The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-02-03
CAN MITCHELL
GET FORTY-SIX
II He Succeeds He Will Return to
Washington for Another Term.
SENATE REFUSED TO VOTE
Benson House Meets With Thirty Mem
bers and Casts Twenty-Five Votes
for Mitchell.
to the Astorian.

Special 20 the Astorian.
salem, February 1.-The senate today,
by vote OF is 10 ~. refused to proceed
20 the election Of United States SEN
ator. The Benson house. with thirty
members present, at noon took a ballot.
and cast twenty-nine votes for John II.
Mitchell and one for Geo. II. Williams.
The one vote came from Huntington, Of
wasco. Gratke voted for Mitchell.
The senate had long discussion over
the resolution introduced by Brownell,
OF clackamas. that II should proceed
upon a viva voce vote to name SEN
ator. The resolution was Immediately
uled out Of order BIZ President Simon
on the ground that x proposed an act
contrary to law. In that the house was
not organized and no vote for senator
could be taken until the second Tues
day thereafter. An appeal was imme-
diately taken from the decision and a
long and somewhat acrimonious discus
sion followed. When nearly every SEN
ator had expressed himself. a vote was
taken. and the chair was sustained.
the vote being l6 ayes to u noes. The
vote to sustain was as follows:
Ayes-Bates. Calbreath. Dawson. Ges-
ner. Hobson, Holt. King. MacKay. Nc
Chung. Mitchell, Mulkey. Patterson Of
Washington, Reed. Selling. Smith.
Wade--16
Noes-Brownell. Daily Driver. Dufur,
Gowan. Harmon, Haseltine. Hughes,
johnson. Patterson. OF Marion. Price.
Taylor-l2.
Not voting-President simon.
lt-carter.
Both houses and senate adjourned
until tomorrow All interest in the
senatorial contest tonight is oentered
on the question whether or not Senator
Mitchell can induce forty-six members
Of the Legislature to go into joint conven-
ton tomorrow at noon for the purpose
OF voting for United States senator.
II he succeeds he will return to Wash
| ington with credentials showing that
he was elected by majority of the
members of the Legislature. although
both branches of the legislature are not
regularly organized, he expects To be
seated by the United States senate.
Senator Mitchell and his friends profess
TO be very confident Of securing the
requisite number. The opponents OF
Senator Mitchell say that he cannot
They point to the decisive vote in the
senate today In sustaining the decision
OF the president In declining to receive
the resolution to proceed to vote for
senator This vote. they claim, settles
the mater beyond all question. and
that not to exceed forty-one members
will go into joint assembly. The Mitch
ell people say that the vote of the sen.
ate today was not a fair test. for the
reason that several senators who voted
10 sustain the decision of the president
did so because they believed the reso-
luton 10 proceed to ballot would be
virtual recognition OF the Benson house
The question of going into joint assem-
oly, they claim, is another proposition
and IN no way recognizes the Benson
house. Viewing the matter in this
light they are willing to so into joint
assembly. In the event that forty-six
members do not go into joint oonven.
ton no vote will be had. as Senator
Mitchell is unwilling to go before the
United States senate with less num-
Der, peeferring to wait until the house
Is organised by a constitutional quor-
um