the
popular votes, IS they did before.
Trumping up some trivial excuse, other
than the true one, SHELLEY forthwith refused
to sign the bill and consequently there was
no Congressional election last fall; and con-
ssqvently Minnesota will be unrepresented in
an Extra Session of Congress, if one is called
to meet in June!
Nor, indeed, if the People wait as long
as the Moccasin Democracy have plotted, they
should wait, before they elect their members
Of Congress, will there be any choice of Con-
gressmen until sometime in 1S6O-perhaps
not until October, 1860!
There being no State Law authorizing or
providing for such election, nor any session of
the Legislature authorized which could pass
such law until December, 1859, it is
evident that even if, during that regular ses-
sion, the desired law should be enacted, no
election could be held il pursuance Of its pro-
visions until the next ensuing general election
in October. 1850!
Thus, it is not only in the Extra Session of
Congress- Of June next, if one is called, that
|. Minnesota win be unrepresented, but she will
also be unrepresentsd in the long regular ses-
sion Of Congress which commences in De-
cember, 1859, and which continues through
the winter and summer Of 1907
This is the beautiful situation in which
Mr. SrBLET and the Moccasin Democracy
Democracy, that controlled both branches Of
the last Legislature, have designedly placed the
sovereignty of Minnesota-that is without
representation in the Congress of the United
States--burdened with all the expenses of a
State in the Union, without enjoying the ben
efits derivable from having voice in the
councils of the ma ton!
To-be-surc Mr.. SIBLEY can, if he chooses,
call the Legislature together, and infict'upon
our empty State Treasury the onerous ex-
penses of an Extra Sc ssion for the sole purpose
of passing special law for congressional
election forthwith, an in that way, relieve us
at the expense of GU pockets, from the dis
grace of being unrep resented at Washington
an expense and disgrace inflicted upon us
by the policy of Moccasin Democracy.
He can do this but in no other way can
Minnesota sovereignty be represented at
Washington if it so happens an Extra Session
Of Congress should be proclaimed by the
President.
There are some who may think the Gov
ernor OF the State has power to order a