New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-02-14
S1e,r 0rlea,ls Republican.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MEN ORLEANS
DEBATES OF THE SENATE.

TUESDAY, February :, 1871.
INVESTIGATION OF THE CASE OF JOHN A.
CHEEvERs AND r. BEAUvAs.
Mr. Uunsaker, having introduced Il Joint
resolution calling for the appointment of a
committee to investigate the case OF John
A. Cheevers, District Attorney, and Il.
Beauvais, Judge Of the Fourth Judicial
D;strict of Louisiana, said: II there are no
affections will move that this resolution
be adopted at once. would suggest that the
committee to be appointed should he com
nOsed of men learned in the law in order
that they nkly understand whether or not
these men have violated their official oaths.
/ have been urged to this course by the
constituents whom have the honor to rep
sent on this floor. l desire 70 have fair
investigation Of this matter. | ask for a
suspension of the rules III order that the
Senate NAV act upon this resolution.
Mr.. Smith: ! object to a suspension OF the
rules for the purpose of acting upon this
resolution, and will state my reasons for
doing 80.
The President called the Senator to order,
the resolution not being before thu Senate.
Mr.. Smith: The resolution is false upon its
very face. IVA a,+,,,,,, mr.
Smith) has used unpnrlianentary language
to me, and tell him now that Will hold
him responsible for that language.
The resolution laid over under the +
COMMITTEE on ELECTIONS.
Mr.. O'lIara moved to reconsider the vote
by which the resolution offered oy Senator
Pinchback relative to the appointment OF
two additional members on the Committee
on Elections was passed
Mr. Pinchback rose to make the point OF
order that the object for which the resolu-
ton was passed was cons,immated. and
therefore the motion to reconsider came too
late.
The Chair decided the point not we'll
taken.
Mr.. Pinchback: l would like to be in
formed why the Senator Mr.. q Hara) con-
siders it necessary that this resolution
should be reconsidered. | mig hit vote for a
reconsideration myself if ! was shown some
good reason for doing so. l do nOt think it
right and proper that we should proceed to
the reconsideration of resolution which
was adopted by deliberate vote of the
Senate unless some good reason Is ASST gned
for it.
Mr. O'Hara: have a reason. and a good
one, too for asllin. the Senate to reconsider
its action upon this resolution. Several
Senators who voted yesterday in the at
firmativc requested NE this morning to move
for reconsideration Of the vote by which
it was passed. The reason voted for the
resolution Yesterday was because | hoped
to force the Committee on Elections to make
a report to the Senate. l have been assured
this morning that if the Senate will let them
alone, they will bring in report within two
or three days. My only desire is that they
shall make p report. l care not whether
the committee is composed o; three or five
or ten Senators. | want the question set
tied at once whether the gentlemen whose
seats were contested here have or have not
a right to the places they occupy. If they
are entitled to a seat on this toor, want
them to be confirmed in that right. If they
are holding their seats improperly. | want
the contestants to be seated IN their stead.
The order of the day was here called for.
and postponed twenty minutes.
Mr.. O'Hara: There is another reason
which prompts me to make this motion to
reconsider We commenced this fight in
the commencement of this session. and
there was no Senator who took a more stead
fast stand on the side espoused than my
self. have seen the uselessness Of it. The
question of the election by the Senate Of its
standing committees has involved the State
into a large amount of debt from the delay
that has been occasioned to our leg islatiOn.
/ do not wish to attribute this depiorablc
fact to the efforts of any particular Senator;
but it is plainly evident that we would have
done great deal more legislation if we had
adhered to the old rules. This session has
already extended almos. to the Constitu-
tional limit. and do not want to see the
valuable time of the Senate spent in Use
less fight between two factions. 1t does not
benefit one single Senator on this floor; it
does not benefit their constituencies; it
benefits 10 one. | want 70 see thia ullcs-
ton settled at once. in order that we may
proceed with orr legislation. Every day
there is some new resolution offered some
y,,tA IL
elements which compose these factions
some effort made to stir up old qualrels
again, and am heartily tired of it.
Mr.. Smith: The gentleman from Terrc-
bonnie is very inconsistent in the remarks
he has just made. He says that he wants
this question settled So that We can go on
with our legislation and seems to regret
that any old quarrels should be raked up
again. Why does he want this matter of an
increase in the members Of the election com
mittee raked up again. l do not see any
sufficient cause for the reconsideration of
this resolution, which has been adopted bv
an almost overwhelming vote of the Senate
and l. therefore, move to lay the motion to
reconsider on the table. Lost.
The question then required on the recon
sideration of the vote by which the resolu-
ton was carried. on which the previous olles-
ton was called by Senator Campbell.
The vote was reconsidered.
Mr.. Campbell then moved to Law the re,o-
luton on the table.
Mr.. Pinchback called fox an executive
session.
After the opening Of the doors. TIE motion
Of Mr.. Campbell was carried.
Mr.. Fish inquired whether or not the SEN
ators who had been appointed under the
original resolution had acquired such vested
rights as it would be unconstitutional to tii-
vest them of.
The President: The question is asked too |
late If it had been asked at the proper |
time. the Chair would have answered it in |
the negative. 1t is in the power of any Sen |
atOr who voted with the majority to move a |
reconsideration Of the vote on any question |
within two days after its original passage. |
This resolution was passed yesterday and |
in time. 1t is customary to move the recon |
sideration of any measure, no matter |
whether it calls for the appointment of a |
committee or not. 1t has also been the Gus
tom to change the number of Senators on |
committees nd Ebitunl> So far as tie ap- |
pOintmcnt Of committees is concerned, the |
Chair cares nothing for it. l certainly felt |
the indignity thrown at me in the com
of this session. from quarter |
from which did not expect it: but will |
enforce the rules which the Senate has |
adopted to the best of my ability.
Dir. Campbell: | rise to call the Chair to |
order. The members of the Senate. in the |
exercise of their sovereign power, chose. at |
the beginning of the present session to retain |
to themselves prerogative the exercise OF
which some Scnates have conferred upon |
the presiding officer, and other Senates have |
used themselves The Chair has character I
lied that action OF the Senate as an indgnity
to himself. | do not think that remark |
should be allowed to pass by without pro