, 1869-05-28
the INDIANA BOILERS.
The Law Of Quorums.
Senator lWorton's Opinion.
An Exhaustive Argument.

An Exhaustive AE8NaeAls
r., n. t,.i,or NJ the Indianapolis Journal:
rne constitution Of the Stale provides that the
Hnnse snaU not exceed one hundred memoera
nor tho Senase ntsy members, Ana toc LcSnntmn5e m
Tnrse It one huud1e4i and tae Senate 1t dity- II
u contepded that under " circumstances quo
nm 81 the House consists q A1ty.seveo mem,
that whenever, BY RESIGNATION Or other caase, nc
pu1nbc1 Of members o. the House y tedueet oe-
iew .e,ssy;qu5 The ,1s;7o,e isTn eaaFfs .Se Se
se5,z sessss.!s e' app1opfs;ioa % sals I'D ossa
E.t1acauon Of the fifteenth article proposed b!
Coug7css Is an amendment TO he Consultation Of
ne Inted states re.,gne1 snes * sfa:s y, ,a u ne
ale 70 the number Of seventeen. thus withdraw,
iur more thao one-tnird Of the members elected
81; & ae enas etcss en- ees1es oT ss
10 b elected. Governor Baker lssutd wits Of
election 10 1l the vacancies caused By these rsst-
befs no resigned vera rc-elcc:ctl- The Cover
nor then c1uyCcef the Legislature In extra ses-
sion, a. he had right 10 DO, and It reasse molei
on the sth taJ CT April aud again. On tho lath tlAy
Of May, tEe Democratic members, to the nInatr
OF more thal one-thisd Of the members elected TO
each h5u:e, bur less than minority, res;.:ae:
their 5eat4 70 prevent the consideration OF ste
| constitutional amendment
| According 10 the CONSTRUCTION caCs.n.ird f17,
|
members cf The House. can, by resignation. de-
stroy the c1.s:ence C! the Legislature, and II they
are sustained BY majority OF the people Of tncir
districts. nay tie reelected and again reslsn- an
| thus, IN e:.ec1, oyc1trsu the GovcE1men. Q. the
Stale. II the Constitution Of Indiana tacs g:o-
rides fer rs oTn dcstl1er'on. Il Is hisa tune tse
people shtrld ua .:-1d It. acd taSc steps teE !t3
| ameEanctt.
Tae qsl$t!oa aor presented :s new L :no his.
| tory OF the State. Heretofore RE question Of
wha: constituted quorum IN the TWO ho1ses has
been raised ~ the nerc absence Of members, an
r yeans 0spes ,s p n ne sensz AT o
| whatever popular uotons CD The s1bEc: lily hnfc
| grown mr. hare been With rclcreuce to attempts
to break the quorum By mere ahsen1s and nel by
When the members Of either hoase arc absent
nom their feats, tie number required to coostt-
! he sen. for and thttr a,tendaact compelled; but,
| Nhen the number of members Is rdaced hS res
isnarons CT death. tsc qses:to7 $ ceanscd; aoa,
1nte quorum n each hoose IS ert.rsly dls.ines
anai p.ssase sag of Il blii Ill % Tae nnref Iscess15 ~ 10
constitute quorum may be greater or smaller
,han ne number required TO psss osl, as sall
The eleventh section Of the thlrd article Of the
constitution declares that ~two-thlrla Of each
ssefson Ita oi tse nsss article Of The Co1stitnslou
Of the Cnited states Ee.a1s as follows: :. Each
usaeaoas sss i s osn I'D
tortt5 Of each ssl constitute quorum to % hasl-
TIc..n,,s ~ rarn ho.sc ia rron,rcd IN rnns,,.
sute Quorum a Ia she s:ste Less!atare, 6us p,a.
jH4itJ Of each house Will constitute quorum IN
Congress Tps nf.t question, therefore u e!saeE
members does Il take to coust!tctethc hncse-'
And when We have asceltal1ed thai, then tFo-
n ~ : Tec1sIatnrc rr m,tnT4rr ~ tsnncress
Tne xhoie anes;ion INN! un9n ~ whaf nnmsrr n
members nay eons!isate tns .hoase.' !; ~
hnnSrG - ,,sn1te7S 1ntn 1xn15iris r. oas NV nm.
area-gr m., oe Necessary tos quo
itera he,n1 twrnty v,Sancics es - ;wn.tsinI. -
Shsr ~ Trr.fonT u snNsirr,-c rsc
ha.s,, II. ~ sn T coztstto q a.
| snuscr - '' ~ 49, l'S'e"' :" eo"ss''1ss 'N'
. Cieariy not. II IT we're 50. then state Leztsla
s.1o1a n,r nv r ,,ri.ei =, ,.i $500
Iao.I..tvc hot,;es " esnrrts'r thess conao.aT =
: !atss an%6e1., als seldom fal. j, harpsas sFes
~ nne sne 'na9 ete 6Ii I y ~ " ~.
sset. contested s:9e;ioEs @ res,gEai!ons or dea,a
shsy AZ never @ ft!ea Mltno3t sonas des1F, e.
n,s qs1es n .as ,n5oosnda. nnd re ns stop
70 e.ect, failure 10 aualtfy. o: these that relna:
% constitute ;he :.house," md to possess le::
/ existence as Legislature body
5 bers ) to . tie House Of Kericsent.:ises Of III
il State II from anr cause there should he II.
< TIRE TO elect in ten counties, an1 the Number :
1
= stitutc the "Hocse'' beyocd u: Question, a.
IT, 10 Of s a y tas 91ofss e,GN Il;
" urif 1ot members ee elected and taSc Their seat
: and ten Of them afterTafd dle Of resign. the n
. lnaiatns ninety would consulate tac 'House-
This Is necessary taw TO n legislative bodies, II
! fufl numbers ln seldom be Inai1-2tucd TieEs
u a not consist Of the who'll number OF member
+ ths M vsose nstsScT q sssaai e msm6e:s
q members eiectca ani qea,ined, !. vgoaii re1pil
7 | sltty.scycn to constitute tie quornn- II, on L
ns1t day. Mo members should ,ile ~ Eclnain!a y
: tEo-thtEds Of that tnar'ner-s.1:y;slx-woa 60,
soast,a.e ane vii essase io
~ Dire to time xl:a tic actual membership of tt
:, a Horse" Tac quorum Is Intended to 1usintA
u ! proportion Of members present 10 the ac:a
e ant;1ndzei s.it e. Ia Law = 70 h. ~ eIectsI
s. section Is, Of Article n. reads AZ follow.
.EserY biIi shau read hy sections on three se
=. eral days In each house, uness, in Of enc
~ gCncy, ty yo.e 0. twVth!nls of the house whe,
" s-ch b. mas - ierea Ing I! sa IL be deemed e:
a. sSouc,ce provision il The o,d coasrssutio pi i;
was In these wosas: Every hlu shall t'e r.-.l 6
y tcrs .a::9, I: shal e csen.es esl.-i y, 10 L.
y pease VIII ta:s sIle- issa3 neFe, M *I j, " 2s
- sion or lit rules required sxtyeeven votes !n u
aH Horse or thiIs!-!oar - the Seha'e, A!hbI9h II
| TEs.lSfO!LrN Precisely Llc Stt]llc -!
~ I4oved In the ceseEia section Of -" .o;.fta -
II Gle, which declares that "twcth!rs Of each boy
~ ~ stall constitute quorum 10 do business. II Il
"a ~ phrase "twtshlSls Of each loase'' means s1t
j. seven members Of ;hc House Of Kepresen!atlv
x md iht!tyfonc IN !he Senate to nrase t:o.S1
Il: II ~oalI Ef1n re e311e 1ltuH LOT tle histeIiHs
- - Of the rlieF, which hRa been settled tho OIL
he way. ..,.,.,,
d. ~ sSetuu loCs@scH y! atlShS tu4'' - - s -.
n either feEsc may ere! q netahcE. u oS y
ec thIns g! enner noEN nsHn ~ tsa W.
y. 70 the tiouse ant hhe ssnS'c; taGa
l. itei1eseNlA.ife eoa" AE.I ~ 80 ~ ~ -
than shis5teuf votes Wh:ra upt cnt.sanec y I,:'s
ey - - :. sst,.u, ~ aiTr~ =,
* seAsea W. tIrt - e. ~ ~ n|s-v c,n ~ - ,na,
ey Houiu Ee-annr 20 "zurrs ~. ~ ~ ~
De EemneI 10 taeau.ns tua' VI .S -
Of tss aars M, mn !, !. ~ .nst +ssx 7teW
81 E.n..;r.a hnc.ns. ~ IN tJfentr NM sae,tn,
he mein!ansn. {, - X sns son.tiian u y nror