The sun., 1898-02-11
VACANT SEAT IN TIE SENATE.
Speaker May Order II Special
Election.
SPECULATION ON THE ELECTION
A Desire 70 See Godfrey Handy Oc-
cupy His Fathers Vacant Seat.---
Opinions on The Proposed Vote
For a Successor.

The vacancy in the State Senate caused
by the death Of Senator Robert J. Handy
will not be the subject of conversation in
political circles.
The prcdon.inating question is whether
a special election would be called and in
that event whether the election would
he held in the entire county or only in
that election district in which Senator
Handy lived.
There seems to be desire to see God
frey Handy, the son the late Senator,
occupy his fathers vacant seat in the
Senate.
A prominent Democratic politician OF
this city in speaking, yesterday after
noon rs to the election Of Senator
Hanby's successor said "Thc successor
Of the dead Senator, whose term would
have expired in November next, will be
elected under the old law pursuant to
the cal Of the present Speaker Of the
Senate, Iezekiah Harrington. In Kent
county special election will be called
for and held under this call Of the
Speaker as provided for under the old
constitution of this state" In cinching
his argument in this respect the gentle
man cited section three OF the new
schedule which reads as follows:-
"rhe Offices of the present Senators and
Representatives shall not be vacated or
otherwise affected by this amended Con-
siitntion, except that HE Senators whose
terms do not expire on the day of the
next general clccti' II shall thereafter rep.
resent the districts in which they now
reside until the end OF tie terms for
which they We're elected"
In support of the amendments he also
quoted the article appended below, which
is from section 9 of the Conststution OF
the State"
''Whenever there shall be Il vacancy in
either House of the General Assembly,
by reason of failure to elect, inelgibil-
ity, DEATH resignation or otherwise, Il
writ of election shall be issued by the
presiding officer Of the House in which
the vacancy exists, or in cases of neces.
sity in such either manner as shall be
provided by law; and the person
thereupon chosen to fill such vacancy
shall hold office for the residue of the
term. And whenever there shall be such
vacancy in either House, and the Cen
eral Assembly is not in session, the Gov
ernor shall have power to issue a writ of
election to fill such vacancy, which writ
shall be executed as writ issued by the
presiding officer of either House in case
OF vacancy, and the person thereupon
chosen to fill such vacancy shall hold
office for the residue Of the term
John +. Dickcy said last night, Il be-
lieve if an election is held to fill out
Senator lIanby's unexpirvd term it
should be district and not Il county
election, as it would put the county to
the expense OF several thousand dollars,
and really it is not essential or of any
particular profit to the county, as his
term is now very short.'
He also said, II think Senator liam
by's son should be named to fill ont the
remainder OF the term, and the office
should not 60 out Of t"e family from re-
spect, if nothing more"
Chief Justice Lore said yesterday, "It
ia not necessary to hold an extra clec-
ton" He made the same assertion on
a previous occasion which involved par
allel cases