Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-01-04
GARCELON's TENURE.
His Term of Omce Expired Thu, sday.

~ ".
National Republican.
1t turns out that strict construc-
| ton OF the Constitution of Haine,
such as Governor Garcelon assu mes to
have followed in counting out" Re-
publican members of the Legislature
| in that State, serves the purpose now
of vacating his office and of showing
that his term as Governor expired at
noon yesterday. Section ,, Article 8,
Part I, OF that Constitution reads as
follows: o ~s,t ,,.,s a....t ,,s,,.. . =,
"The Governor shall be elected by
the qualified electors, and shall hold
his office one year from the first We'd
nesday of January In each year,"
Under these provisions Garcelon
was inaugurated TO be Governor on the
lat day. of January Wednesday,,
1879, for the ensuing year, which Ger
tainly expired yesterday on the 1st
day Of January (Thursday), 1880.
The discovery OF this provision and
the construction thus placed upon 1t
have created no little excitement In
political circles here In Washington as
well as in Augusta. G Grcelon's atten-
tion having bean called to It., he, in
stantly asserted the claim that he is
entitled TO bold on t. the office, and
will do 30, and exercise all its functions
until noon Of Wednesday next, Janu-
ary 7tb.
I5A A correspondent of the New York
Tribune reports having had an inter.
view with Senator Carpenter, of Wis.,
eonsin, on this subject, during which
he read the foregoing constitutional
provislon to the senator, whereupon
the latter remarked that "there can
be nothing palmer than that under q
proper construction OF the language OF
the Constitution, Governor Gsrcelon
can not exercise any authority what.
ever as Governor one hour after the
expiration of one year from the lst OF
last January" rs L'f Dnb
ID, By request of Senator Carpenter,
the correspondent then read the pro-
visions Of the Constitution relating to
the manner of filling vacancy In the
Office of Governor, sc. Afler delib-
crate consideration Of the several pro-
visions, Senator Carpenter said :
"There is no avoiding the conclusion
that ddring the next six days Maine
/ will be without Governor or Legis-
lature. The Council will be power.
less to doanything, because that body
can not act except In conjunction with
the Governor, and there will be no
such official. or course the trainers OF
the Constitution did not intend that
such contingency as this should
arise, but they did not provide against
it,. 1T is very strange that they did
not, for In case Of an invasion or IN
surrection the State IL left entirely
without any authority competent to
act. | can not imagine how such q
blunder was committed in an iutelli-
gent community like Msine.h w
| On being a'ked what effect this neg
lect OF the framer Of the Maine Con-
siitution will have in the present case,
Senator Carpenter replied, smiling:
II am sure L can not tell; but II
seems TO me that 1t would be good
plan for Mr.. Blaine, as next friend, TO
take the helm during the interregnum
and administer the affairs of State"
Representative Neal, OF Ohio, on be-
! ing asked for his opinion, said:
The Supreme Court of Ohio has
decide a similar question In the case
! OF our judges. The term of Office, as
fixed by the Constitu' ion, is Ave years.
The term of the first judge began on
the second Monday of February. The
question was raised BY the Attorney
General on writ of quo warrdnto,
and the Supreme Conrt decided that
the terms of the judges covered ex-
actly five years-nO moe ard no less.
/ think Governor Garcelon must 60. "