The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-03-21
Columbus Correspondence
COLUMBUS March 9. 1860.
Raar nanlncrnt.

citlng ones al tne capltal. III vas supposed
that The decisive vote of Friday last, on the
subject of sn adjournd session, would, with
out doubt, be 6aal and conclusive, 10 favor of
o sine die adjournment But within few
days. marvellous changes have been wrought
in the opinions o: the members of tie Gener-
al Assembly. and yesterday the House resoIv-
ed by vote of SO to 36 TO adjourn on the
26th of March, to meet again on the lst of
January 1861. This resolution was thrown
in upon he Senate, and to-day has been full
of excitement. 1t must, however be remark
ed. in justice TO the majority party, in the
Legislature, that some fifteen Democrats in
the House, and two in the Senate went over
to the other side and turned the scale in favor
of the measure. In the Senate. it was quite
fully discussed. / give in brief the considera
tions urged on each side of the question. by
the Senators who spoke. Those who favored
the adjourned session urged:
l. That it is exceedingly dangerous to the
financial and civil interests of the great State
of Ohio. that two years should be allowed to
pass; without demand from the people that
her State officers shall give an account ofiheir
stewardship
2 That the interegnum of 1855, caused by
the failure of the Legislature to hold an ad-
joulned session-was The occasion of great de
lalcations 10 the treasury.
8. That special force ie given to the points
already named by the fact that the State must,
within the next eighteen months, borrow the
enormous sum of six millions of dollars to
meet the demands of the public debt. This
transaction should be guarded.
4. The pressing necessity Of making an ear
ly disposition of our Pubic Works-and the
emergencies which ma, c,astantly arise in re-
gard to them demand = adjourned session.
5. That by holding an adjourned session
the present one may be made much shorter
than it otherwise could-and thus the expense
be but little greater than one long session
wonld make it. But one session for ten years
has been as short as this will be by adjourn
irg on the 26th inst. f'4
6. The re-districting of the Stafe-which
by law of Congress of 1S50-it is claimed is
made obligatory on this LegisIature-and
which the interests of the Republican party
10 Southern Ohio. imperatively demand-re-
qnires an adjourned session.
Tkese considerations were urged by Sena-
tors Moore, Collins. Stanley and Key.
In opposition it was claimed
That nm o.Isou,,od ,o,,:a,
and undeniabIy violation of the spirit of the
Constitution. In the Constitutional Conven-
ton the biennial sessions clause was adopted
by vote of 81 to 20. When an amendment
to that clause was offered by Mr.. Stanherry
TO give the Legislature power to hold adj
journed sessions, it was voted dewn--as sub
versive to the very purpose of the clause
2. The proposition to hold annual sessions
has twice been submitted to the people, and
they have emphatically rejected it.
Sd. The sentiments Of our fellow citizens
. expressed in public journal, and resolutions oil
conventions. indicate clear decision of the
people against the measure
4. Though it may he true that the interests
of the State demand annual sessions, yet the
people must be allowed to see the necessity OF
them-It is their right not ours-to determine
what their interest are.
5. In regard 10 redistrictiug the State-no
election would be held under the new arrange.
mentor nearly three years. and it is not prop
erly the work of this Legislature.
Viauad in the I;frbt Of, ., v,a-f;1ar r,aoe
are, it is a very impolitic one. 1t is the high
est praise to a victorious party that it uses
victory with moderation.
z. No emergency now known, warrant:
this General Assembly in holding an adiounec
session. If some unforeseen circumstances
making it necessary, should occur-it will bs
the duty Of the Governor to call an extra one
These views were advocated in the Senat,
by Messrs Harrison, Jones, Garfield Ferguson
and Orr.
Afer half a score of parliamentary maneuv
ers, the final vote was taken, and resulted a
follows:
AYEs.-Messrs. Breck. Bopar, Collins, Cup
py. Fisher. Glass, Key Laskey, Mccall Mon.
roe, Moore, Morse, Parish. Pots, Potwir
Schlieich, Smith. Sprague. Stanley, Walker
White-21.
NAYs-Messrs. Brewer, Cox, Eason Fer.
guson, Foster, Garfield, Harrison, Harsh
Holmes, Jones. Orr, Ready-12.
PerriIl and Newman (Democrats) dodgiDe
There was great deal of feeling Oh bot
sides, But it is once more considered a Get
tied question. have DO doubt the decisio
will stand. The friends of a sine die adjourn
ment are now talking of passing law restrict
ing the adjourned session to sixty or sevent
days. Yours truly. j.