Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-12

Frankfort, KY, March 11.-After the
House had convened this morning the
clerk read the refusal of Mr.. Dunlap
to prosecute his contest against Mr..
Kaufman.
A heated discussion followed upon
Mr.. Dunlap's right to withdraw and the
Speaker decided against him and the
minority report that Dunlap is and
Kaufman is not entitled to the seat held
by kaufman.
Poor and Burlington (Populists) voted
with the Democrats The Republicans
voted solidly to unseat and the minor
J ity report was adopted by the vote OF
49 to 46
The news of the action taken by the
| House caused a cOmmotion in the Sen
ate.
Senator Jones moved that the Senate
adjourn. Amid the widest excitement
the Lieut.. Governor declared the Senate
| adjourned, and together with the Re-
publican members left the chamber in
body. The report of the committee
on election was then read. The roll was
called and Senators Walton and James
were declared Ineligible TO seats in
! the Senate by vote Of 21 TO 0.
When the joint assembly met the feel
ing was intense. Senator Bronston call
ed attention TO rule II OF joint assembly
and made the point that the clerk OF the
| Senate is the clerk of the joint assem-
bly,, and as such shall call the roll Of
the entire joint assembly. The pre-
siding officer ruled against him and said
| that the clerk of the House would call
| the roll of the House while the clerk Of
the Senate called the roll Of the Senate.
the Senate call the roll of the eSnate.
After a long wrangle this order was
taken. The calling OF the roll was
then begun. The chief clerk in calling
the names of members of the Senate
omitted to call those of James and Wal
ton. the two Republican Senators. The
clerk of the House omitted to call the
name of Kaufman Democrat. The
roll call showed 130 members present,
with two pairs. Senator Bronston ask
ed for the reading of the journals Of the
| two houses. This was ordered.
The ballot for Senator was then be-
gun. Burlington voted for Blackburn,
while Poor refused to vote. p. C.
Smith voted for S. S. Buckner. The
names of James, Walton and Kaufman
were not called. The Republicans re-
fused to vote at all, with the object Of
breaking quorum.
The ballot resulted as follows
Blackburn "a, Carlisle 10, BuclSner 1.
The chair decided that only 65 votes
had been cast.
There was no quorum and the assem-
bly, adjourned.
The mistake of the Republicans in
the Senate was made when they walked
out and refused to vote whea the ques
tion of declaring Senators Walton and
James ineligible to seats in the Senate
came up. The Senate being duly or
ganized the clerk put the motion and
I the seats were declared vacant by a
vote of q to 0. Had the Republicans
all voted no. it is claimed by many per-
sons that the Senators would not have
been legally unseated, as it requires.
| they say, a two-thirds vote to expel a
member The opinion now seems to
prevail that there will be an end to tho
| trouble, SuCn dS OttuIItu 10 ldN anu
that there will be no election because
the Republicans will refuse to vote from
day to day and thereby break a quorum.
Mr.. W. D. Dunlap, who on yesterday
afternoon withdrew from his contest for
the seat Of Representative Kaufman,
returned to Frankfort to-day and i'm
mediately was besieged by the friends OF
the Republican Senatorial nominee, who
endeavored in vain to induce him to
withdraw his letter addressed to Mr..
Blanford, speaker Of the House, in
which he abandoned the contest. Mr..
Dunlap said:
"My decision in the matter was made
only after a long and careful delibera-
ton 1t is final. and I will never con-
! sent to enter the contest again. The
House may go ahead and unseat Mr..
| Kaufman. but it cannot compel me to
vote. ! will refuse to take the seat now,
! il the House decides me entitled 10 it.
! OF course, in the event the House votes
/ TO unseat Kaufman and puts me in
shall be in the power of the House, and
! they can force me 10 go into Joint as
! sembly but they cannot force me to
vote. I came 10 Frankfort to-day ex-
pecting to receive all kinds Of villifca-
tiOns and abuse and am prepared to
stand It, All Of il. however, will not
/ change me in the least
-O