New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-04

is an office created by the senate, anu h t the
person filling tho position Is se eauo'u ~ me-
! that before we elect a. person 10
tIl an office. !, would he we'll. by some &C,
| t;on of thc Senate, to create that ONCE, ana
define the duties of the person elected to
| fill it, For this purpose, shouiu oe very
glad indeed to have the senator tnat n MI
| the melton 70 60 into an election 1or war
| rant Clerk withdraw that motion. and allow
me to make another motion, to elect a com
mittee on rules. in order that we may have
a committee elected. and that 1t may go 10
work digcsting Il proper set OF rules tor
the government of the Senate, which
rules. ! suppose, will embrace all the officers
of the Senate. and define the duties of those
respective officers Those rules will also
direct how those offices are to be filled
whether by appointment of the presiding
officer of the Senate. or by election Of the
Senate itself, and. if to be elected. whether
by voice or by ballot. 1t seems to me that
our experience here this morning has demon
strated the importance Of having some rules
to govern this body. The conduct of the
Senate this morning was not i'll accord
ance with that dignity and decorum
which is attached-in the popular mind, at
lcast-to the highest branch of the legis-
lative power take it, Mr.. President, that
this is largely caused by the absence of
rules. We are actually laboring here to-day
without rnles-electing officers to do some
thing that we and they do not know any
thing about. In other words, putting the
cart before the horse, or electinG officers be-
fore the offices they are intended to fill are
created. 1t seems to me that 1t Is time Tor
us to pause in our career, and go back. II
we can to the right track. l think that we
should first have a Committee Oh Rules. and
that that committee should have ample
time to prepare Il set Of rules for the gov
eminent of this body. Those rules will
doubtless embrace all the offices which are
necessary for the transaction of the business
of the Senate, and when those rules are
adopted. we can then go on and elect Off
GERS to fill those offices. hope the Senator
that makes the motion to 60 into an election
for Warrant Clerk. ian office unknown to
the present Senate), will withdraw that mo-
ton and permit me to make motion to
elect Committee on Rules.
Mr.. Smith: The Senator from Car
roll has given very good reason
why we should not go into an elec-
tiou for Minute Clerk; but we should
have thought OF that before. We have
elected a Secretary and Sergcant-at-A Arms,
but we had no more right to elect the bal
ance Of the officers that We have elected
than we have to choose Warrant Clerk.
We could as consistently elect q Warrant
Clerk as We could elect u Minute Clerk. or
an Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms. 1t seems to
me that as we have gone so far, that we
should stop at this particular point.
The motion Of Senator Campbell to elect
q Committee on Rules coming up
Mr.. Ray asked if an election was pro
posed to be held under the resolution
passed yesterday.
The President: so understand it.
Mr.. Ray: Then, Mr.. President, l raise the
question that that resolution is a nu!lity.
and can not be considered by the Senate at
all: because it is i'll direct conflict with a
constitutional provision. l will read the
resolution Tor the information OF the
Senate.
Mr.. Ray here read the resolution.
Article lH7 OF tie constitution says:
In all elections by the people, the vote
shall he taken by ballot: and in all cleo
tons by the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives, jointly or separately, the vote
shall be given eira rOce.' Therefore. the
resolution passed Yesterday is in direct VIC
entertained.
Mr.. Campbell: My motion is that. with
ont any reference to any resolution already
passed the Senate do now proceed to tue
election of II committee to report rules for
the government of this body.
Mr.. COPELAND: That resolution was
adopted by the Senate yesterday, and was
entered on the minutes and made part OF
the proceedings on record. The minutes
have been adopted by the Senate, ami the
Senate is bound by that resolution.
Mr.. Blackman: There is only one way for |
us to get out OF this difficulty. If the rcso- !
luton passed yesterday is in conflict with |
the constitutions. one Of the members of the |
Senate that voted with the majority has a
right to move for a reconsideration OF the |
vote by which that resolution was adopted: !
but certainly the Senate is bound by the |
resolution that it passed yesterday. If the |
Chair decides this resolution now offered |
out of order. shall certainly vote to sus-
tain that decision, should an appeal be ,
taken theretrom.
The President: The Chair will pronounce |
this resolution. now offered out OF order, |
simply because it is exactly the same reso- |
luton that was passed yesterday, and the |
Senate is bound by that resolution.
Mr. Campbell: it is proper for any Sen |
ator to make Il motion to elect any commit |
tee that he desires elected. The resolution |
passed yesterday was simply that the Sen |
ate should proceed to the election, by |
ballot, OF a committee on rules, with |
out stating the time that the cleo |
ton should take place. The Senate |
adjourned without proceeding to act upon |
that resolution; and, so tar as Its cnect Is |
concerned, it was null and void. The fact |
is, Mr. President, that | can not see how we |
can get at this matter, except upon an origi- |
nal motion. As far as the resolution passed |
yesterday is binding on us, it is not any |
more so than q motion made by the Senator |
from Claiborne, Yesterday, to go into an |
election for Warrant Clerk. would be. And |
vet. if the. Senator had made such a motion 1
yesterday. and had made the same motion |
a gain to-day, the Chair would rule it out of |
order therefore appeal from the decision |
of the Chair.
The Chair was sustained.
The Senate then adjourned.
l,Le luliau Reservation Sefflerka b