The Placer herald., 1866-07-28
The Tennessee Rump Legislature.

| The appeal Of the forty Radical members
Of Concres. to Parson Browulow to Assem-.
bIe bis ''pet lambs" TO ra,ify the revolution
ary constitutional amendments has called
attention to the peculiar character and bis.
tory Of this Tennessee rump Legislature.
This was known hitherto to very few OF the
forty Congressional petitioners, or they
would not have built such high hopes upon
the effect Of the raj i6calion by such nom
descript concern. 1t has not even the right
to the dignity Of being styled provisional
legislature. II is simply an infamous usur-
patton BY few individuals of the preroga.
lives Of State Legislature. 1t has really
no more authority than an ordinary town
meeting. This is its history: In January
1865, before the conclusion Of the war. there
! was assembled at Nashville u mass conven,
ton OF the Union men of the State. About
five hundred were present, some representing
constituencies, more representing only lhem'
selves. The original purpose OF this COM
venton was TO make arrangements for call.
ing regular State convention to amend the
constitution aud restore the State govern.
ment. but, upon deiberation, the convention
concluded. without calling State conven'
ton, to propose and lay before the people
amendments to the constitution and a gen.
eral ticket for State officers and members of
Legislature to be elected If the amend
ments should be adopted. The convention
consequently put forth general ticket,
with Brownlow for Governor and twenty-five
names for the State Senate and one hundred
and uine names for Representatives. This
| l,ro aroI IL. bat IF clc c.t oI Thoca
were cast in the election twenty.nine thous
and votes, out Of a voting population OF one
hundred aud forty thousand After the con.
cuson Of the war majority of the Repre-
senlatives thus elected resigned their places,
believing that the occasion for such irregu ar
proceedings had passed. and that the people
of each district had right to select for
themselves their representatives. Upon
wris Of election to fl these vacancies, in
almost every instance, conservative men were
chosen; but the rump Of the Legislature,
composed of those who did not resign, refus.
ed, in imitation of our rump Congress, to
admit the representatives so elected, except
just enough to insure to them a quorum.
ihs is what is now styled the Legislature of
Tennessee. At its adjournment il was com,
posed OF sixty one members, ffty-fve being
required for quorum of the 100 which
constitute the House Of Representatives
OF these sixty one, if there should be quo
rum assembled at the called session, it is ex
pected that thirty .fue will vote for the con-
stitutional amendments. Waving the irregu.
Iari,y OF the election, the result, TO make the
best Of it, will be the ratification Of the con,
slitutional amendments by 35 out Of 100
members, the whole number of whom were
elected by 10000 out of 10000 voters of
the State. Yet this is the starting point
for the adoption Of the abortion of the Cen
,ral Directory by three fourlhs Of the States.
The Congressional party are patiently wait
ing for the action Of this runp Legislature
of Tennessee. with the intention of insulting
the people Of the other States, by holding it
up as an example Of their conduct. There
never was presented to the count-y-,here
| cannot be conceived a more contemplate
exhibition Of miserable ;rickery and oura
geous t'it1ing with the most important inter.
esls of thrty6ve millions Of people.
| National Intelli0encer.