Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-07-12
THE LEGISLATURE - PASSAGE By
THE SENATE OF THE CONsTTTU'
TIONAI AMENDMENT.

TIONAL AMENDMENT.
The proceedings at the Capitol on yester-
day were of more importance than those Of
any day since the commencement Of the at
tempt to assemble the Legislature. The
House Of Representatives numbered fifty
one-fve less than a quorum. Upon the
announcement Of this fact, a resolution was
introduced and passed ordering the Sergeant
alarms to produce absent members, and
naming a number of them whose conduct
was held as refractory and coatemPtuous,
and who were required to be summoned and
brought to the bar Of the House to answer.
One Of the members present, (Mr. WI
LIAGs, Of Carter, presented paper stating
his reasons for declining TO participate in
any action at the present time upon the
Constitutional amendment.
In the Senate, Mr.. FRAZIER, Of Knox, pre-
scented protest against the action oil the
Senate in sending to the table Mr. TIIoNP-
SONS resolution submitting the amendment
to the popular vote, to the reception oi
which Mr. TRnmLE offered frivolous
technical objection, which was sustained by
his party friends. Mr. FRAZIER also offered
a resolution regarding the construction to
be placed on the proposed amendment, and
declaring the privileges and powers reserved
in the ratification By this State. This wai
also promptly tabled. The question was
/ then called on the resolution Of ratification
which was adopted by a vote Of fourteen to
six. These proceedings with a brief re-
port Of the discussion, and the ayes and noes
upon the final vote, will be found in the
proper column.
We have heretofore given the opinion
that such action on the part Of the Senate is
unwarranted by the Constitution of the
State, and that it has no sanction in prece-
dent or former usage, and have no question
that the whole proceedings of that body in
regard 10 the amendment are utterly in
valid and of no binding force or effect. The
twenty men who sit in that chamber have
no more power in the premises over the
question of ratification than any other
twenty men in the State who might choose
to assemble for its confederation. They are
not invested with legislative powers until
the coordinate branch of the General As
sembly has given them notice of the
fact that the constitutional two-thirds Of
its members are present and ready to pro
coed to business. No member Of the Senate
has yet dared to assume the negative of this
proposition and argue it, nor has one conde
scended to discuss the expediency and jus
tice Of taking the popular judgment in re
gard 10 this important question. The ma
jority, subservient and drilled to their task
vote 70 the table every protest and every
proposition, and advance reckIessly TO the
contamination of their purposes. They are
bold men, but they can rest assured that be-
fore the people are done with them they will
have need for all the boldness they possess.
What success the Radicals Of the House
viii have in enforcing quorum we cannot
cell, but we reiterate the counsel rendered a
day or two since. Let every man who pro-
poses TO vote against the amendment with
draw and refuse participation until the peo-
pie in their primary and sovereign capacity
have passed upon it. The man who is de-
tered from fear Of denunciatiOn as bolter,
will regret his participation by presence to
the last day Of his existence. The people
are comparatively powerless now, but it is
only a temporary allegiance. Their voice
will be heard sooner or later, and when the
Juggernaut of righteous public opinion
shall crush and crunch the bones of the
Radicals who are leading in this outrage, it
will be sad to see the regulations of better
men mangled because they lacked the cour-
age to take the responsibility.