Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-15
OUR REPREsENTATIvEs.
A Full Exposition Of Difficulties I'm Che
Tennessee Legislature.
A Truthful and Clear Statement by
Mr., Poston.

a Irutntul ana clear statement by
Mr. Poston
In order that those whom we have imme-
diately represented for a brief period in the
House Of Representatives of the General
Assembly Of the State of Tennessee, may
understand precisely the status of affairs in
that body, and the reasons that impelled us
to the action we have taken, / beg leave, in
addition to the matters set forth in the cad
dress to the people Of Tennessee" submitted
by ourselves in conjunction with other re-
firing members. to say that, prior to the 18th
day of February, 1866, various disfranchis-
ing bills had been introduced into the House
of Representative, of character and tenor
widely diverse, some of exceeding stringency,
and some Of provisions more liberal and just.
One introduced by the venerable and
highly esteemed senior member from David
son, the Hon. William B. Lewis, the lifelong
friend and intimate privy counsellor of the
Hero of the Hermitage" the tried and
unfinching friend of the Union in its darkest
hours and member Of the present I,egis-
| lature of Tennessee, based upon the provis-
| ions of the amnesty proclamation Of Presi-
dent johnson others introduced by extrem-
lists of the Radical faction, ultra and ex-
| NlitolNt W Nlc ldSb OCSICC. lhCoC NdllOuo
| bills had been referred to a special COM
mittee, with instructions to report upon
| them, or to report a bill in lieu. This
special committee had reported bill much
more stringent liz its provisions than the
present franchise law, which had, without
discussion, been adopted in lieu fall Others
and was lying on the table of the House
awaiting action,
On the 18th of February the franchise
bill reported by the committee and adopted
in lieu of all others, was called up for ac-
tion in the House. and then, for the first
time, the Representative from Bedford and
Rutherford offered in lieu the present most
extraordinary, unjust, and iniquitous bill.
This bill is more stringent far in its provis-
ions than the franchise law now in force,
annuls all the certificates Of registration
heretofore issued, excluding from the right
of registration and of suffrage many per-
sons entitled thereto under the existing law,
and in addition thereto, comforting upon the
Governor of the State the power Of appoint
ing for each county of the State a commits
siOner of registration, who is made the ex-
elusive judge of the qualification of appli-
cants and of the weight of testimony intro
duced TO establish loyalty, and empowered
to call in rebutting testimony to disprove
that loyalty. From the decision of this
commissioner there can be no appeal.
This bill is the creation of the Secretary
of State, A. j. Fletcher, was by him intro
duced into the caucus Of the majority, was
by him argued and urged at length, all
amendments or alterations thereto refused by
him, and that majority instructed finally, in
substance, that the bill must be passed IN its
present form. 1t came to the House in the
hand writing of its author. Cotemporaneous-
ly with the action of the Secretary Of State
appeared in the columns of the Knoxville
Wing, the organ and generally acknowledged
property of the Governor of the State, an
editorial from which we Gull the following
extraordinary significant paragraph:
If the people ever did plant themselves
firmly on any platform, it is off the platform
now occEpied by the so-called Radicals or
faction constituting the majority in the
present Congress. We go with that faction
of Radicals, we approve their principles and
policy, and live or die, siuk or swim, survive
or perish, we risk our life, our fortune ard
opr sacred honor on board of that ship"
This bill, thus fathered, and thus herald
ed, being offered in lieu of the committee
bill, the motion was made, as is customary
with all measures of grave importance, to
postpone its consideration, and have the bill
printed for the information of the members
This motion was voted down, and the "pre-
vious question" called and ordered upon the
motion to adopt in lieu. Under this appli-
cation of the parliamentary bayonet," the
bill was adopted in lieu of the committee
bill, instantly put upon itssecond reading,
the previous question again called and or
dered, and the bill passed upon its second
reading.
1t was then made the order of the day"
for the succeeding day, (Friday.) This
summary method of proceeding with a
measure so important in its character and
grave in its consequences, called forth pro-
tests in such numbers from both friends and
foes of the measure, that the leaders of the
Radical faction, three in number, openly on
the floor of the House pledged themselves
that when the bill should be called on the
morrow, it should be open for unlimited dis
cussion and amendment.
On Friday morning the bill was again
called, Mr.. Steele, of Marshall, permitted to
make an argument in opposition to the bill
of an hour and hal7s duration, and Mr..
Elliott. Of Rutherford, the friend of
franchise bill, but the opponent of this par
ticular bill, to follow in an argument of half
VI bhiSS vi III OppOSlliOu w
the bill, when Mr.. Ralston, of Marion, lone
of the Radical majority rose and proclaimed
to the House, that he held himself bound by
the pledges of no man, leader or otherwise,
called for the "previous question:" thus
again shutting off discussion or amendment.
In his call for the previous question he was
sustained by the vote of almost the entire
Radical majority, including the very men,
bers who had, upon the floor of the House,
so solemnly pledged themselves to an open
and free discussion of the measure The |
Conservative minority, finding themselves |
cut off from all opportunity of either show |
ing up the enorISities of the bill calculated |
and designed to disfranchise three-fourths of |
the people of Tennessee or to amend it in |
any of its mOnstrous features, retired from |
the House in numbers sufficient to reduce |
the House below quorum, and thus defeat |
the passage of the bill.
The previous question" feature of par |
liamentary proceeding instituted in the |
British Parliament, for excluding discussion
upon questions of delicacy involving per-
sons in high positions, and continued in use |
in this country TO cut off wranging upon /
important questions, was thus prostituted to |
base partisan uses in the effort TO strangle |
debate on vital question, a question in |
volving directly the dearest right of more |
than one hundred thousand freemen, and |
indirectly the peace, harmony, and liberty |
of the entire population of Tennessee. A |
parliamentary tack IN ITSELF it could only be /
met, and IDas properly and successfully met by |
a parliamentary trick.
E. A careful examination of the bill thus |
defeated will disclose the following features, |
abhorrent in the last degree to every rightly |
thinking mind:
l. 1t limits the elective franchise in the |
State Of Tennessee to less than $4,000 men |
$1,000 in East Tennessee, and less than |
$4,000 in Middle and West Tennessee COM
bined, thus giving to East Tennessee three !
Representatives in the State Legislature 10 |
one in Middle and West Tennessee COM
bined
.. 1t gives, or viii give under the pro-
posed revision and apportionment of Con- |
gressiOnal representation, 10 the State of |
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