JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 1865. The eighty-sixth General Court of the Commonwealth of Preliminary Massachusetts convened at the State House, in Boston, organization. on the first Wednesday in January, being the fourth day thereof, in the year one thousand eight hundred and sixtyfive, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-eighth. And the members elect of the House of Representatives having assembled in the Representatives' chamber, were called to order at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, by Hon. John I. Baker of Beverly, the senior member present. By request of the presiding officer, prayer was offered by Rev. Simeon Miller of Holyoke, a member of the House. Ordered, That Messrs. Stone of Waltham, Bradford of Braintree, Cumston of Boston, Root of Belchertown, and Bowers of Clinton, be a committee to inform the Secretary of the Commonwealth that the House has been called to order. Thereupon, the Secretary transmitted to the House a list of all the persons returned as representatives, with the original certificates of their election, which had been returned to his office. Ordered, That Messrs. Johnson of Dorchester, Allen of Marion, Brown of Dalton, Chace of Fall River, and Holden of Salem, be a committee to collect the certificates of election held by the members elect, and ascertain whether a quorum of the House is present. Oaths administered. Election of Election of And this committee having reported that a quorum is present, Ordered, That Messrs. Rice of Newton, Knowles of Warren, Crosby of Brewster, Dewey of Williamstown, and Seymour of Hawley, be a committee to wait on the Governor, and inform him that a quorum of the House is assembled, and that the members are ready to be qualified. And the committee, having discharged the duty assigned to them, reported accordingly. Soon afterwards, His Excellency the Governor, with the Honorable Council and the Secretary of the Commonwealth, came in, and the oaths and affirmations required by the constitution were administered by His Excellency to the members present, and subscribed by them, after which the Governor, with the Council and the Secretary, withdrew. Ordered, That Messrs. Clark of Amherst, Sawin of Natick, Pease of Boston, Chapin of Springfield, and Stevens of Newburyport, be a committee to collect, sort, and count the votes for Speaker. Mr. Clark, from the committee, afterwards reported that it appeared that two hundred and forty-three votes were cast, all of which were for ALEXANDER H. BULLOCK of Worcester, and that the ballot was evidently void, there being a larger number of votes cast than there were members of the House. Mr. Clark also reported that this excess probaably arose from the fact that certain ballots adhered to each other, and that some of the members had inadvertently cast two or more ballots. On motion of Mr. Kimball of Boston, another ballot was taken, and it then appeared that the whole number of ballots was two hundred and twenty-three, and that Alexander H. Bullock of Worcester, had two hundred and twenty-three votes, and was elected. The Speaker elect was conducted to the chair by Messrs. Kimball of Boston, and Wells of Chicopee. Ordered, That Messrs. Monroe of Roxbury, McPhail of Boston, Stone of Lowell, Doten of Plymouth, and Fitz of Gloucester, be a committee to collect, sort, and count the votes for Clerk. And the vote having been taken, it appeared that the whole number of ballots was two hundred and twentyseven, and that William S. Robinson of Malden, had two hundred and twenty-seven votes, and was elected. The same committee was further charged with the duty of conducting the Clerk elect to the Governor, to be qualified, and having discharged that duty, made a report accordingly. Ordered, That Messrs. Dudley of Northampton, Briggs of Taunton, Gibbs of Russell, Thayer of Boston, and Brown of Salem, be a committee to notify the Senate of the organization of the House by the election of a Speaker and Clerk. Ordered, That Messrs. Brownell of Westport, Glancy of Boston, Field of Milford, Stevens of Newburyport, and May of Lee, be a committee to inform the Governor and Council that the House has been organized by the election of a Speaker and Clerk. ganized. A message was received from the Senate, announcing the Senate or organization of that branch by the election of Hon. Jonathan E. Field of Stockbridge, as President, and of Stephen N. Gifford, Esq. of Duxbury, as Clerk. Arme. Also, announcing the election, on the part of that Sergeant-atbranch, of Hon. John Morissey of Plymouth, as Sergeantat-Arms. Ordered, That Messrs. Allen of South Reading, Pease of Boston, Crane of Berkley, Mudge of Petersham, and Roney of Lynn, be a committee to receive, sort, and count the votes for Sergeant-at Arms, on the part of the House. And the vote having been taken, it appeared that the whole number of ballots was two hundred and thirteen, and that John Morissey of Plymouth, had two hundred and eight votes, and was elected. The Clerk was charged with a message to the Senate, to inform that branch of the election of Mr. Morissey as Sergeant-at-Arms, on the part of the House. On motion of Mr. Stone of Charlestown, Ordered, That the rules and orders of the last House be Rules and adopted for the government of this House, until otherwise Orders. ordered. On motion of Mr. Copeland of Malden,— Ordered, That to-morrow, at half-past eleven o'clock, A. Seats. M., be specially assigned for the drawing of seats. On motion of Mr. Sawin of Natick, Ordered, That twelve o'clock to-morrow be assigned for Chaplain. the choice of Chaplain. Hour of meeting. Rules and Orders. Votes for Governor, &c. Votes for On motion of Mr. Gilbert of New Bedford, Ordered, That the House meet at eleven o'clock, A. M., to-morrow, and until otherwise ordered. Ordered, In concurrence, that the joint rules and orders of the two branches, of last year, be observed until others are adopted. Ordered, In concurrence, that Messrs. Wentworth, Parker and Hildreth, of the Senate, and Messrs. Kimball of Boston, Scudder of Dorchester, Wells of Chicopee, Stone of Charlestown, Baker of Beverly, Rice of Newton, and Otis of Roxbury, of the House, be a committee to prepare Rules and Orders for the government of the two branches. The members of the committee, on the part of the House, were also appointed a committee to prepare rules and orders for the government of the House. Ordered, In concurrence, that the returns of votes for Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary, Treasurer, Auditor, and Attorney-General, be committed to a joint special committee, consisting of Messrs. Stoddard, Griffin, Alexander, Childs and Stockbridge, of the Senate, and Messrs. Baker of Beverly, Johnson of Dorchester, Wilder of Hingham, Ward of Shrewsbury, Bartlett of Greenfield, Marrett of Cambridge, Bailey of Boston, and Brownell of Westport, of the House. Ordered, In concurrence, that the returns of votes for Councillors. Councillors, be committed to a joint special committee, consisting of Messrs. Stevens, Blaisdell and Andrews, of the Senate, and Messrs. Stone of Waltham, Barton of Lawrence, Kimball of Fitchburg, Phillips of Adams, Pope of Sandwich, Plumer of Boston, Fay of New Salem, and Ryder of West Bridgewater, of the House. Public worship. Ordered, In concurrence, that Messrs. Childs, Hurd and Southwick, of the Senate, and Messrs. Wells of Chicopee, Otis of Roxbury, Scudder of Dorchester, Swan of Easton, and Clark of Framingham, of the House, be a committee to wait on the Governor and Council, and inform them that the two branches are now ready to join them in attendance upon public worship. Afterwards, Mr. Wells, of the committee, reported that they had attended to the duty with which they were charged. Whereupon the House adjourned. |