The Massachusetts Spy, And Worcester County Advertiser

WORCESTER:
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10, 1830.

MAINE LEGISLATURE.

After a delay of five weeks, attended with circumstances of a most extraordinary and disgraceful character, the Government of Maine is fully organized for the current political year. After the choice of a President and Secretary of the Senate, of which we have before given an account, a joint committee of the two houses was appointed to examine the votes for Governor. Before proceeding to the examination, certain rules were unanimously agreed upon by the committee, for allowing or rejecting returns, and each member pledged himself to the support of a report to be based on those rules. The result of the examination was, that Jonathan G. Hunton was elected Governor, by a plurality over Judge Smith, of between 300 and 400 votes, and by a majority over all the candidates of about 130 votes; and a report to this effect was made by the committee. When the report came into the Senate, the acceptance of it was opposed by the Jackson members, and, notwithstanding the pledge of the committee, the chairman, who had himself signed the report, and the other Jackson Senator on the committee, voted against it. The President of the Senate, also voting against it, made a tie, the votes being 8 to 8, which was tantamount to a rejection. The returns of votes for Senators were then taken up and referred to a committee, there being 3 vacancies in the delegation from York, and one from Washington county. The committee reported that Usher and Pike, two of the candidates in York county were elected, and that there was one vacancy in each of the districts of York and Washington. On the acceptance of this report. the votes stood as usual, 8 to 8. A motion was then made that Abijah Usher, Jr., was entitled to his seat, which was negatived, 8 to 8. A similar motion in favor of Pike's right to a seat was disposed of in the same manner, the Jackson President of' the Senate constantly voting so as to make a tie. By these votes, the Senate having virtually determined that there were 4 vacancies, it was moved that a convention of the two houses be formed to fill them, but this motion was also negatived, the votes still standing as before, 8 to 8. Our readers doubtless understand the rule, that a motion is negatived, unless there is a majority in the affirmative. During the whole of these proceedings the only object of the Jackson Senators appeared to be, to defeat any organization of the government, and to throw every possible embarrassment in the way. For this purpose, unimportant motions were continually made, and the time was consumed in long speechifications. A month having thus elapsed, to no purpose, the business of legislation being brought to a stand, the Governor elect prevented from entering upon the duties of his office, and the President of last year's Senate, claiming to act, and acting, as Governor, the House of Representatives, after accepting the report on the votes for Governor and waiting thus long for the Senate, determined on bringing the matter to a crisis. They, therefore, on the first instant passed an order in the preamble of which they recited the circumstances by which the operations of the government had been brought to a stand to the great injury of the State; and stated that by the records of the Governor and Council, and also by those of the Senate, it appeared that there were but 16 Senators chosen leaving 4 vacancies, and that the Senate refused, on motion to that purpose being made, to propose to the House to go into convention to fill the vacancies. "In consequence of which, no other alternative seems to be presented, but that the public business shall be left undone, the wheels of Government stopped and the Constitution prostrated, or, this House must proceed, in the mode prescribed by the Constitution, to have the vacancies in the Senate filled, the Councillors chosen. and the votes for Governor declared and published, the public business of the State despatched, and the just expectations of the people fulfilled.-It is, therefore, Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Senate requesting such Senators as have been chosen to attend in the hall of the House of Representatives on Tuesday next, at eleven o'clock, A. M., and elect by joint ballot the number of Senators required." When the Message was received in the Senate, a motion was made, on Tuesday morning, to adjourn for the purpose of going into convention with the House. The votes stood 8 to 8, the President voting in the negative. A protest was then laid on the table by the republican members of the Senate, against the right of the President to vote, on the ground that he was, constitutionally the acting Governor, till the Governor elect should be qualified. They then declared that, as the President's vote was illegal, they considered the Senate adjourned and should go into convention with the House. After they withdrew the Jackson members, remaining, passed a resolve, asking the opinion of the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the convention. When the 8 republican Senators came into the House, the Jackson members of the House, 67 in number, entered a protest against the proceedings, and then withdrew. The vacancies were then filled by the convention, all the republican candidates being chosen. When the newly elected Senators appeared in the Senate chamber, their right to seats therein was disputed, and, on motion being made that they were entitled to seats, it was negatived, 8 to 8, as usual. Various motions continued to be made, for the purpose of proceeding with the public business, all with the same result, the votes of the newly elected Senators being refused, until Friday morning last, when a message was received from Nathan Cutler, President of the last year's Senate, informing that he had applied to the Judges of the Supreme Court, for their opinion whether he could constitutionally continue to exercise the duties of Governor, and that they had decided, that, upon the election of a new President of the Senate, those duties properly belonged to him, and, in accordance with that opinion, he now resigned the office which had devolved upon him by the death of Gov. Lincoln. Hereupon, Joshua Hall, President of the Senate, rose and said that as the duties of Governor had devolved upon him he should now vacate his seat. This leaving the republicans a majority of one, of the original Senators, they chose a new President pro tem., and voted that the Senators chosen in convention were entitled to their seats. This probably settles the question of their right. They have since accepted the report of the committee on the votes for Governor, and it was expected Gov. Hunton would be qualified on Monday last, when Mr. Hall would return to his seat, and business will probably proceed without further interruption.