Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-09
Twent,-fourtEl Consress--Sd scss
Saturday, february 4, 1887

SIIuTunU, o'@h y
IN SENATE 3
MIR. Clay presented a memorial nom sohuiy uun" nt
of The Ujpiled States, complaining oi Inc eA'S'i"E @"
in relation 10 copy. rights and praying liza! NE SUNG "%y
be revised and amended; und moved tc reierl 10 TIE De-
lect Committee appointed to consider the memorial o'
the authors of Great Britain on the same subject;
After some remarks from. Messrs. Clay aud Preston,
the reference was ordered.
added 10 Ike same cvm,uittee, to be appointed BY the
Chair; which being agreed to, MIR. RuggIes was aP-
pointed.
/, Norvell presented the petition of sundry citizens
of M;cbioan. uroyinp for appropriations for Internal
lmprpyements; which was referred 10 The COMMITTEE on
Commerce.
MIR. aia;o, presenied a memorial end joiit reso.
lulien Of the Legislature OF Indiana, on '1he SUBJECT ol
internal improvements: referred 10 Tue Soinh''''ec I'LL
Roads and Canals.
MIR. Linn presented a memorial from sundry citizens
of Missouri, on the subject Of spoiiations on American
commerce by the French prior to The year loco; which
was referred to The Committee on The iudic!ery. -.
Mr.. Morris presented 4 memorial from a citizen el
Cleveland, Ohio, setting forth that for several years past
there has been a continued rising OF the waters VI Lake
Erie, and u consequent washing away OF the southern
shore Of said lake, which he (the meihoriallsi) attributes
70 the obstruction caused by the dam constructed al
Black Rock 70. the purpose q. IhakinS a hurOos' Inc
petitioner prays that the Government WILL cause me same
70 be removed: referred 10 The Committee SS'INle!ce.
and ordered to be printed.
All. Grundy, from the select committee appointsc 10
consider and report on the mode OF examining aho count,
inr the votes for President and Vice President, &c, a'Id
whether any votes have beea given by persons mol com
pctent under Tie Constitution, made 4 specla! report
thereon, which was reuc.
The report states, that in scI"c instances not moro thah
four or Eve electors have been chosen IN some Q! the
States, who are officers of the General Government. DE
putty posLn.asters) and that such votes are, IN Tie opinion
OF the committee, not in conformity with the provisions
Of the Constitution; but al the same time the lew votes
thus given will not vary the result OF the election, as II
was not contemplated by any one that The appointment
of 0ne INELIGIBLE. eleCtur would yItlala the woke OF MS
Stale. The report concludes with Recommending The
adoption Of the following resolutions:
Rssotced, That the two Houses shall assemble IN the
chamber Of TIE Honse of Representatives OH Wrdnes.
day next at II o'clock, and the President OF the Senate
shall be the presiding officer; that one Persen be appoint.
ed a teller Oh the part Of the Senate, and two on The
par, Of the House Of representatives, to's'ake a list OF
the votes as they shall be declared; that the result shall
be delivered 20 tae President of the Senate, who shall
announce the state of the vote, aad the persons elected,
10 the two Houses assembled Us aforesaid, winch sAtt!
be deemed o declaration o! the persons elected fresiueIl
and Vice of the United States: and, together with a llst
Of votes, be entered on the journals OF the Two Houses.
Resolred, That in relation to tie votes OF Michigan, II
the counting or emitting TO count them shall not essell-
tiully change the result Of the election, they shall be re.
ported BY the President Of The Senate in The following
manner: Were the votes Of Michigah to be counted,
the result would be Tor a. u. for President OF the.C nlted
States - votes. II not COUNTED, tor A. IS. tor fresl-
dent of the U. States - votes. Blu, in either event,
A. B. is elected President Of the I. States. And N tlN
reme manner for Vice President
MIR. Norvell arose, Gia safe t!.al thP resolutions were
Joint resolutions. The first prescribed the usual manner
in which the two Houses assembled together on The Sc
cond "Wednesday in February. for the purpose OF count.
ing the votes Tor President and Vice President OF the'u
States. 10 this, Of course, ie had no objection. The
second resolution in relation To ths votes Of Michigan,
declared, in substance, that il they were not essential
TO the election OF a.President they skorid be sEnouaced
but need not be received as good. Their reception,
then, as sound votes, depended upon j contingency
which it was known would not happen. He called
for q division Of the motion ut The Senator from Fen
nessce, in order that lie and his colleague might
have al opportunity Of recording their ":otes against
the second resolution. Michigan, when the people vi
that State gave their votes Tor Presidential Electors, was
q sovereign State, acknowledged TO be such by az act Oh
the Congress OF the United States. She was now, be-
fore her electoral votes were TO he counted, 4 sovereign
State Of this Union, ucknowle lodged To be such by another
act Of the Congress Of the U. States. lie had, there
fore, risen 10 enter his must solemn protest, in behalf of
the people Of Michigan, agains, sny decisienott this body,
or OF Congress, which would, even by implication, have
the efec, Of preventing their electoral votes from being
counted for President and Vice President of the United
States; and upon the motion TO adopt The second resoiu.
ton, he requested that the yeas and nays might be taken.
MIR. Grumpy observed, tha. The committee were una
'Himous for reporting the second resolution objected. TO
by the gentleman from Michigan. The same Course had
been pursued with regard TO lhe Stale OF Missouri, and
under lie like circumstances; and when -SerStors recol
lsctcd that this was the very place wLc:e the rock lies
which may DESTROY Ibis Cove cnment, they would perceive
Chat the committee had good eeaseas !ar accommodating
ahe resolution objected TO. Suppose (said MIR. g. Tie
s""u'd aiIleT dnu sepoIolet anu euHposc Luz
House should refuse TO send for the Senate again, where
VIII DC your resident or Vice President: Though lie
mao oeeh one % The most anxious for the admission OF
Michigan; yet, lie thought ii better, under The circum.
slahceSs 'lnot Est woke snonlc net be counted, except in
fhe way Provides Tor by the scco,4 resolution. 10 count
The vote coHid do NO good, iuaSnuch ~ i, wopld moi IA.
ry the result. ana It Inight do hurm. No man IVES more
anxious than he was so' The admission of Michigan, vet
he must express the opinion thai; she was no, , Sal: ~
this Union when she gave her vote.
Mr.. Norvell said, that if this Union should eyer r,
~ntpa u ohnnE N q N lima nI he ha S.n,t e ~
see, it would arise froE HE practice Of Injustice by this
Government towards one or more of the States Of the
confederacy, and not from The right decision Of such
questions as The one now pending. The reception Of the
voles Of a State entitled to vote Tor the Chief Msgis;rale
Of the nation, by whom she, as well Is the other States,
was to be governed, could neFer endanger the Union
The result of the late elecIios, be knew, could nc,
be varied by the votes Of Michigau: end lees ha:srd
would therefore, be encountered at this time in pro.
peIly deciding the question apoa receiving the votes
of States in similar circumstances with Michigan,
than at any other time. The case Of Missouri, quoted
by the Senator from Tennessee in suppor, of the Sc.