Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-24

! oil bv n writ Of error from the Court o
| AnncaIs which utilities, for the time. tn
order OF the Circuit Court, ana leaves III
certificate held by Logan In full iorc
and effect, giving him clear right 10 IN
seat. for the time at least, on priHi'
faclo case. Mr. Brohard had morning y
show hut n paper signed by one membe
az the Board of Canvassers, and this, o
course. amounted 10 nothing. and ,coult
| not afford Mr.. Dawson decent preteX
even for placing his name upon the rol
Of duly elected members.
with this list, which Mr.. Hill seemed
| 10 regard as an absolute verify not 10 o.
questioned before him. he directed tho
clerk to call up the delegates I'm squads
! Of five and swear them in as members
/ When Mr.. Via came up to the desk MT
| Davis Democrat, Of Harrison county
rose 10 a point Of order; or, more pro
/ perly speaking, as it seems 10 US, q
| question of privilege. and requested the
/ chairman to direct the Clerk To read TOY
/ the information Of the House. the certl-
| ncate showing Was right TO seat
/ Wonderful to relatei the Chair ruled tne
\ motion or request out OF order, anu al
/ gected the Clerk 10 proceed. MT. DAVIS
| then announced from his place on tle
| floor that j. j.. Logan appeared 10 DC III
| du'v elected member from Monroe COul'y :
and was present with ceruncdte maui
| out In due form Of law, showing mo
| right 10 be sworn In as the deleBale lIVIi .
| that county The paper Mr.. DAVIS sent
| IN the clerks desk. requesting the chair
man. Mr.. Hill. to have 1t read tor lhe
| Information of the members. ms TOO
was ruled out Of order and the request
denied. and Via was then sworn III. nc
same REQUESTS were made ana ruleu w
Of order in the case of Mr.. Brohafd' anu
he. too, was sworn IN.
These preposterOus ana Outrageous
rulings. so clearly contrary TO all parma
mentary usage and precedent, WERE OF
course. inspired and dictated by Repupli-
can lenders on the outside directly in
terested as we have said, i'm the result,
and Hill sat there a mere fgurehead or
automaton simply TO do the bidding OF
his masters. Can It be said or even
imagined that when the members elect
ed TO the House Of Delegates assemble
at the Capitol on the day fixed by law
to be duly organized they cannot inquire
as to the rights Of parties claiming men,
bership I'm the body? Cannot even de-
mand the reading Of the certificates
though sent IN with the Secretary Of
States list, and thus made part there
Of? Under such a ruling the Secretary or
might send I'm the names Of a dozen Hot
tentots, Indians, or Fiji Islanders, and
the House would be powerless; or he
might. were he disposed 10 do so, certify
a majority Of his own party though
never elected. and nothing under such
ruling could prevent them from being
sworn I'm. and, once in. how could they
ever be gotten out?
The pret3xt or pretended excuse FOR
this open violation Of law and precedent
frn Of nj u
there was no house, no sworn member
ship and thus no body, 10 do business
or To entertain and decide questions
raised. That there is nothing in such an
argument Is evident when we consider
that the chairman is there presiding over
a body OF some kinda body assembled
under the laws of the State to be organ
lied as q House Of Delegates, and that
the first question 10 be determined is
who has the right 10 be sworn IN as
members question which can only be
determined by q production Of the certi-
dcates or credentials. These the law di-
reefs the Secretary TO send in with his
list. For what purpose. pray If not TO
Dee read to show who has the right 10 |
seats?
over IN the Senate there was a similar |
of law and precedent When 1
Captain Getzendanner one Of the war I
senator's. offered 10 vote, the Democrats /
protested, on the ground that having ac- /
9epted a lucrative office under the Fede- /
raj Government. he had forfeited HIS seat /
IN the Senate. and thus had no right TO
I'm its proceedings 4 written
protest was offered. and a motion made
hat it be spread upon the record. Sena-
or Whitaker. who then occupied the
1hair. held the protest in order and or
Tered it printed I'm the journal but the
republicans appealed from his ruling, and
~ Il strict party vote the decision OF
heir own presiding officer was reversed,
md the protest excluded When Lieute-
lant Pierson. the other war senator. Of
cred 10 vote another protest was offered.
lut this time "a motion was promptly
made and carried that ii be laid on the
able
Nothing can Justify such partisanship
this. and the evident intention was 20
.revent the facts I'm regard 10 the legal
tatus Of these two men from appearing
q the journal Of the Senate. The scheme,
OweVer, will not succeed.