The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-12-01
SOUTH CAROLINA.
Action of the Democrats in the Senate.

discussing I0r several hours the hepuOE
can house concurrent resolution to canvass
the votes for governor and lieutenant gov
ernor at p. m. to-day, agreed to postpone
it until Friday, Dec. l. A Democratic
senator presented notice of organization
and lawful quorum present in the Demo
cratic house, but the senate by strict
party vote refused to receive any com
munication from what they termed
AN ORGANIZATION"
in this city, The senate meets in one end
of the state house, and the rump house in
the other end. The Democratic house
meets in Carolina Hall several blocks
away.
The senate is composed Of IL Demo
Gratis, Is Republicans. and one Independ-
ent, j. r. Cochran, of Anderson. The
Independent is acting with the Democrats.
Senator Cochran to-day introduced the
following
PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTION.
which were ordered for consideration on
Friday.
WHEREAS, There exist grave doubts in
the minds of many senator's as to the fact
of legal quorum existing in the house OF
representatives, as reported to this body
yesterday; and
WHEREAS, The determination of this
question is of the highest importance to
our future proceedings.
RESOLVED, That a committee of four be
appointed by the president of the senate.
composed of equal numbers from each Of
the two political parties, to inquire into
this fact and report as soon as possible to
the senate all the facts necessary to settle
this question.
All papers relating to protests and con-
tests were referred to the committee on
privileges and elections,
The Democratic senators to-day entered
THE FOLLOWING PROTEST
on the journal of proceedings:
In accordance with notice Fgiven 'yester-
day, we, the undersigned senators, of the
state of South Carolina. beg leave to place
upon record this, our solemn protest against
all proceedings by this body which in any
degree recognize the legality of a body
calling itself the house of representatives
of South Carolina, over which Il. W. NJ.
Mackey claims to preside as speaker, and
which met on the 2Sth inst, and claimed
to organize In the hall af representatives.
The constitution of South Carolina makes
each house the judge of the election re-
turns aud qualification of its own mem
bers. The supreme court of this state
has by formal judgment decided tina
members from the counties O.
Edgefeld and'Laurens who received the
highest number of votes were entitled tt
seats, These members have been refused
admission to the hall and all participation
in its organization, by the armed soldier;
of the United States, who barred with
bayonets the door Of the hall of represen
tatives, and acted as judges of the election
returns and qualifications of its members
We have seen armed forces of the United
States overriding.the plain declaration Of
the constitution Of the state; we have
witnessed the solemn mockery of cor
poral of the guard reviewing and rever
sing the judgement of the highest court
We have seen the spectacle, humilatinG
in the last degree to every right-mindeC
American, of the halls of legislature occu.
pied st the hour Of midnight and holdinG
them against the ingress Of the law-mak
ing power, and this at time of the pro
foundest peace, and when not single act
of violence furnished the slightest pretext
for the unsurpation. We have seen thu
still more humilating spectacle of United
States troops having been placed under
the immediate control and receiving orders
from citizen without authority, and
partisan Of the present administration
We have seen this citizen assuming abso
lutte control over the capitol of q common
wealth, and admitting through the line
of armed sentinels his own partisans afte
his own edict on written pass from
another citizen, selected by his partisans
TO organize a house of representatives
We have seen this body of partisans thu
admitted claiming to organize the house
but without quorum, in violation of law
III defiance of the supreme court, an
under the protection of the United State
troops. We therefore enter this our pro
test against any recognition of the sal
body pretending to be the house of repre-
sentatives of the state of South Carolina
and for the following reasons:
l. The said body having organize,
without constitutional quorum, there be
ing but SO members present as shown b
its own journal, whereas majority OF tn
entire representation is requisite to
quorum, tO-wit, 81 members. as set fort
in the journals of the house during tn
past eight years, and as confirmed by tn
immemorial practice of legislative bodie
in every American state; and we do fuI
Their allege on our responsibility as sena
tors that the said body is still without
constitutional quorum and therefore want
ing in the organic character of the hous
OF representatives of South Carolina, an
ought not to be recognized as such.
2, That said resolution was adopted b
the senate before any announcement wa
made of an organization by any house {
representatives.
3. That in fact and truth no legal an
effectual organization of house of repre-
sentatives was at that time made.
A. That the body of men claiming
De house of representatives, and froI
which the announcement OF said organiZa
ton came, has not and can not organize
reason of the nOn-existence of
quorum.
s. We further and finally protest again
the adoption Of the said resolutions fl
this reason: That we have since receive
official notification of the organic
ton Of the house of representatives no
sitting in Carolina hall, where quorum
legally constituted members does ext
and of which body Hon. VIM. H. Nallat
has been elected speaker, aud John
Sloan clerk.
Mr. Cochran,
THE INDEPENDENT REPUBLICAN.
made the following protest to be entert
on the Journal:
As senator | do solemnly rrote
against any further communication vii
the house of representatives sitting on Il
other end Of this building till it be asce
tanned whether or not the said body
composed of lawful quorum, as we'll
the causps nreventinv tho Same