Year: 1859

From the hrst day of the session tlil Us ', ose systematic efforts were made to divide nd distract the party. On every point or { tbiect where division was possible, a stand

 as made. New members were sought out | nd steady flood of misrepresentations

 as poured in their ears. The minds of ] len were poisoned, and they were led to elieve the most absurd things of us and

 f others. All the slang and stuff that adexploded long ago; the cry of < family, "iunto' and such miserable humbugs were

 epeated in every tone from the bass of

 he political Bottom who played lion, to

 ne hiss of the snake who was crawling

 .om member to member When the Gen

 ral Assembly had failed to agree upon a

 inc of adjournment and enough had gone

 lome to leave no quorum, the Governor,

 pon the disagreement being certified to

 i'm, constitutionally adjourned the body,

 T in other words, set day for them to

 rect and proceed to complete their uniin-

 shed business. This action of the Gov

 mor's, that has been and will be approved

 nine-tenths of the people, was immedi-

 telv assailed. The Gazette was chosen as

 he vehicle of conveying the opinion of q

 lawyer of no mean repute," and one whom

 said " stood high in the confidence of

 he democratic party" The arch-agitator

 emained here to set traps, manufacture

 opinions and to scheme. Upon the reas-

 embling of the General Assembly, q ma

 oritv was found to sustain the opinion

 hat the members were not entitled to pay for services not rendered. Some of the members drew their mileage second time, thus clearly showing. that they believed that they were entitled to that and not to daily pay as members. Now commenced the underground and underhand work.- Arguments if they may be so called; in ducements, sophistries and entreates were used; men were induced to listen and were convinced or professed to be that they were serving as members when they were at home. Some of them said that they were not fully satisfied of the justness of 1t, but as others were so eager to draw their pay, would vote for the resolution for their sake. As soon as a sufficient number was won over, the trick was consummated. Our correspondents are wrong in applying these epithets to the members, because we know that there were many who really believed that they were entitled to the pay. They put it up this way: If the latter part of the session was a continuation of the for mer, it was all one session and each day was to be counted. Others excused it by saying that they had voted against taking a recess; were willing to stay here and it was no fault of theirs if no work was done in the interval If these men really be- lieved that they were entitled to this mo- nev, as the intent constitutes the crime, they were not criminal. But, their error consisted in suffering themselves to sit on their own case. In matter where they were the plaintiffs and the people dcfend- ant, they adjudicated the case and rendered judgment in their own favor A manda- mus had been refused by the circuit judge Upon his refusal, the remedy was to apply to the supreme court. No doubt, upon the request of the legislature, the matter would nave been at once determined and the ques- ion put at rest by that court

 So far as we have heard from different parts of the State, there appears to be but one opinion expressed, and that is con lemnatory of the conduct of those who drew the per diem pay. To the request of one of our correspondents that we would publish the names of those who drew this pay for the time they were at home, we have to say that we may do so hereafter but some of the accounts have inducements thereon, that, in justice to the persons, should also be published.

 We claim to have a right to express our views upon this as upon every other public act of public men, and no resolutions or whitewashing of black subjects, will deter us from so doing, if we conceive 1t to be our duty. Yet, we do not believe that there was so much dishonesty or corrup- ton as is charged. We believe that de- signing men, for sinister purposes, induced others to commit the error of sitting in judgment upon their own cases, in order o get them to throw themselves into op- position to those who had expressed them selves on the subject, and perhaps to get office. It was a wrong move, and before the game is played out, the movers will find t to result in q checkmate to themselves.