Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-10-28

Dar The Committee on the contested Senatorial
election in tho sth District have presented MAORI
ty and Minority reports We do not wish to pub
lish one without the other and both together are
too long for our limited space. From the action of
Che majority, in the beginning, II manifest that
the contest was to be decided upon purely party
grounds; and the Committee, appointed mere
form, with its democratic majority was expected to
decide in accordance with foregone conclusion
That the facts and the arguments all adverse to
the claims of the sitting member, none need be
informed who are familiar with the fact that new
Counties made up of fractions of old ones, vote
with the counties from which their component
parts were TAKEN until the first apportonment after
their formation. To evade the force of this provi-
sion of the Constitution, the Majority Report makes
two points, both of which are untenable first,
that Sequatchie was completely organized County
before the addition of the Gruhds fraction, and,
Second, that the Grundy fraction was added to the
new county merely as a convenience to the citizens
residing in said fraction. These are the assump-
tons relied upon to nufy the fifth section of the
tenth article of the Constitution which says-"The
citizens who may be included in any county, shall
vote with the county or counties from which they
have been stricken off, for members of Congress,
Governor, and for members Of the General Assem-
bly, until the next apportionmeht of the members
to the General Assembly after the establishment OF
such new county"
This provision is explicit as language can make
it The majority of the Committee do not deny
that Sequatchie is a new county, nor do they affirm
that its being fully organised at the time the Grun-
dy fraction was added, made it an old county. "a
new county, the fractions of which il is composed
were required to vote with the conaties from which
they were taken. The fraction from Grandy was
q part of the new county of Sequatchie, and as
such could only cote portion of the county o.
Grundy. And fine argument Of the majority that
this is not so becGusc the Grmdy fraction was adj
ded after tie county had been organized, and was
added merely for the convenience Of the people
living in it, is a most contemplate subterfuge II
such is TO be received as conclusive argu
ment, the county of Sequatchie could not vote al
all, because il organized for the convenience o.
the people living in it, and being so organized
comes not within the provision of the Constitution
Just quoted.
O"' S"lp"SV wv pIuhuy llhCllOu 10 nave DeeI
added under the power to change county lines, the
cass is not altered, because Sequatchic, as a new
county, could only vote with the counties from
which it was taken, and the Grundy fraction /,
we VAect to the same restriction If Sequatehie haC
,mpetip organized previous to the last Rpportionment
o,m the Grndy fraction had been afterwards sddeC
to it. Il would, at once, have voted with Sequatche
NbecNusc the addition of fraction would not hav,
ffnade it new county, and the citizens thus incor
. iPOTated would have been simply increase of pop
uatiou no further affecting the political status of tn,
comfy than if they had been immigrants Blu
there is no nv IN arguing so plain question. Tn,
democratic majority are resolved to defeat Tibb
regardless of the Constitution and the reasons the,
assign for so doing pitifaI quibbles to deceive
NE people and As such are not worth moment
serNus consideration.