New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-01-24
MOSo\Y, ,IHui,ar; -,

MONDAY, januar: -. Is. |.
ELIGiHiIIT. az >L>ATr;:> ,oiDlS" STATE
OFFICES 10 .C.trl ,,ti, u> Tni SENATE
FLOOR.
Mr.. Levi, b9,ing called up I he resolution
presented two or tire" dd:> ago providin :,
Cor the aprGnj inen' VI 4 s'ecla! committee
Of three 70 ascertain how mary Senators
were holding seats in violation of the con
stitution-
Mr.. Mcal;i'en said: move 10 +. fer this
resolution to he Committee on Elections.
This strikes ne a. being a strange and I'M
necessary proceeding. 1t seems to me that
the qualifications OF members OF the Senate
can he investigated. primarily at least. by
orr standing Committee on Elections: and
if any member is occupying a seat on this
floor in violation of the requirements of the
constitution. that committee is competent
to ascertain the facts and report them to
the Senate for its action. This is all that
the resolution calls for. The Senator who
presented it simply wishes to ascertain.
if l understand the matter correctly.
whether any member of the Senate
is holding his seat contrary to the
requirements of the constitution. Now,
there probably exists in the mind of the
Senator that presents this resolution. and
in the minds of many people in this State, "a
false impression in regard to this matter.
that Senator can not occupy a seat on
this floor if he is. at the same time, an Off
Ger OF the United States government. That
is a mistaken idea: there is nothing in the
constitution which prohibits a man from
holding a seat in the State Senate and an
office under the United States government
ut the same time That question has been
under consideration at nearly every session
of the Legislature: and it seems to Inc it
has been definitely settled can not see
any prOpricty i'll having a special committee
appointed to investigate this subject when
we have a standing committee which could
perform the duty Just as we'll.
Mr.. Coupland remarked that the resolu-
ton did not apply to Senators holding
federal offices. but simply to1thosc who held
State Offices
Mr.. OIIara suggested that, as the q,,cs-
ton was judicial in its nature, it be referred
to the judiciary Committee.
Mr.. McMillen: | have no objection to that:
but would simply suggest to the Senator
from TerrebonDe that the standing Com
mittee onI Judiciary is not a judicial body
at all. Its members are nothing more than
the honorable Senator from TerrebOnnc-
simply Senator's: and some of them, per-
haps, do not know any more law than the
honorable Senator himself.
Mr.. Lewis remarked that the resolution
ultl uOl ~ lcutTdI OuiCtS. Uut STRICTLY
referred to State offices. He urged the
adoption of the resolution.
Mr.. McMillen insisted upon his motion to
refer it to the standing Committee Oh Elec-
lions.
Mr.. Blackman said that, in his opinion,
the standing committee had nothing to do
with the subject. The Committee on Elec-
tons could not take cosniZance Of any
thing OF the character of the resolution in
PRODUCED because there was no contest in
the matter and no petition had been pre-
presented by anybody. He did not know
what the object of the Senator from Sabine
was in introducing this resolution. but if
the honorable Senator thought that there
we're two or three Senators holding their
seats in violation Of the constitution he (Mr.
Blackman) considered it was very proper
that an investigation should he made. The
gentleman from Sabine might know more
about the facts Of the case than other Sem
ators, and he did not see any good reason