Semi-weekly Louisianian., 1872-02-04

, WuIeTueSS OF over tQo CO6mC
, politan club room, do not thin
you could properly have calle
: yourselves the Senate.
Mr.. Ray-You have already sal
that wherever q quorum was col
lected it constituted the House Q
) Representatives.
MIR. Campbel-The Senator mis-
aprrebended my argument. I sai'
that a majority sitting in the plac
prescribed by the constitution wa
the House of Representatives.
} Mr. Ray-Then, in your opinion
} it is the place of meeting and no
the majority of members presen
that constitutes the House of Re
presentatives?
Mr.. Campbell-Both are essentia
to constitute the House OF Repre-
sentatives. In other words, in orde,
to break down the State govern.
ment you can not get majority o.
the General Assembly and transfe,
them to Concordia parish, or on
board a revenue cutter, to act there
as a Legislature. You must have
them assembled in the locality pre-
scribed by the constitution and
where they generally meet.
MIR. Ray-Win you refer me to
any law or constitutional article
which requires that?
Mr.. Campbell-I hold that the
article which requires the Legisla-
ture to meet at the seat of govern
ment covers that fully. 1t does not
say they can meet at any city or
town or village in the State. It
uses the word place" This State
House is the regular "place" of
meeting.
MIR. Blackman-What makes it
so? Was not the bank on Royal
street also the regular place of
meeting?
MIR. Campbell-The Legislature
agreed to meet there, but until it
does decide to go elsewhere, this is
the constitutional place of meeting.
Ii you want to go away, there is no
doubt you can 60; but you must
declare your intention to do so; you
must pass a law to that effect; you
can not steal away without our
knowing it. The article was placed
in the constitution for the purpose
OF preventing mere majority from
stealing away and organizing else
where and transacting business
while the minority are looking for
them.
MIR. Sypher-Suppose the State
House should burn down tonight ;
where would we meet tomorrow ?
right here =?
MIR. Campbell-There should be
a law passed by the Legislature
providing for the removal. Now,
as to the right of the Governor to
call the extra session. I under
stand that the Supreme Court has
laid down the doctrine that ga legis-
latve body is competent to enact
any legislation not prohibited by
the constitution" 1 ask the Sena-
tor from Ouachita (Mr. Ray) to
point out to me in the constitution
anything which prohibits the Gov
ernor from calling an extra session
of the General Assembly.
Mr.. Blackman-The executive is
not a Legislative body" Our COM
plant is that he is assuming pre-
negatives which the legislative de-
partment can alone exercise.
Mr.. Campbell-Show me an ar
ticle in the constitution which pro-
hibits the Legislature from con-
vening wien so called in extra ses-
sion by the Governor, or which
prescribes that when convened or
organized under such a proclama-
ton it is not legal Legislature
and can not enact laws. The SEN
ator Mr.. Ray) made the point yes
terday that the Governor had no
such power because it was not es-
pecialy give to him in the consti-
tuition. I ask where does the con-
stitution forbid it
Mr.. Ray-The Governor has no
powers except those specially con-