The Sun

Tennessee and Her Troubles.

The political misfortunes of Tennessee are apparently still clinging to her. Although both branches of Congress have voted for the immediate admission of that State to representation, there is now a strong probability that this will not be accomplished during the present session. There are two causes that will operate to prevent the present admission of the Tennessee delegation. In the first place, the President, it is said, will return the Tennessee joint resolution to Congress, on the ground that he has nothing to do with the matter, the Constitution gives each branch of Congress full power to decide upon the qualifications of its own members for admission. There is probably another reason, however, for the President's opposition to the Tennessee enabling bill. He is well known to be opposed to the establishment of any conditions precedent to the representation of the Southern States. He holds the ground, in common with the Democratic party, that the Southern States are now constitutionally entitled to representation, and that it is an arbitrary exercise of power for Congress to impose conditions for their admission. With such views, he could hardly fail to disapprove of the Tennessee bill. But there is another, and perhaps a more serious obstacle to the admission of the Tennessee delegates. It now appears that the Speaker of the Tennessee Assembly has refused to sign the Constitutional Amendment Bill, on the ground that there was not a quorum of members present when the vote was taken, and that the whole proceedings were, accordingly, illegal. Forty-five members, it seems, were required for a quorum. Forty-four were present in the Assembly room, and one was in one of the Committee rooms attending under arrest. The arrested member refused to go into the Assembly room, but it was decided that they were present, to all intents and purposes, thus making up the quorum. In that way the bill was passed, but the Speaker of the Assembly now, as reported, declares that the two members under arrest can not be regarded as having been present, and that, consequently, the vote was invalid. The result of all this muddle may be to send the Tennessee delegation home until the next session of Congress.