The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-12-06

were in possession of the State House. He
has Sc genuine members and bogus men,
bers from Barnwe!l and Abbeville. The
Democratic House, meeting in Carolina
Hall under Wallace as Speaker, had 56
Democrats and / Republicans, making go
with certificates from the Secretary OF State,
and members from Laurens and Edge
field, decided by the Supreme Court 10 be
members. Since left there two more Re-
publican members have been sworn
into Wallace's House. The Democrat
members (62 with certificates Of the
Secretary OF State and 8 with GER
tificates OF the Supreme Court. The
Senate consists Of IS Radicals and Is Demo-
Gratis, but they have refused to swear in
Democrats, leaving the vote stand-Dcmo-
Gratis, 12; Republicans, 1S. Now, under
the Constitution OF the State, it is the duty
of the Speaker OF the House to open and de-
clare the vote for Governor and Lieutenant
Governor in the presence Of both houses.
The Republicans have been struggling for
the last three days to get the Senate to con-
sent to declare Chamberlain Governor by
excluding the counties OF Edgetield and
Laurens, but four Radicals are unwilling to
commit themselves to the legality OF Mack
ey's House, and they vote with the Demo-
Gratis in favor OF an adjournment before the
hour appointed for counting the vote ar
rives.
WHAT IS A QUORUM!
General, how many members in each
House is necessary to form quorum?
The House consists of 124 members, and
under the State Contitution maj ority-that
is, 63-constitutes quorum. The Senate
consists OF 33 members, and OF course II
members are quorum. But the Radicals
claim that there was no election in the coun-
ties of Edgeteld and Laurens, which are
entitled to s members in the House, leaving
only 11G members actually elected. OF this
11G, SO is q majority, and they claim it is
a quorum OF the House-elect, and auth or
lied to transact business. Under this theory
of the law, if only members were ac-
tually furnished with certificates OF cleo
ton by the Board OF Canvassers, and the
121 other members thrown out, then men,
bers (being majority Of 81 would be quo
rum and fit to make laws for the State. The
statement Of the proposition is its own refu-
tation.
THE DEMOCRATS GAINING STRENGTH IN TIE
HOUSE.
What are the prospects, General, OF the
House:
In my opinion the Radical House will
gradually disintegrate and the members fall
one by one into Wallace's. The moment
the negroes understand that General Grant
will not support Chamberlain to all eNtents
he asks they will desert Chamberlain and
60 over to Hampton. There never would
have been the slightest difficulty had it not
hoor, for Puper and the military.
GRANTS INTERFERENCE.
Will Grant continue to interfere?
My opinion is that Ruger has had general
orders to preserve the peace and good order
in Columbia. I believe that between the
lines OF these orders it was understood that
he should read instructions, to allow Cham
berlain to Use the military to kukluX the
Supreme Court of the State, bulldoze the
Legislature, and stick Mr.. Chamberlain in
the subernatorial seat. Ruger has declined
to understand anything but the plain letter
OF his orders. Some of his subordinates,
however, are constituting the orders rs was
intended they should be construed from
Washington. So it has happened that in
every case where the military have been used
to infict fatal Injury upon our people General
Ruger has insisted that it was 4 mistake.
But he has neither punished nor removed
his subordinates who made these mistakes,
and it always happens that the mistakes
injurc lis and benefit the other side. For
instance, his sentinels kept us out the State
House from organizing the Legislature, and
gave it to the Radicals. He says he, gave no
such orders. He told Senator Gordon and
Colonel Haskell that il the Democratic
members went into the House they should
,,ot ho liSfrrho1 11nIaoa fharn riot
bloodshed. The next day he sent an order
for the Edgefeld members to withdraw.
He told me that it was misconstruction OF
Gordon's, and lie did not mean originally
for the Edgefield men to SO in.
RUGER's DUPLICITY.
On Sunday afternoon, said General john
son, General Hampton asked il he (Ruger)
would allow the sheriff of Richland county
to go in the State-House with his posse to
preserve the public peace. Ruger took time
to consider this, and in the evening sent
word hy Major McGinnis, his chief OF staff,
that he would allow the sheriff and posse
to 90 in for that purpose, and that he would
not permit any other persons to be intro
duced into the building during the night.
Yet his officer OF the guard during the night
allowed at least 100 Of the veriest scoun-
drels OF the Charleston wharves and other
places to be brought into the State-House
and concealed in the Governors ante-cham-
Der, the cloak-rooms, and some OF the COM
mittee-roonis. 1t is these contradictions and
broken engagements that are so incompre-
hensible.
THE PURPOSE OF THE MILITARY.
What, in your opinion, General johnson,
is the object OF all this military inter-
ference!
The object is to rob South Carolina Of her
electoral vote and to put pistol to the head
of her people to make them certify that It Is
the property Of the thief. When Hamn-
toms campaign was first opened ne was
offered by an agent OF the Republican
Committee, il he would have the Tilden
ticket Withdrawn, that the Republic
can National Committee would furnish
tickets for the election, one half OF which
should be for Hayes and Hampton, and the
other with blank for President and for
HAMPTON for Governor; that the whole
mower OF the Administration should be eX-
ercised to elect Hampton and to break down
Chamberlain, and to pay Hampton's commit
tee $4,000 in cash to carry on the canvass.
This was rejected at once. Within the last
two weeks on arrangement was made IN
Washington, which was mat,lred in the At
torney-GeneraPs Office, by which it was ar
ranged that Judge Bond shonld be IN 20,
.lumbia; that Archibald Sterling, the United
States district attorney in Baltimore, should
go do down there, and the military and
legal programme afterwards carried OUT
was then and there fixed.