The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-20

ing on tins subject once M no. In my recent II
marks in tn9 senate did MT denonnce, as Ia
been 20 rcuGdly asserted, either the Governmer
OF tho Jaitca states, or the present Administrs
ton, or any man connected with it. i made Il
allu5on b President Grant, none to Gen. Shel
ldan, none to recent events III Louisiana. An
= . IL ugh IN representative republic can con
pc i've OK no higher duty Of d citizen than to dc
fend tae principles OF his COVE rnment and its I'D
mlnis;raton when right or, on the ether hand
10 criticize the latter when wrong, get abstalne
from all dleeu ssOn or these. expressly stating m
purpose TO DO SO for reasons given at tho time.
rose then alhliy to correct the erroneous lmpres
sio1s which preTaIed here, and to repcl a55auiu
made upon tLc sou hcrn people, and to express
my abidng confidence that the spirit Of animosit,
manifested 4 this debate was not the spirit o
the Northern people, soldiers or ctizena. This
and only TINS. Apprehcns!ons, however, eX
pressed IT the time that the uttefances of am
Southern man upon the floor would be miscon
stIued and misjGdge1, have been abundantlj
confirmed. But, cir, no such violent demonstra
tons - VIC have Witnessed, no such exhibitions
OF prejudice and OF passion. however Irritating
nnder other circumstances, should swerve from
the discharge Of duty nor tempt an American
Senator to descend from the height OF this great
argument, non silence his confident appeals t.
reason ana to the sense Of justice of the Amer
can people. What are the questions which We
ought leSitmately to discuss without passion
or pre- udicet
I. Was the recently dispersed Legislature Of
Louisiana lawful body
2. Independent OF the question Of its legality
or lllegaIitY, was the Consultation of the United
States by that dispersion brnkenP
Involved in those is Z third question, to which
l shall give most OF my time, namely the general
condition Of the Southern States. AS to the
legality OF thlt body, have heard only four OBJ
jections urged:
/. That the clerk was prevented from PROFOUND
ing the question and deciding the result upon the
election Of Speaker.
9. That that question was propounded, and the
result declared IN the nlids: of great excitement
and confusion.
B. That the yeas and nays were not ordered and
recorded upon the election Ok Speaker; and
4. That after the organization, five members
who did not hold certificates Of election were
admitted 10 seats.
LEGALITY or THE ORGANIZATION or THE LEGIs-
TURE.
believe I have stated the questions and the
objections fl ly aud fairly. Now, it has been re-
peatediy said that II was the duty Of this clerk 20
propouud the question and declare the result
When the Senator from New York (AIr. ConIling)
on yesterday announced that he intended to
chow that such was the duty Of the clerk / was
prepared TO zee some other law produced than that
which has been so often quoted. The only pro-
visions Of law 50 far as the duty Of the clerk IS
concerned may be found in Section "A, Act o.
1872, and are in these words
THAT ii shall be the duty of the Secretary Of
State to transmit to the Clerk of the House OF
Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate |
of the last General Assembly list of the names |
of such persons rs, according to the returns |
shall have been elected to either branch Of the |
General Assembly; and IL shall DC the duty OF
the said Clerk and Secretary to place the names
Df tho Representatives. aud Senator'S elect so fur
nished upon the roll of the House and of the
Senate respectively, and those Representatives
md Senators whose names arc 50 placed by the
Jerk aud Secretary respectively, III accorda nee
with the foregoing provision, and none other,
shall be competent to organize the House of
or Senate Nothing in this act
shall be construed to conflict with Article 81 of
jhe Constitution"
1t will be perceived that tho duty of the clerk
~ this law was TO ascertain by his record thus
made the constituent elements Of the Legislature |
md not to preside and propouud questions upon
IL organization. He Is not even required to call
he roll and 80 far as this law is concerned, any
member might have performed this duty, al
hough this would have been at variance with
procedure. But, sir, there is not
mo word in this law which requires of the clerk
my such duty rs propoundmg questions. These
re tho provisions which may he found in all the
ther statutes upon this subject. Ii there be
ny other law, let il be produced. II not, we are
Grover .precludod from urging this objection. |
IL, think am safe in saying ihore is no such A,
[ Louisiana. The honorable Senator from New t
ork (AIr Conkling) yesterday cited E
no Of the Presbyterian General c
assembly, from tho Pennsylvania Courts. $
~. Iu "aa y, ny Sas ~. uieon, WAR
-, 20 go y. MI o,n, ~ = aAshlta
~ = on",, :, a. ra,n,nat a ~ - NJ. aho
49, d;s,ss;a, 40 Wa, n a. ~ .ile oiio
~, e,raat l"e,ai a;o. -, a S s. "uo Ior
n,, rt o~nrnsS NV s,,rr.;an 10 noih , I'VE"
a' oasa so nttarlv ' Is "' MS ie'iahtc
~ ,hosa of W. nras, ,ot;on az ~ ies iaots
,;;ana IL u 80. , uisp9rseu
,,.a,.,i,ar nnaa ,hot NJ Wiz Ia ~ nlliou,
an anJ anor;na tha cla,, M 30 ~ ,'uu cliiir
n / I'd Ia, | !
~ ro asson,L ~ w penrr onG fiespy.e,ah
= CI",alana 49,; ,hat ~, mnm, =
,,,,,'o' i,'r,a a'sU u uo iano II
~ ~. ,. g., ,,.t, ,a'', 'ne MOI
a.o' Ply WY iuoo., l, "nu eelaiou ~ ralIeu.
Ius iar III, ~, No o"ses arg ahaioSouS, put no =
/ ", ~ - my iaI.s upoi winch hanS the -
ioio quos1lon VI iesa.'Vs hot o,y oiier IN the u
20 cases, pue uto IN airecl c1hiict ana utterly q
's't'y Ile "iioig sase oi inc senators arsu- D.
emu; NOW, sir, LEI Y. sec. 81
~ npsiis, tns e.erk VINO was Ignored by al
iiau nau no STATUS wia'ever IA that body pi
v vo 70 place 'ne names OF members upon the ot
u. l.. rs hoe p'e,e.u.u 'hat ,iero Is any law, ia
ns.ilu,iouai VI s'asu.o y, winch required nm Ii
pfes,ae anu pu. M .' anu uecisre results
u N hellisy al9 houeIator Whom Cieve- -
y Z.