Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-06-11

of the fourth article, which declares that " two
thirds OF each House shall constitute acuorum to
90 business" If the phrase " two-thrtle of each
House .means sixty-seven members in the
House Of Representatives and thirty-fcur in the
thing for the Of Se rues WbcS icS
has been settled the other way.
BY section fourteen Of article four, two-thirds
Stwo.thirds Of either House" is meant sxty-seyGeS G
votes in the House and thirty-four in the Senate
then Representative could never be expelled by
less than thirty-four votes, which is not contend
ed by anybody. If 1t were so, and the House of
Representatives were reduced to sixty-seven
members, 1t would require the vote Of every one
to expel member for corruption, Including that
destroy the Legislature. But 1t is said this view
cannot be maintained, because by the twenty-ffth
it is provided that g a majority of the members
elected to each House shall be necessary to pass
every bill or joint resolution" That under this
BILL and Therefore that the quorum could never
consist of less than ffty-one members. 1t will be
observed that the language Of this section is en-
tirely different from that of the seventh section,
section declares that !" two.thirds Of each House
shall constitute quorum;n - but this section de.
clares that majority of all the members elected
or joint resolution" This, therefore, is an inde
pendent and arbitrary provision, regulating the
final spassage of bills and joint resolutions, and
has nothing whatever to do with the question of
Again, in section IA of the 6th Article, the
votes of a" majority of all the members elected
to each House" are required to pass bill over
the Governors veto. In the 1st section of Ar
ticle 49, the Legislature, by the votes of 'tm ma
jority of the members elected to each Of the two
Houses may submit to the people propositions
to amend the Constitution. And again, it is
provided in the 7th section of Article 6, that
State officers may be removed from Office for
crime, incapacity or negligence, by impeachment
or joint resolution, "two-thirds of the members
elected to each branch voting In either case
therefor" "Two-thirds of the members elected
to each branch" or House is a very different
statement from two-thirds of each House." and
is obviously used in a different sense. " Two
thirds of each House. refers to its present or
actual condition, while ttwo-thirds of the mem
bers elected to each branch ~ or House refers to
the number originally elected, but which may
have been reduced by resignation, death or expul-
sion. - e. .7r . ..se.- Il. a-
It is two-thirds vote in each case, but two
thiros of different aggregates. In the one case 1t
is twO-thirds Of the actual membership of the
House, whether it consist of one hundred or sixty
members. In the other, it is two thirds of the
members originally elected, which number may
have been greatly reduced. .i.7-
This is complete and inexorable. From
its logic there is no escape. Mr.. Morton
shows that his Interpretation is that
adopted by Congress aud by State Legis-
latures generally, viz. that "a majority
of each House is a majority of the actual
members. ALI fear that the ratification
will be held invalid may, therefore, be dis
missed.-Chicago Journal.