The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-01-06

EXECUTIVE SESSION.
Mr.. NORRIS offered resolution that
the Senate 60 into Executive Session to
consider the nominations of Notaries Public.
The resolution having given rise to debate,
the President decided that it must be laid
over one day.
Mr.. COWAN then made motion that
the Senate now 60 into Executive Session.
On motion of Mr.. WINN the Senate
voted to make the Executive communication
the special order for Wednesday next at II
o'clock.
The Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
THURSDAY, Dec. 20, 1859.
The House met at the usual hour.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
Mr.. ACKER introduced bill providing
for township organization. The bill is
modelled on the Michigan law, retaining the
supervisor system, but simplifying the
working and reducing the expenditures.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Mr.. ACKER offered resolution pro.
viding for joint meeting of the Legislature
on Monday next, at IL o'clock, to receive
the State officers elect.
The Judiciary Committee reported bill
amending the act of the last Legislature
providing for change of venue in certain
cases, which was read at length.
Mr.. MEIGHAN introduced a bill for
further defining the duties of Register of
Deeds.
The Senate memorial to Congress for the
extension of the reciprocity to the northern
boundary of Minnesota, was read second
time, when
Mr.. ROBERTSON moved that it be
referred to the Committee on Commerce,
with instructions to inquire into and amend
the same so as to petition Congress for alb
solute free trade between the Hudson Bay
Territory and the boundary Of Minnesota,
which was agreed to.
The bills introduced yesterday were read
second time.
DAKOTA COUNTY CONTESTED ELECTION CASE.
Mr.. STEVENS moved, 1.-THE House be.
ing in Committee of the Whole,) that the
resolution of the majority of the Election
Committee be adopted. The resolution is
as follows:
Resolved, That Archibald M. Hays be, and
he hereby is declared elected to and a member
of this House, and that Ara Barton be, and he
hereby is declared not member of this House.
Mr.. ABRAHAM moved to substitute
the resolution in the minority report, as
follows:
Resolved, That Archibald M. Hays, Moses
Bixler and Henry Caskey, are elected to, and
they be admitted to seats as members of the
House of Representatives of the Legislature of
Minnesota, and that Michael Waldier, Stephen
Newell and Ara Barton are hereby declared
not to be members of said House of Repre-
sentatives.
Mr.. STEVENS said it was important
when great question of precedent was to
be decided, to decide the same free from
party bias. The rule of Congress for more
than fifty years, was to enquire who had
received majority of the legal votes; and
he trusted that would be the only question
here. He proceeded to examine the election
in the huntsville precinct; and although
he thought the manner of conducting
the election was illegal, and the re-
turn illegal, if any legal votes were
cast in the precinct, and this fact establish
ed, the votes must be counted for the per.
sons for whom they were cast and as ap-
peared from the majority report, that only
thirteen illegal votes were cast at the
precinct, the remainder of the return must
be received as legal.
Mr.. BARTON, 1.-THE member proposed
to be ousted by the majority report,) made
few remarks, upon the majority report,
stating that the only evidence before the
committee as to illegal voters, was from
State from the Goth of September to the
18th Of October. He reviewed the position
taken about the return not showing the
the Judges to be sworn, contending that
the presumption of law was that they had
proceeded according to law, and as no
evidence was adduced to show that they
had not been sworn, their return must be
taken as according to law. All be asked
was a careful consideration of the evidence
adduced, to convince any candid man, that
the conclusions OF the majority report we're
without the shadow Of evidence to sustain
| them, and that to GUST him on such evidence
would be the most fragrant act of injustice
ever perpetrated by any deliberative body.
He said he had been quite i'll for week,
and was unable thereby to defend his rights
properly, and for this reason only would
ask to be heard by counsel.
Mr.. SECOABE supported the resolution
of the Minority Committee, and went into
a consideration of the elective franchise; and
the rights of the House as court of equity,
not to ascertain who has been returned by
certificate, but who are entitled to seats by
having received majority Of the votSs cast