The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-12-13
Returning Boards Born of French
and English COnspiratOrs-History
Repeating Itself.

Editors of the Register.l
In view of the monstrous claims set
up by the Radical party in and out OF
Congress, / have been at pains to find
out what precedents history affords to
sustain their Returning Boards and the
powers claimed for the President pro
tenn. of the Senate in joint meeting with
the House of Representatives for count
inL the electoral vote for President and
Vice President.
nd IN Theirs History of the French
Revolution, what | conceive to be the
nearest approach to precedent TOR the
SO called Returning Boards of Louisiana.
South Carolina and Florida. When the
plan for the overthrow of the Govern
ment of the Directory by the First Ma
poleon by the revolution ofthe 18th Bru-
msire was arranged, the historian says.
The plan was most judiclously
conceived, for when revolution is to be
ELECTED il is always expedient to dis
guise what is Illegal AS much as possible,
Ia make use OF the terms of q constitu-
tion for destroying ii, and OF the MEM
BEES at the government for its over
throw.
How efiectuslly that plan was subSe
quently carried out by the expulsion OF
the members of tae Legislative bodies At
tie point of the bayonet Is too well
known. The revolutionary government
which succeeded To that overthrow was
tnr work mainly OF the Able Sieyes, n
dseamIng visionary, lifting tool for
Napoleon. His theory WAS that "power
m lst come down from aloft, and conf
Ience must ascend from beneath, there
by setting his pyramid upon its apex.
His ideas were put into shape In what
was called the Constitution of the year
1893 0ne OF the provisions of
this constitution WAS for n "con-
seryative Senate consisting OF
sixty members, thirty one OF
whom were chosen by CambacereS, lie
Erun, Sieyos and Roger Ducos (all OF
them office hclders) and the other
twenty-nine were chosen by the thirty
one so appointed.
Tins is, think, the first "returhing
board We have any account OF In so
called republic, except in the Venetian
OIigarchy, where the constitution and
powers of the Council of Ten were, il
possible. still worse. But | trust the time
far dIstsuL when the American people
will consent to draw their precedents
from the NcnetisR Oligarchy or from the
French constitution OF the year VIII,
which soon ran mo the Empire of the
First Napoleon.
The language of the 18th amendment
Ol the Constitution in reference TO the
uniting Of the votes for President and
ID Vice President is. "The President
1T the Senate shall, in the presence OF the
5 nate and House of Representatives
o zen all the certificates, and the votes
shall then b" counted"
As the PRECEDENT pro tenn. OF the Senate
Is not, by this language, invested with
I 10 power claimed for him Ito do the
c ,unting" without reference TO the Sen
At; and House # Representatives, rs
5 mDed for that purpose, the power, il
pos 3essed 10y him, must be derived from
9 "ne other source of law or precedent.
| the preface 10 the Manual of Parlia.
,nent4ry Practice the writer says: "Con-
8 irring, therefore, the law oil pro.
e ceilings in the Senate rs composed Of the
y 'ecep,s OF the Constitution, the regula.
: ons 1.-THE Senate, and Wtere these are
TENT. of the rules of Parliament | have
u Idcavorcd IT, collect, &c, &c.' Daring
70 one hundred years .: our National
lstence no one has before this time
b ZEN bpld enough or bad enough TO claim
spch Po'crr for the presiding officer OF II
legislative body. Let us examine this
aim in the light of history. son the
second day of March, 1929, Sir
Iunn Eliot entered the House of Com
mons Tor Hs last time
Advancing to the Speaker, he then
produced his remonstranCe concerning
tonnage and poundage) and desired that
he would reaG it. The Speaker refused.
With fearless determination he now read
the remonslrance himself and demanded
Of the Speaker as right that he should
put it TO the vote. Again the Speaker
refused. Gle WAS commanded otherwise
by the King A severe reprimsnd fol-
lowed from Seden, and the Speaker rose
e. quit the chair. DenZiI. Hollis and
Valentine dragged him back. Sir Thomas
Edmunds and other Privy Councillors
made an Attempt 20 rescue him, but
{ with u strong hand he was held down
in the chair, and Hollis Swore he should
sit there there till it pleased them to rise.
The Speaker lreepingty implOred
them to let him go; and Sir Peter Hay
man IN reply renounced him, for his kins-
man, as the disgrace of his country, the
blot of noble family, and rs as n man
whom postcriiy would remember ,cih
srUyyt and dtSdGlH.
Hollis instantly read EliCts paper and
put il to the House in the character of
Speaker. and WAS answered by tremcn-
q ,us acclamatlon.
In All extremity of rage Charles then
sent for the Captain of his guard to force
au entrance for mean while Eliot's
resolutions having been passed, the
doors were thrown open and the MEM
b RS rushed out in II body
/ le Ming instantly went down to the
House ul lIOTuS, Cdlleu lhc iehucTs
: .pcrs' who shOrld have their rewards,
q al dissolved the parliament.
On the I,h of January, lGi2, this same
kiny Charles the First, went down 10
I &c House of Commons ut the head OF his
Guards to arrest Lord kimbolton, Mr..
Pym, Mr.. iIampden, MIR. Hollis, Sir
Arthur nazclrigge and Mr.. Strobe, the
LEADERS, of the Commons, on n charge OF
high treason. 9TH" doors of the House
Of Commons beng thrown open
Ills Majesty entered the House
sud as he passed up towards the Chair
he cast his eye on the right hand near
the bar Of the House where Mr.. Pym
II ed to sit, but his majesty not seeing
him there, l,rowing him WELL went up
To the Chair and said "by Your leave,
MIR. Speaker | must borrow your chair
l.Ltle," whcreupon the speaker came out
. the Chair ami his majesty slept up
into it.
When the king was looking about the
House the speaker standing below the
rhsir, his majesty asked him whether any
o these persons were IN the House.
Whether he SoiC ana Of them. and where