The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-01-13

constitution of the United States.
Mr. SECOMBE maintained that the con-
stitutional doctrine asserted by Mr.. Robert.
son was unsonnd.
Mr.. SWEET replied at some length in
support of bis. bill. He urged the adoption
OF the bill on the ground that Southern
States were now by law driving out the
free negroes and that unless such law
was passed, this State would be overrun
with them. His bill provided only for pro.
per securities against the influx of vagabond
negroes.
The previous question was moved by Mr..
OLDS, and the bill rejected by yeas 81,
nays Pa party vote.
A communication was received from the
Governor announcing that he had signed
the law abolishing the Office of Prosecuting
Attorney.
| HARPER's FERRY RESOLUTIONS.
The resolutions introduced by Mr.. STE
PHENSON on the subject of the recent
instruction at Harpers Ferry, came up on
second reading.
Mr.. MITCHELL then moved to refer
the bill to the committee on Federal Re
lations.
Mr.. ROBERTSON hoped that the ma.
jority would not send the resolutions to q
smothering committee, but meet them d.
rectly and mantully. He did not desire to
take up the time of the House with debate,
and suggested that by common consent vote
should be taken at once, on the resolutions
| Mr.. ABRAHAM was not afraid to meet
the issue, and therefore moved the indefinite
postponement of the resolutions.
| Mr. RROTNT did not ,uich RI ba no tho
time of the House occupied with such ques-
tions-we had nothing to do with them
and charged that the minority were respon-
sible for the introduction of the negro into
the House to consume the time.
Mr.. ROBERTSON repealed this charge.
He said that the negro was first brought
into the House by his colleague (Mr. Ack-
err in his Seward irrepressible conflict"
resolutions, and by Mr.. Dayton in his reso-
lutions.
He referred to the action OF the House
this morning, in its rejection with indigna-
ton, of Mr.. Sweets bill, for the protection
of the white people of the State against the
influx of vagabond negroes, and to the per-
sonal liberty bill of Mr.. Acker, to protect
fugitive slaves from recovering by their
masters-such as had been passed in other
Republican States, to show the political
character of majority of the Legislature.
He now wanted to see them demonstrate
themselves on these resolutions. He
charged that the Republican party had
countenanced underground railroads to steal
away slaves of the South f; that they had
opposed and trampled upon the fugitive
slave law, and the compacts of the Consti-
tuition. That they had succumbed to the
most ultra abolitionsts, and under the lead
of Seward, had absorbed them and adopted
their principles-not because they all be-
lieved in such atrocious and reasonable
doctrines, but because so far as many of the
leaders were influenced, they wanted the
votes of the aboitionists to secure power.
So tar had they succeeded in this policy in
Minnesota, that they were a good enough
abolition party for the rankest and most
reasonable aboltionist in the State. There
was, therefore, no abolition party in Min
nesota. And now when their " irrepressi.
BILE conflict" had brought the Union to the
verge of dissolution, they were afraid to con-
denim the invasion of sovereign State
afraid to condemn murder and arson, lest
they might thereby offend the Brown
Republicans in their ranks, who, however
they might condemn the madness of John
Brown and his associates, because of the
means he employed, and because of the
consequent failure, yet sympathised with his
principles, and he had no doubt that the
Speaker (Mr. Secombe in the chair so
sympathised with John Brown.
The Chair (Mr. SECONDLY called Mr..
Robertson to order.
Mr. POREPTSON fool, h, ,oot o,1
demanded the point of order.
Mr.. SECOMBE said that he (Mr. Rob-
ertson) had charged the Chair (Mr. SECONDLY
with treason against the United States.
Mr.. ROBERTSON demanded that the
offensive words should be reduced to writing.
Mr.. SECOMBE Tin the Chair said that
he had been charged with sympathizing with
John Brown, which was treason, and out of
order.
Mr.. ROBERTSON appealed from the
decision of the Chair, which was sustained
by party vote.
The House then took recess.
At the session in the afternoon,
Mr.. SANBORN offered various amend
ments to the joint resolutions, destroying
the original intent, and making them strictly
partizan in their character, and rejecting
upon the Southern Democratic members of
Congress.
Mr.. SECOMBE moved the previous
question on the amendments, which was
carried, and the amendments were adopted
by strict party vote, Al yeas to IA nays.
The resolutions were then adopted, by
yeas 40, the nays not being called.
A reconsideration was had, and the vote
being again taken by yeas and nays, the
resolutions were adopted as follows:
YEAs-Abbott. Abraham, Acker, Anderson,
Arnold, Austin. Baldwin, Bigler, Brooks, Burn
ham, Caskey, cleveland, Coe, Garrard, Greene
of Olnsted, Greene of Steele, Hayes, Hulett,
Hunt, johnson, Knox, Langworthy, Letford,
Mann, Mantor, McDonough, Meighan, Mitchell,
Morrison, Pfaender, Purde, REM, Sanborn,
SAWYER Sccombe, Sherwood, Shrewsbury,
Skiliman, Stearns, Stock. Temanson, Thayer,
| Trow, Van Worries, H. Walker, Watson, Web.
ster, White, Mr. Speaker-49.
NAYs-Aaker, Armsiron. Beatty, Chadderton,
Clearley, Donohue, Kinkead, Mitsch, Odds, Roy,
Scheffer, Shriner, Tollman-l3.
Mr.. SECOMBE moved that the members
of the House who had not voted upon the