PROCEEDINGS, INCLUDING SPEECHES, OPINIONS AND VOTES IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, BY WHICH THE RIGHT OF THE HON. JESSE D. BRIGHT AND THE HON. GRAHAM N. FITCH TO THEIR SEATS AS SENATORS U.S. FROM THE STATE OF INDIANA WAS CONFIRMED.
Washington: Geo. S. Gideon, Printer, 1858. Original printed pink wrappers [some discoloration], stitched. vii, [1 blank], 132pp. A few pages with a bit of inner margin spotting. Very Good. Inscribed above the title, "J.G. Woodbury Per J.D. Bright."
The question was whether the State of Indiana had legally returned Senators Bright and Fitch to the Senate. Bright and Fitch were Democrats, elected by Indiana's Democratic Senate; the Republican members of the State Senate failed to participate in the election. The next Legislature, which was predominantly Republican, declared this election illegal, and chose Henry S. Lane and William M. McCarty as Senators. They claimed their seats in Washington. The U.S. Senate rejected their claim on a Party vote, and voted to seat Bright and Fitch. The title page is preceded by a detailed Table of Contents, listing all the opinions, resolutions, testimony, votes, reports, and speeches. Much discussion occurs on the legal authority for the U.S. Senate to judge the qualifications of those who claim to have been duly elected.
Bright lived in southern Indiana; he owned a farm and slaves across the river in Kentucky. His interests-- both material and emotional-- were those of a southern plantation owner. During the War, Bright became the only person from a Northern State expelled from the Senate for his Confederate sympathies. Fitch was along for the ride--- he was elected to the U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy in the term beginning March 4, 1855, and served from February 4, 1857, to March 3, 1861. He commanded Union troops during the War.
Not in Sabin, Cohen, or Eberstadt. OCLC 24888369 [4]. Item #28924
Price: $275.00