The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-03-19

person who was acting in that capacity was
powerless to do anything. Dannerly and his
colleague, in the meantime, kept up an inces-
SAINT fire of oaths, and still held their position.
In this emergency, Bowley, the colored chair
man of the committee on ways and means;
Sam Green, of Beaufort; Lilly, of Chester,
and one or two other colored members who
were evidently not afraid of the Orangeburg
persuaders, made rush at the belligerent mem
bers, seized their pistols, and bore them bodily
out of the House. This done, quiet was for a
time restored. Several of the pale-faced
brethren, who had taken temporary refuge be-
places, and the House at once addressed itself
to the subject of vindicating its wounded dig
nifty.
| Minort, of Richland, introduced resolution
expelling both the members from Orangeburg
Hurley thought that they ought to be first
brought to the bar of the House, and this was
accordingly done. Riley, who is black man,
and who seems to have been forced into the
row by desire to protect his colleague, Dan
nerly, first came up. To him the speaker
said: "You have been charged by the House
with conduct unbecoming gentleman and a
member of the Legislature. Do you desire to
make an explanation ?" Riley replied that
che had only tried to quiet his colleague when
the members crowded him. He knew that
Dannerly wasn't conducting himself right, but
didn't want to see him crowded. If the House
would take him at any other time he could
talk, but now that he was in the heat of pas
sion, it was in him and had to come out. He
was sorry for what he had done, and begged
pardon of the House," saying which he with
drew. The House decided to take up each
case separately, and considered Rileys case
first. Bowley hoped that swift and prompt
punishment would be meted out to the Of
tenders.
Crittenden, of Greenvile was more init
mately acquainted with Dannerly than with
any member of the House, and he regarded
him as one of the most honest and high-mind
ed members of the General Assembly. He
knew that the demon liquor had caused the
disturbance, and many men of higher intellect
than the member had fallen under its influence.
He hoped that the House would excuse the
members if they came before the bar of the
House and apologized. This apology from such
an unexpected quarter produced visible SEN
sation. N B. Meyers of Beaufort, hoped that
the House would not allow the newspapers to
say that this General Assembly, composed as it
was of majority of Republicans, did not have
the nerve to expel two Republican members
who had disgraced it. Crittenden wanted to
know whether the members considered it
greater disgrace to be unfortunately caught
under the influence of liquor than for one
member to charge another openly on the floor
of the House with having received brbes
Duncan, the colleague of the members from
Orangeburg, didn't think that the action of his
colleagues warranted their expulsion. Dan
nerly had raised the row, but Riley tried to
quiet him, and had been drawn into the fuss
Minort hoped that both the members would be
expelled, because their conduct was not only
disgraceful to the State of South Carolina, but
to every member of the House.
Sperry wanted to know whether expulsion
would prevent the gentlemen from getting their
pay. The speaker replied that it would not,
as they had drawn it already. The previous
question was then called on the resolution to
expel Riley, and the House voted Sc ayes, "a
nays. Under the constitution a vote Of two
thirds is necessary for expulsion, and so the
speaker ruled that that the resolution was lost,
and the member not expelled N. B. Meyers
raised the point that vote of two-thirds of
under the constitution, and that the Supreme
Court had so decided on the Morton-Biss case.
1t took some time to decide this knotty point.
Hurley moved, as the sense of the House,
that two-thirds of the members present be
deemed sufficient vote to expel member.
This motion was adopted, and the member was
accordingly declared expelled. On motion of
Hurley, the sergeant-at-arms was then sent
after the chief offender, Dannery. A member
suggested that the member was not in cond-
ton to be brought up before the House; but
this suggestion was disregarded, and the Offend
ing member brought up. He was decidedly
limp, and on taking his stand delivered a
rambling speech, of which the following is q
fair synopsis: He said she hoped de members
would 'scuse him as he was repsentive of de
people from Ongeburg County as an indepen-
dent man and he felt that his father was
repsentive on dis floor although he did'n say
that he was an eddicated man and he deman-
ded as much respect as any man. Some men
might think that he was in whiskey but God
forgive him he was not cen no whiskey.- There
was no whiskey in him and he spoke from his
heart if he had done anything wrong. Abram
Dannerly want put on no committee but he
hoped he was one standing on dis flow as a
republican which he was one and he didn't
mean to cast no refectun on the house only
with a certain party and he would settle that
outside for his vote was as intelligent as any
mans on de flow and if he was ignorant he
would stand by the speaker and the gentlemen
to the end and he hoped if he did any thing
wrong they would forgive him and that's what
he had to say" This explanation having
been made the member withdrew, and the
House proceeded to consider the resolution to
} expel him. The previous question. was called
on the whole matter and the House voted to
expel the representative from Ongeburg" by a
vote of II ayes TO 1S nays. Hurley then made
a motion to reconsider the vote just taken,
and to lay the motion on the table, which
motion was carried, and so the House, for
once, put it out of its power to indulge in
that peculiar kind of eccentricity which has
been SO largely developed during the present
session, and the members stand irretrievably
poe ooGe sea Ths little He % spsode h haVag
been settled and the equanimity of the House
restored the discussion was resumed on the
bill to amend the law in relation TO the per
diem and mileage of the members of the Gen