The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-24
The reason for this haste, is now well up.

-
derstood. ''
In the bill, as Mr.. SEcoMBE took it in
charge to insert general registry law, un-
der the instructions of the House, there was
the following provision
Sec. %. That within forty days after said
election. the Governor and Secretary OF State,
in the presence of the Attorney General, and
t'co or more Judges OF the Supreme Court, shall
| open the returns made to the Secretary of
State, for members of Congress; &C., &c.
Mr.. SEeoMBE quietly struck out that part
of the section which provides that "two
or more Judges of the Supreme Court" and
"the State Auditor" shall be present when
the returns are opeued. He assumed the
responsibility, because he (Mr. SEcoMBE)
don't like the Supreme Court Judges or the
State Auditors politics. The House passed
the bill as amended, because they did not
know that at had been amended. 1t was part
of Mr.. SEcoMBE's game to keep quiet.
Agaiu The bill, as confded to Mr.. ST.
coMBE, provided that the canvass for county
officers and members of the Legislature,
should be made in the manner following:
| Sec. 40. That the auditor (and two justices
of the peace shall canvass the vote ANDY shall
make out for the probate Judge, sheriff,
| coroner. county auditor county commissioner.
county treasurer, county surveyor, register of
deeds, clerk of the district court and county
attorney, and each of the senators and repre-.
sentatives to the legislature who have the high.
est number of votes given, certificate of his
election, and shall deliver the same to the per-
son entitled thereto upon demand without fee
and he shall also make out for any candidate
or elector of his county, an abstract of votes as
aforesaid, upon being paid one dollar there
for.
Neither did this section sui. Mr.. SE-
CoMBE, so he struck it out, and inserted the
following, again without letting the House
know what be had done:
Sec. 81. That on the fifth Tuesday after the
election, the Governor, the Secretary of State
and the Attorney General, in the office of the
Secretary of State. shall open and canvass the
said returns so made to the Secretary of State
for COUNTY OFFICERS, JUDICIAL DISTRICT OFF,
| GERS, MEMBERS OF THE STATE SENATE AND House
OF REPRESENTATIVES and members of Con.
gress, and to each person by the said returns
shown to be elected to any county or judicial
district Office, the Governor shall issue com.
mission, etc., etc.
1t will be noticed that MIR. SECoMBE's
last Interpolation takes away from the coun-
ty authorities the right to canvass the vote,
and issue certificates to county officers and
members of the Legislature. 1t makes the
secretary of State the custodian of all the
election returns; and constitutes the Gov
ernor, the Attorney General and the Secre-
tary of State (Mr. SEcoMBE struck out the
Judges and Auditor, remember) canvass
ing board, to decide here in st. Paul, upon
the election of every county officer and
member of the Legislature of the State
Of course, Mr.. SEcoMBE did not mention
this last piece of knavery to the House. He
pressed his bill to vote, cutting short de
bate, but neglecting to inform the House of
the interpretations.
Mr.. TonLMAN, the Democratic member of
the Committee, was not allowed even to see
the great Mr.. SEcoMBEs report.
1t is Mr.. SEcoMBE's fashion to abuse,
daily, leading Democrats of the State. He
does it as regularly as he takes his New
England rum. Yet, yesterday, he was con
victed of offences which should cause his
expulsion from the House. The crime falls
little short of forgery, and comes clearly
within the statute for obtaining goods under
false pretences.
The Republican members of the Honse
were deceived equally with the Democrats,
and the records of the House demonstrate
it. The bill passed the House on Monday,
the 9th, ayes IS, nays l6; yet on Friday
last, when Col. ROBERTSON exposed Sc.
coMBE's knavery, thirty-one Republican
Representatives-all of whom voted for
the bill-vrtually confessed they were not
aware of the interpretations made by SE-
coMBE, by supporting and voting for reso-
luton instructing the Judiciary Committee
to bring in an amendatory bill, repeating
the alterations surreptitiously and dishonest
ly made by Mr.. SEcoMBE.
SENATORIAL EPIsoDE.-Several Senators
who have had leave of absence for week
or two, were in their seats yesterday. The
cause of their absence may be surmised from
the following preamble and resolution.
Col. STEVENS of the Glencoe Register. who
is surpassed by no one on the floor, in his
constant attendance and devotion to business,
is withal, an inveterate wag, and while the
Secretary was engaged in the monotonous
business of reading road bills, &C., he arose,
and with becoming gravity, presented the
following, which was read twice. amidst
shout and laughter
| Whereas-The first and great commandment
left as legacy to mankind, more than six
thousand years ago, was to be fruitful, multiply,
and repenish the earth. And
Whereas- Emigration is the great staple of
the Northwest. particularly for Minnesota.
Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate of
Minnesota, That the observance of the precept