IN SENATE.
FRIDAY, January 6, 1864.Mr. COBB announced that Mr. Packard was no longer a candidate for Door-keeper, and returned thanks in behalf of Mr. P. to the Democratic Senators who had supported him for that position.
Mr. CULLEN withdrew his resolution pending at the time of adjournment last evening.
Mr. WILLIAMS nominated Archibald Johnson, of Putnam, for Principal Door-keeper of the Senate.
The Senate proceeded to vote for Door-keeper, and three ballots were taken--the seventh, eighth and ninth--resulting as follows: 25 votes for Mr. Archibald Johnson, and 25 votes for Mr. John H. Johnson.
Mr. WILLIAMS then withdrew the name of Archibald Johnson.
Mr. VAWTER nominated John W. Ryan, of Hancock county.
The Senate then proceeded with the tenth and eleventh ballot--Mr. Ryan receiving 25 votes, and Mr. J. H. Johnson 25 votes.
Mr. DOWNEY offered the following:
Resolved,That Percy Rous be appointed Doorkeeper, and J. S. Morgan, Assistant Door-keeper.
Mr DOWNEY said: The first named candidate is a resident of Switzerland county, a supporter of the Administration, and has been a Captain in our country's service for three years. The other gentleman named is the nominee of the Democratic caucus.
Mr. THOMPSON thought balloting here would not amount to mtrch, and appealed to the gentlemen who, if they had submitted to an election last October, would not be here, to stop the matter now, because, if it is not done, Monday or Tuesday will stop it. We will have the presiding officer then and he will stop it. He contended that it was with the tacit consent ot the Republican party that the Secretaries were elected.
Mr. COBB was of opinion, very decidedly, that the principal officers of the Senate were elected through the legitimate votes of its members, disengaged to some extent from party spirit. It is since then that the party strife has come up.
Mr. DUNNING stood here prepared to vote against the resolution, because he would not cast his vote for any man for Door-keeper, except that man be the nominee of the Republican party. The proposition of'the Senator from Ohio [Mr. Downey] was the coolest thing of the seasonbeing, as it was, an attempt to deprive the Republicans of an officer of the Senate, If we are to give up John H. Johnson, let the Democrats nomioate a man at ail acceptable, and that man Bhall be elected, if the Democrats stand up to him; but if the Republicans stand by our nominee, until it is in caucus determined that he is no longer our candidate, I will vote for him until Gabriel puts one foot upon the earth and the other in heaven, and summons the world to judgment. [Applause.] With regard to the Secretaries, he had pledged himself to them in October last, and he would have redeemed his pledge if it had brought down upon him the displeasure of every member of the Senate.
STATIONERY.
Mr. WILLIAMS, by unanimous consent, offered the following resolution, which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Librarian be authorized to furnish stationery to the members of the Senate, upon their orders.
THE DOOR KEEPERS AGAIN.
Mr. BROWN, of Wells, submitted the following as a substitute for Mr.Downey's resolution:
Resolved, That a committee of four, to consist of Senators Corbin, Cobb, Dunning and Beeson, be appointed to select candidates for Principal and Assistant Door-keepers of the Senate, and the the candidates so selected be elected by resolution.
Mr. BEESON objected to being placed on the committee.
The PRESIDENT pro tem. [Mr. Dunning] announced the authorized by resolution on yesterday to prepare rules for the government of the Senate, viz: Messrs. Williams, Bennett, Vawter, Niles and Oyler.
Mr. BENNETT thought he never saw Democrats here so anxious for office. With a Republican majority of 20,000 votes in the State, it is singular that Democrats will bold out so strenuously for these, the poorest offices in the gift of the Senate. He insisted, as he did yesterday, that if this thing was to be compromised, it should have been effected before any of the officers were elected. Before he would let any Democrat point out the Republican candidate now, he would give all the offices to the other side, He insisted that the Senate was as well prepared to go on with the legitimate business of the session without a doorkeeper as with one.
Mr. VAWTER asked, if the Democrats were to withdraw their candidate, would the Republicans withdraw theirs?the Democrats to nominate the principal, and the Republicans the Assistant Doorkeeper.
page: 17[View Page 17]MANY MEMBERS"No," ''No,"
Mr. BROWN, of Wells, withdrew his substitute.
The resolution (Mr. Downey's) was rejected by yeas 24, nays 26.
Mr. BROWN, of Wells, offered the following :
Resolved, That a committee of four, consisting of two Republicans and two Democrats, be appointed to elect candidates for principal and assistant door-keepers of the Senate, and that the candidates so selected shall be elected by resolution.
The resolution was rejected by yeas 25, nays 25.
Mr. BRADLEY offered the following:
Resolved, That John H. Johnson be declared Principal and Thomas D. Moore Assistant Doorkeeper of the Senate.
Mr. CASON insisted that the Republican members permitted the Democrats to elect the Secretaries of the Senate, and denounced the course of Democratic Senators as captious.
Mr. DOWNEY offered the following as a substitute for the resolution:
Resolved, That the Secretary inform the House that the Senate has convened, the Hon. P. G. Dunning acting as President, has elected A. T. Whittlesy as Principal and J. S. Broadwell as Assistant Secretary, and recognizing W. S. Montgomery, the Doorkeeper of the last Senate, andhaving the right to act as such until a Doorkeeper shall be elected, and is now ready to proceed with the business of the session.
Mr. BROWN, of Wells, voted against a similar resolution on yesterday, because he did not think the Senate was an organized body for the purpose of business until it had elected its Doorkeeper, and for the same reason would be compelled to vote against this resolution today.
The substitute was adopted by yeas 37, nays 13.
The resolution, as amended, was then adopted by consent.
TO WAIT ON THE GOVERNOR.
Mr. DOWNEY offered the following resolution, which was adopted by consent:
Resolved, That a of two on the part of the Senate, to act with a similar on the part of the House, be appointed to wait on His Excellency, the Governor, and inform him that the two Houses of the Legislature have organized, and are ready to receive any communication which he has to make, and to inquire of him when he will deliver his annual message.
Resolved ,That said arrange so as to have the message delivered to the General Assembly in joint session, and that in such joint session immediately before the delivery of the message, the session be opened by prayer, by some clergyman, to be designated and invited by the .
The PRESIDENT pro tem , subsequently appointed Messrs. Downey and Van Buskirk said .
NEW PROPOSITIONS.
The following bills were introduced, read the first time, and severally passed to the second reading:
By Mr. HORD, [S. 1,] appropriating $200,000 for the expenses of the General Assembly, and providing the manner of the payment of the members and officers and their assistants and appointees.
By Mr. COBB, [S. 2,] regulating the practice in Circuit and Common Pleas Courts, on appeals from judgments of Justices of the Peace.
By Mr. BENNEFT, [S. 3] legalizing bonds issued by County Commissioners, cities and towns, to furnish volunteers and substitutes, or for the maintenance of the families of soldiers.
By Mr. COBB, [S. 4] authorizing the making of transcripts from County Recorders' offices, and declaring certified copies to be evidence in the Courts of this State.
By Mr. COBB, [S. 5] repealing sections 602, 603 and 604 of an act to recover the possession of real property, and to determine conflicting claims thereto.
By Mr. HORD, [S. 6,] changing the time of holding the Common Pleas Courts in the counties of Jackson and Bartholomew.
By Mr. BONHAM, [S. 7] changing the times of holding the Common Pleas Courts in the 18th District.
CONTESTED ELECTION CASES.
The PRESIDENT pro tem, laid before the Senate a communication from the Secretary of State, transmitting voluminous documents in the case of Mr. Kennedy Brown, who contests the seat of Mr. James H. Vawter, the sitting Senator from Jennings and Jackson counties.
On motion by Mr. BROWN, of Wells, the papers were laid on the table till a on Elections shall be appointed.
RAILROAD APPRAISEMENT.
Mr. VAWTER offered the following, which was adopted:
WHEREAS, an appraisement was made of all the railroads in the State during the year 1864, and whereas said appraisement has been reduced some fifty and some one hundred per cent., thus making the taxation of this State bear unequally upon citizens, therefore be it
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed to investigate and report:
- First. By what provision of law such reduction was made.
- Second .Whether any improper means were used by any persons or corporations to procure such reduction.
- Third What legislation, if any, is necessary to correct this unequal reduction and to prevent its repetition in the future.
That in order to enable said to perform their duties, they have power to send for persons and papers.
The Senate then took a recess for dinner.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr. COBB offered a resolution which was adopted, directing the Door-keeper to procure three dollars worth of postage stamps for each member.
RAILROAD APPRAISEMENT.
On motion by Mr. VAWTER, two additional members for the on Railroad Appraisement were authorized.
GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE.
Mr. DOWNEY, from the special thereon, reported that the Governor would deliver his biennial message to the General Assembly at 2 1/2 o'clock this afternoon, when the joint session would be opened with prayer by Rev. Aaron Wood, D. D., of the M. E. Church.
PAGE FOR THE PRESIDENT.
Mr. DOUGLAS offered a resolution, which page: 18[View Page 18] was adopted, appointing Dickey Richards page to the President of the Senate.
NEW PROPOSITIONS.
The following bills were introduced, read the first time, and severally passed to the second reading:
By Mr. THOMPSON, [S. 8] to amend section 58 of an Act incorporating cities and authorizing the borrowing of money for certain purposes.
By Mr. CORBIN, [S. 9] requiring County Commissioners to make allowances for labor performed or money expended, in pursuance of an Act providing for the distribution and expenditure of the 3 per cent. fund.
By Mr. CORBIN, [S. 10] to amend section 322 of the practice Act, approved June 18, 1862,
By Mr. HORD, [S. 11] to repeal section 10 of the Act establishing Courts of Conciliation.
ADDITIONAL PAY.
Mr. DOWNEY presented a petition from the officers of Ohio county, praying for the enactment of a law securing to them additional compensation; which was laid on the table.
THE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
Mr. BONHAM introduced Joint Resolution [S. 1] proposing an amendment to section 2, article 2, of the Constitution, so that the Legislature may more effectually guard against fraudulent voting, and to enable electors to vote when absent from the State, serving in the army or navy of the United States; which was read the first time and passed to the second reading.
STANDING COMMITTEES.
Mr. CORBIN offered the following resolution, which was adopted:
Resolved, That the Hon. Paris C. Dunning, acting presiding officer of this House, make an appointment of the usual s of the Senate, and report at an early day.
RULES.
Mr. HORD offered the following, which was rejected on a division--affirmative 23, negative 23:
Resolved, That the rules of the last session of the Senate be adopted and used for the government of the Senate until the report of the for the revising of the rules.
GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE.
A message from the House was received, inviting the Senate to seats in the Representative's Hall to hear the Governor's message.
The invitation was accepted, and accordingly the Senate proceeded to the Hall of the House.
When Senators returned to their chamber--on motion the Senate adjourned till 9 o'clock to-morrow morning.
