, 1863-01-19
Icgfs1atfvcD d DofnXs-.Tlc Contested Seat
Tho Senatorial C0ntest-Invcstfnen
Of the School lFnnd-Sknttng.
Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribunc.l
MADISON, Wis, Jan, II, 1858,

Especial Correspondence Of the Chicago Tribunc, I
MADISON, Wis, Jan. II, 1863.
The Senate yesterday disposed Of the Chap
lain question, utter less than the usual amount
Of stale jokes and rain trifing by inviting the
resident clergy to open sessions with prayer.
That part Of the Governors message rela-
tive to the improvement Of the Fox and Wis
consin Rivers, was referred to a Joint Select
Committee Of five.
In the Assembly the petition Of the State
printers for relief, was referred to the Com
mittec on Printing.
ME. sharpstein presented the petition Of Mr..
Harms Of Grant county, with reference to Ills
right to his seat as a member Of the Assembly,
which is contested by ]. H. Rountrcc. 1t was
referred to the select committee appointed on
Mr. Rountree's petition BY strict party vote.
The facts are that hIr. Harms, owing to the
great drain Of loyal men from the district. had
. majority on the homo vote of efel1ty-seyen.
Returns were received Of the vote from only
small part Of the soldiers from the district.
The whole vote received gave Mr., Rountrec
eighty eighty majority, and thus clear ma
jority Of one. The State canvasscrs, however,
under our stringent laws with regard to can.
yassing votes, rejected enough Of the army
vote to leave Harms twenty-five majority.
There Is some doubt whether, under the law,
one Of the soldiers votes could be counted in
any event, leaving the vote just tic. Dir.
Rouutree claims that large number Of ilie.
gal votes were cast at home by persons who
had never declared their intentions, and the
vote Of ono town, giving Harms eighteen ma
1or1ty, was canTassed without pou-list. 4
commissioner will probably be appointed
to go down and take Testimony as to this ille-
gal vote, and who it was cast for, There il
little doubt that Mr. Rountrec will gct Tie
seat.
The Senatorial contest wakes warm, tloueh
disintcrested ~ outsiders with Democratic
procllyit1cs, arc the most active In the matter.
Three or fonr pamphlets, in prose and verse.
mainly against Senator Doolittle, haye been
distributed round the Lcgislature, md the
Journal last evening had defense Of lis
course on the contscation bill. Failing to
make q point on Alexander Mitchell M at-
tempt was made yesterday to change the base
Of operations to Daniel Wells of Milwaukee,
but not much progress .Sas made in that di-
reetion:; Mr: Waldo does not dcyelope much
Of the Supreme Court is mentioned in con
nection with the scnatorship, by men Of
conservative tendencies. 1t is under
stood that he will retire from the
bench at the close Of his present term. he
may not be quite SO "conserratiye' us some
suppose: He expressed the warmest approval
OF tho Governors message, the other day,
and remarked that this war had made him 4
thorough AbolItlonist.
New arguments for the policy recommended
by the Governor, and already partially adopt
cd, Of investing the school fund in the bonds
Of the State, are found In the facts that owing
10 the abundance Of money, and distrust ef
the currency, payments on the principal due
on school lands and loans are made at the rate
Of 8, 600 day; and that since the usual rate
Of interest is reduced to the same figure as
that charged by the State, It will no longer be
curity demanded by the State for loans from
the school fund.
There is no snow here, and the skating on
the lakes Is superb. Pu116s.