The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-03-02
INDIANA LEGISLATURE WITHOUT
QUORUM.

On the 22d ult., it was announced
that thirty-five Republican members
of the Indiana House had rendered
their designations. The trouble arose
from the fact that the Democrats, be-
ing in power, determined to re-dis-
trict the State, and introduced bill
to that effect. The Republicans OBJ
jected to the bill, considering it un-
constitutional. A caucus was held by
the latter, and it was determined to
ask the postponment of the bill for q
time, and if that was refused they
would resign. The Democrats refusa
ed to postpone the bill, and the result
was that the Legislature Is without =
quorum.
A correspondent of the Gazette gives
the following account:
! When the House met this morning
there was considerable interest mani
tested as TO what would be the decis.
ion of the Speaker on the question Of
quorums. The rampant wing OF the
Democracy desired that the Legisla-
ture should go on with the regular
| legislative business of the session,
while the liberal and moderate MEM
bers of the party known as the Hen
bricks wing, held that two-thirds of
the members elected were necessary
to constitute 4 quorum, and that acts
passed by a less number were uncOn-
stitutional, nall and UOid.
The speaker decided that as two
thirds OF the members elected were
not present there was no quorum, and
on motion the House adjourned until
tomorrow.
Thus legislation is brought to an
end, while many important bills are
on the files, and the question now is,
who IS responsible? Surely it is not
the Republicans. They made propO-
sitions to postpone the consideration
of this question until future day,
that the necessary business might be
finished, and they were anxious that
the proposition should be accepted
They werein favor of the consideration
ofgeneraI legislation first, and partisan
schemes afterward. The Democrats
rejected the proposition, and preferred
the interest of party to that of the peo-
pie at large. There can be no doubt OF
the unconstitutional character Of the
Apportionment bill The law is plain
on the subject. Sections 4th and 5th
of article 4th of the Constitution of
Indiana declare:
"The General Assembly shall at its
second session after the adoption Of
the Constitution, and every six years
thereafter, cause an enumeration to be
made of all the white maleinhabit6nts
over the age of twenty-one years.
The number of Senators and Rep
Fesentatives shall, at the session next
Following each period of making such
enumeration, be fixed by law, and ap-
pofuoned among the several counties
accordlng 20 the number OF white
male inhabitants above twenty re
years OF age IN each, provided that the
INST and second elections of members
OF the General Assemble unda- tIs
Constitution shall be ACCORDING 70 f1o
appornonment last made bv f7a Co.
eral Assembly before the sdonfion of
this Constitution.n ''.0ii Vi
According to law the time for the
reapportionment Of the State win r.
? at the next session Of the I,egisie 49,
after 1872, the last having been rnsde
in 1866. The Democrats ATTEMPT To
dodge the e0nstitutiOnalpr provision QUO
ted above by calling the billan amend.
ment to the old law, when in reality
it is a new bill, redistricting the entire
State. But this pretext is too thin 70
mislead any one. Its simply catch
ing at q straw to pslliate and excuse
their actions, an attempt to justify
what is unjustifable.
What would have been the speakers
decision in regard to the law Of quo
runs, had a Democrat filed the chair