The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-24


practised 10 the passage of the bill, the
| power to canvass the vote for county officers
and members of the Legislature was now
concentrated at the Capitol in the hands of
single officer. and these interpretations had
been made by Mr.. Secombe without author
ity from the House, and had been rushed
through without giving members time to
find out the fraud. The speaker then
showed by comparison OF the bills, that
Mr.. Secombe, who did the work of the
committee and made the report, had quietly
amended the provision authorizing the can
vass OF the votes for county officers, State
Senators and Representatives, to be made
by the County Auditor and two Justices of
the Peace, and had substituted therefor, that
the canvass for all these officers should be
made at the capital. by the Secretary of
State, who was empowered to issue certif>
Gates of election. He also pointed out as an
instance of the narrow minded partizanism
of the st. Anthony member, that he had in
the'same surruptitious manner, stricken from
the bill provision that two Justices of the
Supreme Court, should assist the Governor,
the State Auditor, and the Attorney Gen
eral in making the canvass for members of
Congress.
Mr.. Robertson said he stated facts, aud
did not want to occupy time in discussing
them. He appealed to every right thinking
man in the House, if the bill, as it now
stood, was not wrong. He, and others, had
been entrapped into voting for it. They
now asked that the bill be changed to con-
form with the views of the House, and to
the bill the members thought they were
voting for.
Mr.. STEVENS conceded with Mr.. r.
The bill should be amended. 1t centralized
power in dangerous manner.
Mr.. SECOMBE said the gentleman from
Ramsey, (Mr. b. had discovered another
trick. If he had paid more attention to
business, he would have known what was in
the bill. The gentleman here launched off
into long and violent harangue about
Democratic frauds and Democratic mal-ad-
ministration. He paid very little attention
to the charge made by Col. Robertson but
sounded the whistle, and put down the
breaks, as signal for the Republicans to
follow their leader. His explanation of the
changes made in the bill, where that he had
announced to the House, that material al.
terations had been made in it; that it had
been presented and it was the fault of
members if they were not acquainted with
its contents.
A sharp personal colloquy took place
between Messrs Stevens and Secombe.
Mr.. ROBERTSON said the gentleman
from st. Anthony had made a characteristic
speech. As was his habit, when he wanted
to dragon men to his views, he abused the
Democratic minority. He (Mr. r. in voting
for the bill, relied on the integrity of the
committee, and it was the general under
standing that no other alteration had been
made in the bill than the one directed to be
made by the House. He supposed be was
dealing with honest men and did not think
the gentleman from st. Anthony, even,
would be guilty of such trickery. The
speaker here referred to the enormity of the
provision inserted by Mr.. Secombe it was
dangerous to the rights of the people, and it
would be condemned by them. He (Se-
combe) talked of Democratic frauds, but
here was fraud by the wholesale.
Further remarks were made by Messrs.
Secombe, Cleveland and Stevens, when the
House took recess.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr.. BURNHAM offered the following
substitute for Mr.. Robertson's resolution :
RESOLVED, That the Committee on Judiciary
be instructed to report a bill providing that
the vote cast in the several counties for county
officers and members of the Legislature, be
canvassed, and certificates issued in the
counties where such votes were cast, and that
such certificates shall be p' ina tacie evidence
of election.
Mr.. FOX hored the resolution would
pass. He was in favor of a registry law,
but was opposed to centralizing power at
the capital, and requiring all county officers
to obtain certificates from the Secretary of
State.
Mr.. ROBERTSON accepted the substi-
tute, and hoped it would be adopted in lieu
of his own resolution.
Mr.. SECOMBE moved to amend the
resolution, so as not to apply to members of
the Legislature, thus leaving the power to
canvass the votes cast for them, in the hands
of the Secretary of State.
Messrs. ROBERTSON,C LEVELAND,
FOX, BURNHAM, and others, spoke on
the subject.
Mr.. TOLLMAN, member of the Com.
mittee to whom it was referred, lin connec-
ton with Messrs. Secombe ard Phender,)
stated that he had no knowledge while
acting on the Committee, that it was in
tended to make any further change in the
provisions of the bill, than those comtem
plated by the House, in referring it, which
were to change the sections in reference to q
registry law, SO as to make that law apply
to the whole State, instead of the cities
alone. He had never been shown the
report of the Committee by the Chair
man, (Mr. Secombe,) and did not know
that the Interpolation giving the Sec
Secretary of State power to canvass the
vote for cuunty officers and members of the
Legislature, had been made, until the bill
was passed.
Mr.. SECOMBE said the bill had been
presented with the amendments made, and it
was the fault of members if they did not
make themselves acquainted with its con-
tents. He further argued that the Secre-
tary of State was the proper officer to can
vsss the votes fosSenators and Representa-.
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