Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-12-14

~. From tho Charleston News and Courier. &.55
THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE.
COLUMBIA, Tuesday, Dec. B, 1875.
The Senate met at IL o'clock and was i'm
mediately notified by the Bayonet House tha
it had passed a resolution to count the vote
for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, at
p. m. The Senate concurred by vote Of II
to Is. =.
Crittenden then submitted certified return
of the votes cast in, Abbeyille, county,, claim
I ing that Senator Maxwell was entitled to hi
seat upon q prima facie showing Swails op
posed him, taking the ground that there wal
no precedent for it, and that the matter should
be referred to the committee on privileges and
elections for investigation. Mr.. Meetze ar
gued that such course would be virtually te
deny any representative to Abbeville for any
length of time if the committee chose to hold
back their report. A vote was taken to refer
resulting in Is yeas and 15 nays. Gleaves
of course, voted in the affirmative, and the
matter was referred, to be heard from when
the committee il ready or gets its price for
decision. 80 ...-'
The general orders were then taken up
The resolution by Mr.. Cochran, that q com
mittee of four be appointed to inquire. as to the
fact Of legal quorum existing in the House
of Representatives, was made the special order
for Thursday, at / p. m. A resolution BY
Mr.. Cochran that special committee Of five
be appointed to prepare and report sundry
amendments to the State Constitution was
adopted. A resolution by Swails to refer tc
the committee on privileges and elections all
papers relating to protest or contest IN the
Senate was next taken Up. Mr.. Jeter moved
that it be made the special order for Thursday
Swails was in the act ofreplying, when it was
observed that / o'clock had nearly come. 7aa
Mr.. Jeter moved that the Senate adjourn
but Gleaves refused to put the motion to ad
iourn, which is always in order, and dropped
bis gaveI and announced that the Senate would
Immediately proceed to hear the returns fol
Governor and Lieutenant Governor. read
The Radical Senators formed themselves in 6
procession, headed by Gleaves, Sissons and
Woodruff. lWhittemore, as drum.major
walked ahead of all. On arriving at the dool
of the House, they were passed through a linz
of white and black sergeants.at-arms witt
badges on their coats and clubs in their hands
As soon as they gotin, the door was closed ane
the crowd shut out. The Democratic Sens
tors, with MI. John R., Cochran, refused tt
enter the House. n
As soon as the Radical senators were seated
the reading clerk Of the Bayonet House pro
ceeded to read the statute relative to the count
ing of the votes and alsoythe resolution passet
on Tuesday laet. Mackey then said: "In ae
cordance with the resolution just read, vii
appoint as tellers, on the part of the House
Mr.. Ferriter, iof Sumter, and Mr.. Miller, o.
Beaufort" Gleaves, who had taken bis stanc
beside Mackey, appointed Meyers, of Collector
as teller on the part of the Senate.
The tellers took their seats at table provi
ded for them, and Mackey proceeded to read
the returns Of the commissioners of elections
in the several counties.
As Edge6eld county was called, Mackey
looked up,by previous arrangement. and Thorn
as, of Newberry, the chairman of the commit
tee that let in the illegal negroes from Barn
we'll and Abbeville, rose and said: 81 objec,
70 the counting. of the vote for Governor and
Lieutenant.G Governor in that county, because
this House has declared that there has been
no election in that county" 1t was all very
prettily arranged. Mackey said: "a ques
ton having arisen in regard to counting the
vote of Edge6eld county, the two Houses will
have to retire for the purpose Of deciding the
question:" The Senate retired, and the ques
ton was put to the House. Thomas moved
that the vote for Governor and Lieutenant
Governor be excluded. Upon this, the vote
was unanimously in the affirmative, and Mack
aF daclared tho faes -naaaaa ga to thf
Senate. ...-..
In the Senate, the Democrats joined in the
debate, doing so on the ground thatthey could
not recognize the Rump; but when the ques
tion of throwing out votes came before them
they felt it their duty to enter protest by
their votes and by their opposition. Of course
the whole thing was mere form. The vote
was taken, and stood sixteen to fourteen in
favor of throwing Edgefeld out. Cochran
and Nash voted with the Democrats. The
Radical Senator'S then returned to the House
headed by Whittemore, and the farce pro-
ceeded with the count of the other counties
When Laurens was reached, Thomas, of New
berry, arose and objected as before to the
counting of the vote of Laurens The House
agreed to throw it out, and the dreary farce
was repeated in the Senate. This time the
vote stood II to l3 in favor of excluding the
vote of Laurens. The Radical Senators re-
turned to the House, and Mackey proceeded
with the remaining counties. M Cd. ..I..-
When this farce closed, it was getting dark
and Mackey pompously ordered the chande
liers to be lighted. A little negro jumped
up with light, but there was no gas. Wher
the Democrats went out their credit went Out
also, and the so-called House of Representa-
tives were compelled to consummate their in
famous work by the dim light of two talloW
candles. ....... t.s..;...... ...!, ms
After good deal of waiting, the tellers an
nounced that they we're through, and Mackey
said: "The result Of the count of the vote fol
Governor is as follows: Chamberlain 86,2l6
Hampton S5,071; Chamberlain's majority
3,145. Gleaves s6,619, Simpson $500
Gleaves' majority 4,O99. Daniel H. Cham
berlain has, therefore, been duly elected Gov
ernor, and Richard H. Gleaves, Lieutenant
Governor of the State of South Carolina for
the term of two years."
Both the Senate and Bayonet House then
adjourned. '.:..
In the latter body there were present but
81 legal members, and only SO, even counting
the illegal members. Nash and Cochran
would not give their presence in the House to
the disgraceful outrage. At the announce