Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-12-08

south Carolina.
THE RIVAL HOUSES.
COLUMBIA, Nov. 29.-The only matter Of
importance Tat has transpired since noon
is that the missing member Of the republi-
can legislature has been discovered snl
brought in, which gave that body their al
legged duorum-59 Immediately alter
wards the committee on privileges and
elections. appointed Yesterday by speaker
Mackey, submitted their report and the
republican House seated five colOrod
contestants to seats from BrOwnell county,
for which certificates had previously been
aivon 10 the democrats by the board Of stare
| esnvassers and the secretary of state. This
was done by vote OF As TO IA protest being
entered by two members a. the democrats
were not aware of the contests and the seats
were accorded on testimony which was
exparte In the Senate the concurrent
{ resolution passed yesterday by the House
providing for the canvass Of the returns for
governor and lieutenant governor to-day at
| 3 D. IN. was amended naming l2 III. Friday.
10 which time the Senate adjourned.
The following protest, slgued hy all the
/ democratic senator's. was entered upcn the
records in the senate IN accordance with the
notice given Yesterday: I'VE the under
signed senators of the State Cf South Caro-
/ lima beg leave to place upon record this our
solemn protest against any proceedings by
this body which in any degree recogniz7 :
the body calling itself the house 0t repre-
seutativcs of South Carolina. over which
f. W Mackey claims TO preside as speaker
which met on the 2Sth inst and claimed to
organize in the bali of representatives. The
constitution of South Carolina makes each
house Judge Of the election retarns and
qualifications OF it, cwn members. Ine
supreme court of the stale has BY formal
| judgement decided that members from the
counties Of Edgefeld ard Laurens who re
ceived the highest number o. votes were en-
titled to seats. These members have been
refused admission to the hail and all par
ticipation in the organization, by armed
soldiers of the United States, who
barred with bay1uets the door Of the
hall of the repre- sentatIves, and acted a:
Judges of the election returns and gratlhc =
lions of it, members We have seen armei
forces of Unitrd States overriding the plain
declarations If the Constitution ot the state
we have wItnt ssed the solemn mOcsery q
a corporal of guard reviewing and reyers
ing the judgment of the highest court
We have seen the spectacle, Illuminating
in the last degree, to ,vtiy 1ight- miudeC
American the balls of legislature occupied
at the hour Z, f midnight and holding them
against the ingross of the ias s-makin-
powers, and this at a time of the profound
est peace. when hot Il single act OF violence
=, furnished the slightest pretext iUr the
usurpatiop. We have sesn stil
more hrmiliating spectacle United State
troops placed under the immedat,
control and receiving orders from eit'zef
without authority, and partisan oi party
t.v n
absolute control OF the capitol OF the com
monweath, and admitting through th'
lines of armed >entinels of his own partI~tbs,
upon his own edlct of written pass frOn
one Jones' another citizen who was select
ed by these parti-ans to organize the houst
of representatives We have seen this budy
of partisans thus adm itted claiming TO or
ganize without quorum, IN violation ol
law, in defiance Of the supreme court, and
under protection of United States troops
we therefore enter this our protest against
any recognition ef said body pretending Il
be the house of representatives of the state
and South Carolina, and for the following
reasons: said body has organized with
out a constitutional quorum. there being
but SIS members present as shown BY It's
own journal, " hereas a majority Of the en-
tire representation is requisite to aquoruu
to wit .ixty-three members as sc. forth
| in the journals of the house during
the past eight years, and as confirmed BY
immemorial practice in legislative bodies IN
every American state; and we do furthel
allege on our own responsibility is without
a constitutional quorum, and therefore
wanting in the organic character OF the
house OF representatives of South Carolina
and ought not to be recognized as such.
The RIVAL LEGIsLATUREs-cUR CURIOUS SCENES
New YosK. Dec. IA Colombia de
spatch to the Tribune says at y p m-: ias
evening, both Houses are in session 70.
publican and democrat are on tne noo, ~
the same time. Neither speaker g.
In keep order. Both have sppeai'u .on, 40 70
pr bn, he will not interfere eAcep' ~
t.an ,he neacc. There Is less .',as,
tf;i. than at any period sinc' .no p,sr
Se,an It is understood tna. -
pee""L "A the president to decide wne'n.r
mas 49, as organized by speaker MacKey
tnc IL. I.aailv organized body. III II Is ne
Is ;m a,,orce his orders and eject the Lau-
.ns and Edgefield delegations Is intrudefs
haeore the hour fixed tomorrow to go in-
- ;oint assembly to count the vote ior
ao,ernor and Acknowledgements. The
dSemocrats admit that they made great
error in not taking their s'ats on
Tuesday. leaving out the excluded
delegations. To-dsy's events prove that
they would have captured enough repuDil-
can votes to have given them the speaker
ship and organization. They c0u q have re-
paiped the error to-day If they had been
Wiling to cut loose from the violent Edge
field policy. i
The Hsrald's Columbia despatch, dated
December lss, .. m, says the House is |
.s;I =, ..-aion thu nambaPs QieeDlnp