The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-01-15
MR.. TURNER NOT SEATED.s
Investigation Of the Bond-Printine
Matters to BE Had.
A REINFORCEMENT BILL.
The Dissection Bill Passed
Both Of the Houses.
NoRFOLkS NEW CHARTER
Senate.

senate.
MONDAY, January II, 1884.
MFR. Hurt In the chair. Prayer by Rev.
A. Harris. OF the Eleventh-Street syna'
gogue.
The committees were called through for
reports. and then Mr.. Rogers said that ne
desired to pr emit Mr.. w. II. Turner TO DC
sworn In Us senator from the Norfolk city
district.
MIR. Heaton said that he wished to offer
a resolution, which he seat to the Clerks
desk and had read, as follows:
Resoived, That the certificate OF election
Of W. II. Turner, this day presented,
claiming his seat as senator from the
Thirty.tirst senatorial district, be referred
10 the Committee on Privileges and Elec-
lions, with instructions to inquire into and
report in connection with the protest OF
certain citizens OF Norfolk, and William
r. Scott, commissioner OF election, pre-
sented OIL Saturday last, whether the va
cancy heretofore existing has been legally
and properly filed under the writ OF cleo
tj0n issued by order OF the senate, and
whether said Turner is entitled to he sworn
in as senator or not, with power to send
Tor lPTsOUs anu papSiS, al" =" hi'"N 'Nl''h'
without delay.
[Th,s seat became vacant by Mr.. Martin,
Railroad Commissioner. resigning his sem
atorship when he found that the state
had gone Democratic. The Governor
issued a writ to fill the vacancy. The Co
alitionists respected II, and voted Tor
Turner. The Democrats did not vote, aid
that writ the Senate declared void. Then,
Dy authority Of the Senate, the Lieutenant
Governor issued writ for january 9TH.
Before that day the General Assembly
passed bill, and the Governor approved
il, repeating the old registration and pro-.
yiding for new one on the Goth Of De-
cember, of which registration five days
notice was to be given. The act didn't
reach Norfolk in time to give notice. APP
point registrars, &c. Eight voting-precincts
were opened on the 7th, as the new law de-
manded, but there were only the four old
books to be referred TO. The Democrats
again didn't vote. The Coalitionists did.
Mr.. Turner got the certificate.]
Mr.. Powell said this was quite extra
ordinary: it was. he thought. altogether
without precedent and without legal au-
thority. He cited the case OF Mr.. Lawson
in the House to show that the Democrats
there regard the certificate as prima;tacic
evidence OF the right to the seat.
Mr. Lovenstein said that Mr. Lawson
did not present a certificate. The Board
declined to give it to either candidate.
Mr.. Powell said that that made this case
II Mr.. Turner so much stronger then.
lie has certificate. He instanced the
,favo case in Congress TO show that
certificate was there regarded as sufficient
evidence to give the seat to the member
it; no matter what the House
night thereafter choose to do with the case.
The seating of Mr.. Turner now would not
lie the hands of the Senate at all. He
isked that the Senate take a judicial and
lot partisan view OF the case.
Mr.. Heaton thought reference the proper
OF the case. IL is true that GER
iticate il Il prima-tGcje case, and in the
House OF Representatives the certificate is
necessary to enable the Clerk to make out q
roll. But it is not so in the United States
senate. That, like this Senate, is a con-
inuing body. When a member presents
MS certificate to the United States Senate it
5 referred to committee.
Mr. Heaton reviewed the history OF the
vacancy, and said that the writ was
ssued by this body and the Senate can n-
Iuire ii that writ has been properly exc
,uted. Now. here is q petition from the
citizens of Norfolk rebutting the primd-
fdcie case made out by the certificate.
Further, there i a protest from commls-
ioner OF election stating that it WAS impos-
'ible to hold legal election on the 1lh, az
here were four out OF eight precincts that
lad no Observation-Disclosures. Clearly this
IS case the Senate should inquire into: it
should ascertain if legal election was held
Under the writ and il the claimant is enti-
tied to the seat.
Mr.. Heaton, concluding, asked that the
petition published Sunday should be read
Dy the Clerk, and that was done.
Mr.. Koiner understood from this petition
that the election was fixed by the Lieuten-
at q day 30 early that the
arrangements for the new registration
could not be completed.
Mr.. Gaines said no, that the Lieutenant
Governor issued his writ before the regis
Lration law was passed.
Mr.. Koner said yes. he remembered now.
The gentleman's party did all it could to
defeat the bin which would have given to
the people OF Norfolk new registration.
Mr.. HUBBARD contended that the registra-
ton bill was IN itself vitality defective and
The writ had nothing to do
with it. The Senate ordered the Lieuten-
to issue his writ forthwith,
and he did it; but throw out the whole
vote OF Norfolk city, and Mr.. Turner Is
even then elected by two hundl ed majority.
Mr.. Hubbard said that when the registra-
-, TO- ko L.
Powell called the attention OF the Senate TO
the fact that the registration could not be
perfected in time; and he held that though
a new registration was impossible, the old
one held good.
His argument was that il blunder about
the new registration had been committed
the Democrats were responsible.
Mr.. Mccormick said that it would be
great wrong done to pay no attention to
the protest Of the people Of Norfolk. This
trouble had its foundation in the charter
Of Norfolk railrOaded through the Legis-
lature by the Coalitionists in 1881. which
great outrage upon the people
Of that city, and which wrong the Legs-
|ature, In their recent bill giving new
registration, endeavored to correct. He
stated too, that Lieutenant Governor Lewis
was impOrtuned to defer an election later
than the eth. Then they tried to rescind the
order, and the Democrats were met by the
other side with protest after protest that
1t was too late-that the Lieuienant-Gov-
ernor had acted. The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
was ordered to issue his writ forthwith, not
10 have the election forthwith. II was the
desire Of the Democrats to have fair cleo
ton, and the Governor recognized the ne
cessity OF this new registration by APP
proving the bill. Mr.. Mccormick con-
tended that the new bill repealed the old
registration. There was, in fact, no regis
tration at all after that bill was passed.
Mr.. Mccormick maintained that 1t was
The right OF the Senate to inquire II the