New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-02
CAUCUSES IN CONCORD.
REPUBLICANS HARMONIOUS AS TO TO-DAYS
PROGRAMME.


MEMBERS WHO HAVE. DISPUTED
TITLES TO THEIR SEATS.
InY TELEGRAPH TRIBUSEI
Concord, ~ H., Dec. 1.-The Kepuplcans o'
New-Hampshire have made good beginning III
their defence of the State against the Democratic
conspracy 10 steal it, Al the caucus of the ke-
nuhlican members of the Legislature last nl9ht
the best of feeling prevailed. All the rnmorS SO
wildly made of jealOuSies and dlssenslohs were
nrovcd 70 he false Clerk Dlckcys resignation,
now in the hands of the Speaker. offered because
If his removal from Ntw-llampshlre to Name
WAS reported 10 the caucus, and resolution was
AZ once adopted 10 place MS sue
cessor in nomination tomorrow stephen
c Iew.,t At present the assistant clerk. was
chosen as the caucus nominee ana 'lc" " us
cusson arose as to the ACCESSIBILITY of legislation
directing the clerk how he should make up the
rolls with regard TO the claimants from 'h'
classed towns and from those which have increased
in population according TO the ne" cen'us'
No decision as TO legislation was arrived al. IL
WAS plain that a majority of those present We're
inclined 10 take prompt and positive ar'loIl' ana
yet several speeches were made against any P1o-
c~edings after the election of "a Nerk' Tue 'iIluS
of DR.. Gallinger led tins movement ""' U"'ii
speeches contained no irritating suRCcSuoH' """ d"
Of them protested a willingness 10 oclcI 10 ulc
will of the majority. II was urced as the OILY
reason against this action that 1t was unnecessary
II was not denied that vast discretion WonId nc
left TO the clerk if no action was taken, nnb
that was thought the lesser OF the TWO
evils No vote was taken. and the caucus ADJOURNED
without coming to any conclusion II was de
cdcd 70 meet again tomorrow morning, When
other members would be in attendance.
IL nj fhplr
They professcd a vast ignorance 10 why the
legislature had been called together. and they
simply entertained themselves with fighting
speeches.
As originally chosen, the House that comes into
extra session tomorrow composed of 81
members IL appears to take great many legis-
lators TO represent a very few inhabitants in New
Hampshire Such a large House is admittedly
unweldy and open TO numerous other objections
but il is a necessary part of the cw-En6land sys-
TEN of town representation. The last House was
divided politically into l6s Republicans and l4l
Democrats giving the Republicans majority of
81 The New-llampshire Constitution, however,
declares that when a representative removes from
the town which has chosen him, by that act ne
vacates his office The language of the clause is
plain and specific, necessarily 50 70 be consistent
with the town representation plan. Eleven per
sons chosen to the present House fall under the
operation of this clause and lose their seats eight
are Democrats and three are Republicans.
Another clause of the Constitution says that the
acceptance of a Federal Office by a member of the
Legislature shall act as a resignation of his seat.
This language is not so clear nor so conclusive
Some of the powerful legal minds which have
been brought TO bear upon II declare that there
two parties 10 reNgnation-the party who
resigns and the party 10 whom the resignation
is tendered-and that it doesn't take effect until
both agreed. In other words they contend
that, while neither the Legislature nor the mem-
Der has any option but 10 consider his seat forth
with empty when he has removed from his town,
there is still something 70 be done bhen he accepts
Federal Office before his rights a member are
terminated. lie has resgned-that they admit
but they think that his resi- gnation must be acted
upon by the Legislature. There are eight men,
hers of the present House plainly affected by this
clause, and nine concerning whom there is dispute
The eight were holders Of Federal commissions
and ar new actually in office. Six are Repub- |
hcans and two are Democrats The nine are
persons who served last June as census enumer-
ators. They did not hold Federal commissions in
the usual sense of the term. Their service occu-
pied but month and then they were paid and
discharged But they are all Republicans and the
Democrats are tonight loudly crying that they,
too, have resigned and cannot be permitted 10 take
their seats tomorrow, They intend TO take their
seats, and the attempt to put them out will be
vigorously resisted Leaving them still in pos
session Of their places, the House will
stand tomorrow, supposing every member
Is present, not dead plainly disqualified,
1856 Republicans and 1919 Democrats and the
Republicans will still have a majority Of 27
Even if the census enuncrators are thrown out,
the Republican majority will reach 10. There
is. now no doubt that when the session opens at
noon tomorrow the Republicans will be prescn,
in nearly their full force.
Nor is the other side at all backward In
putting in an appearance The Democrats have
been swarming around the prohibition bar Of the
Phoenix Hotel all day. drinking raw whiskey
Dy the quart. IL II simply amazing how much
whlskey it takes TO get a Democratic Legislators
brains in working order. The average quantity
IN New Hampshire, if taken not more
than thirty minutes before the said brains
are required TO act, it is declared upon
the highest authority is half pint.
An effort was made this afternoon 10 come 10 an
amicable arrangement with the Democrats as 10
the members alleged TO be disqualified. Speaker
Upton and Ex-Governor Cheney held a conference
with Frank Jones' Harry Bingham and some of
the lesser Democratic nabobs, and the matter was
talked over The Democrats. however were sus-
picious They seemed 10 think that if they CON
sented to anything they might find q trap behind
il. They preferred 10 fight, anyhow. They said
that they had come here 10 fight and that the more
fighting there was the better they'd be pleased
This is plainly their programme. and if they
sent 10 allow the chaplain TO pray without a mo-
tion TO amend, insert or strike out. the chaplain
and the House will be lucky. Nothing came Of
the conference, though a subcommittee Of one on
each side was appointed to consider the matter
and TO see if an agreement could be reached.
A SETBACK FOR DEMOCRATIC FRAUD.