Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-26
AND AMERICAN.
TENNESSEE LEGISLATURE.

MONDAY, March 25.-The Senate met at
10 A. NJ. Speaker Vaughn in the Chair.
RESOLUTIONS TAKEN UP.
House resolution to renumerate Frank
Poensch. COncurred in.
House resolution to appoint commission
ers to examine the revised statutes Of
Thompson & Steger, on a motion by Mr..
Coulter to reconsider the vote concurring
in it,
Mr.. Coulter offered an amendment d.
recting the appOintees to examine and re-
port upon all compilations submitted to
them by any person whomsoever. Adopted.
Mr.. Gibson moved to strike out that por-
ton of the resolution which provides that
the commissioners shall not be paid by the
State. Lost.
The resolution was then concurred in.
Ayes 10; noes 5.
THE REDIsTRICTING BILL.
House bill to redistrict the State was TAX
en- up on third reading.
Mr.. Brandon moved to amend by taking
McNairy from the seventh and adding il TO
the ninth district.
A motion to lay the amendment upon the
table was rejected. Ayes 4; noes 10.
Mr.. Warren explained that he voted to
lay the amendment on the table because it
embodied the opposition of the Senator from
Stewart, (Mr. Brandon,) which had been
fully discussed on Saturday, and it was
therefore, unnecessary to debate that phase
of the measure further.
Mr.. DuBose said there was a broader
question to be settled. There was some
thing more involved in the amendment be-
fore the Senate. There were but two Sen
ators who were heartily in favor Of the bill
and they were the Senators from McNairy
and Gibson, Messrs Warren and Coulter,
and no one else fully endorsed it.
Mr.. Porter-I do.
Mr.. DuBose said it was perfect matter
of indifference to the Senator from Hay
wood, Mr.. Porter, where his county was,
for it was hopelessly Radical. As for the
Senator from McNairy, he misrepresented
his people who were almost unanimous in
their wish to be in the same district with
Shelby. He (Mr. DuBose) had but one
object in view in supporting the amend
ment. BE desired TO make the 9th district
Democratic beyond doubt.
Mr.. Porter asked whether, if the Demo
cratic party of the nation would make
nomination for President, Mr.. DuBOse
would support the nominee.
Mr.. DuBOse replied that he most GER
party.
Mr.. Coulter asked if Mr.. DuBose would
not support Republican candidate in case
the Democratic party should not nominate
candidate
Mr.. DuBose replied that in that event he
would select from the Republican ranks
that one whose policy was the most liberal
and nearest in accord with the Democratic
policy, and give him his vote on the day of
election, merely as a choice of evils. He
thought it in bad taste for Democrats or
organs of that party to be advocating, in
advance of the opinion of the National
Democratic Convention, the claims Of a Re
publican for office; aud that{he could never,
under any circumstances, insist that such a
one was worthy of Democratic support, but
if compelled to support Republican, he
could not do so with pride, but with lOath
ing all the while, and would cast his ballot
in as quiet a manner as possible. He would
oppose the abandonment Of the home Dem
ocratic organization, and would prefer de-
feat in the field rather than the total disrup-
ton of the Democratic party by disgrace
ful surrender.
Mr.. Warren said it was for Senators to
decide whether they should rely upon the
figures given by the Senator from Shelby,
or those presented by the organs represent
ing public opinion in Shelby. The two
counties he (Mr. Warren) had the honor to
represent he knew did not wish to be con-
nected with the Ninth District. Their as
sOcations had been with the people en-
braced in the Seventh District. Their in
terests were indentical, and they would not
approve of any other apportionment than
that provided for in the bill before the Sen
ate.
Mr.. Coulter said the bill had met with no
opposition from the Democratic representa-
tives from the Western District in the other
House. The figures submitted by the
Senator from Shelby (Mr. DuBose) proved
nothing if not that the Ninth district was
thoroughly Democratic. For instance,
counties which give in the last Presidential
election q majority for Grant, were well
known to be DemOc attic now. Even Tip
ton, of which the gentleman had complain
ed, gave large majority in that election
against Mr.. Grant.
Mr.. DuBose said the only means Of get
tiiag at the actual strength of parties was to
take the heaviest vote cast by party in
any district and subtract it from the total
vote In that district.
Mr.. Merritt said that five out of the seven
Senators on the Redistricting Committee
had voted against the bill. He mentioned
this TO show that it would not be unreason-
able to ask the House to accept any amend
ment the Senate might choose to make in
the measure. He was sorry to see the sec
tional spirit which had been raised, but
since Senators from the Western District
had insisted so much on standing on their
rights, he would ask them why not accept
this amendment? Why seek to take a
giving the Western Division a preponder-
atiug influence in the seventh district
At1P. NJ. the Senate took recess till B
O'Clock, when it reassembled.
Mr.. Porter said that he was in no way
responsible for the provisions Of the bill;
he had not been consulted in the least in
its formation, and was under no obligation
to any one to insist that the bill should re-
main as it was intact, and that no altera-
ton whatever should be made. He did
not receive it as an Ultimatum, nor would
he vote for it as it stood simply because it
had passed the House and if the Senate
should not adopt it they would not get any.
He did not believe in any such argument
or any such legislation. The question under
immediate consideration was the amend
meut of the Senator from Stewart, to detach
McNairy county from the 9Th or River
district, and attach to the 9th district,
and this was about tie only question that
had not been discussed during the progress
of this. debate. That everything in the wide
range of Sta'e and national politics have, to
some extent, occupied the attention of Sen
ators, save the question under consideration.
He desired to come 10 the point at once,
and to discuss it on its merits. Said that
he could see no reason whatever why this
should be done, and that the supporters Of
the measure had utterly failed in this argu-
ment to give any good and sufficient reason
for such action on the part of the Senate,
and until this was done, be would vote for
the bill to remain as it was in this regard,
The only shadow Of reason assigned was
that should the 9th District remain as it
was. it would be Radical District, to say
the least of 1t, doubtful. This be did not
as. ent to, but believed it to be Demo
cratic by at least three or four thou