Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1876-11-30
COLUMBIA. s p. m, Tuesday,
N0vem her oS 1876.

Legislature of their Own.
COLUMBIA, 8 p. m, Tuesday,
November IS, 1876.
, AS our letter will not probably reach
you before 10 o'clock "Wednesday MORN
7ng, and you will 90 to press in q couple
bf hours afterwards, of course we must
make it brief. And not only will it be
3brief, but tragmentary and spasmodic;
Tor after the scenes of this day, it were
almost impossible to write calmly or
ttil any system. We arrived in Colum
4 eia at 10 o'clock last night and even at
hat early hour found the city profound
h tranquil. Two hours later-at mid
at-a company of Federal soldiers
marched into the State House. OF
&ch they tt Ok possession. At l2o'cltc
Rs, g3ay, the hopr for the assembling OF
Pc Legislature, the Edgefeld 6elega-
pn-as had been arranged by the Demo-
atic party-presented themselves for
mission at the outer frontd door. Gary,
law, Sheppard, Callison, Allen, Jen
ngs, were all present. Just within this
Dor stood Capt. Kellog, Lieut.. Hoyt and
ZEN. Dennis. They Were the guardians
the entrance. Kcllog and Hoyt are
the two men who superintended the vot-
ing at Macedonia Church IN Edgetield.
Alter coDsiderabie'delgy, our delegation
were admitted within this door. and or
tered the iobbtes 2of the State House.
They presented the certificates of elcc
\ zion issued to them by the Supreme Court
The members from EdgeGeld and I4au
grens had only these. All other rmembers
( elect, az is we'll known, had certificates
from Secretary of State Hayne, of the
Board of State Canvassers. The mem
bers from Edgefeld being admitted into
the lob5ies, all,ssSsr members now en-
tered in reguls eeh one presenting
his certificate ilogg, who que
.-ried him as ne was armed.
II he had a pis must giveit up be-
--,s;EEsrSssa,Passiug in. 1irg entered without
iRicaly as Il men Isks,f the press, We
{ stood asd watched Scene. But few
had pistolss Shoso who had
Immediately surrenG G,S;Fed hem.
But this si|Sas cnlxS:a nl2xSa ,ng into the lob
bies. The decisia . swas-tire door
Of the Hall of Representatives.. Within
the lobbies and corridors stood files of U.
8. soldiers with ridcs aud fixed bayonets,
while sentries marched up and down in
every direction. A file of six soldiers
with fixed bayonets, stood on either side
Of the door of the Representative Hall.
Officers, in uniform ard with swords
kept the crowd from pressing. forward
too eagerly. And now came the faia.
moment. And tho Edgefeld delegation
presenting the certificates Of the Su
preme Court-were point blank refused
admission!
Hereupon, as had been previously de
termined upon, the whole body of Demo-
cratic members withdrew in q body from
the State House, and marching down
Main Street, assembled in Military Hall.
Previously, however, TO quitting tn
State House, Mr. John c. Sheppard, o,
our delegation, read IL l2ud voice. from,
the steps, n formal protest against the
violent and unlawful proceeding which
had Just taken place. This protest had
been prepared in advance by Gen. Cor
oen, OF Georgia.
Upan entering Military Hall, The g.
Democrats resolved themselves into q
caucus, elec5Ssas- as-H 2 o AIdIich. of the
RarnxeH delegation, as Chairman. Tbs
done, ,1Gen. Gordon s-ztcd that pc
had .iRst received message fron Gen
Rrger.t that the gnartl az the State House
had mistGkes, their orders Gen Gordon
said he had no doubt Gen Rugcr intend
ed to be honest, but the truth vas the
guard had received their orders from
Gov. Chamberlain instead Of Gen. Ru
ger, and that they had obeyed them to
the letter It was now moved and car
ried that committee should be appoint
ed to hold a conference wi'lrGen. Ruger
and that in the meantime the Democrats
should do nothing whatever. In fac
they adjourned until 3o'clock in the al.
ternoon. The committee consisted Of
Gen Gordon, Gen. Hampton, Gen. Brad
ley 7. Johnston, of Maryland and Judge
Coke. Both Judge Cooke and Judge
Mackey followed the Democrats into
Military Hall.
At 8, p. M, the Democrats met again.
and after sitting for one hour, adjourned
again until tonight The proceedings
at the 8 o'clock meeting being in strictly
secret session, we are unable to repor,
them.
AS to the organization of the Senate,
we cannot speak SO accurately. Gen
Gary was quietly admitted to his seat
upon the certificate of the Supreme Court
but rot s1porn in nor ollo,oed to uotc. This
was also the case with Senator Todd, Of
Laurens, and Senator Maxwell, of Alb
beville. These three being silent, the
vote throughout the proceedings was Ie
Radicals to 12 Democratic. The negro
Swaiis, OF Williamsburg, was elected
President pro tenn. ,o body formed
their regulsr committees, and notified
the House that 1t was ready to proceed t.
business
The Radical House of Representative,
was called to order by the Clerk, Mr.. A.
o. jones. They then went into an cleo
iion for speaker. Mr. E w. N. Macke.
and Mr. n 3 Myers, of Beaufort. were
PIT in nomination for that office. Each
m amber voted as his name was called
Al the conclusion it was declared that
Mr.. Mackey had received SO votes and
Mr. Myers z, Mr.. Wallace declining tt
vote.
The clerk duly announced Mr.. Mackey
to have been elected speaker of thehouse
of representatives. The new speaker
was conducted to the desk by Mr.. My
ers, who administered the oath of office.
Mr.. Mackey delivered a brief speech,
thanking the house for the horo- con-
ferred upon him, and assuring the body
that he would perform the duties of the
Office mpartialiy, without regard to race
or party
The names of the members were then
called by counties and the members ad
vanced to tho bar and were sworn in by
tho clerk.
The counties OF Anderson, Abbeville.