Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-02-19
Congressional.
WAsHINGToa, February IL.

and Immediately repaired to the hall of tn,
House, to take part in opening and count
ing votes for President and Vice President
of the United States, in pursuance OF res
olution adopted some days since.
i Having returned in from the House, tht
Senate proceeded in consideration of thu
Wisconsin electoral vote having been cast
to-day by law, the question had occasionet
difficulty in the House. Speeches were
l.tions, while it was conteLded on one hanG
that the vote of Wisconsin could not effect
result. it was argued on the other, thai
the question should be definitely decided
Adjourned without taking question.
HoUsE-Mr Barbour moved reconsider.
alton of 70 ts, by which the Senate Subma,
rine Telegraph bill was referred to the com
mitlee on Pos toffices., The motion wa:
entered brobably to be considered to-mor.
row.
Mr.. Washburn, of Maine, under .instruc'
tions of committee on elections, made a
report concluding with resolution that John
w. Whitfield is not entitled TO a seat ir
this House, as DELEGATE from Kansas; and
moved further cons sideration of the subject
be postponed till Saturday next.
Mr.. Oliver, of No, moved to lay the res
olItion on the table and made a minority
report, esked to have read the memorial OF
Whitfield in response to the report of the
majority Of committee.
The further proceedings were interrupted
by the arrival Of the hour of ~, the time
fixed for opening and counting the votes OF
electors of the several States for President
and Vice Pres ident of the U. S.
Senators, accompanied by the officers OF
that holy, entered the Chamber: members :
oflha House receiving them staining. The
President of the Senate took his seat at the
right Of the Speaker Mr.. bigger, on part
of the Senators. and Messrs. Jones, Of Tenn
and Howard, of Mich, on part of the House,
appeared as tellars, and oo eupied the Clerk S
desk.
The President announced the object of
the meeting; it being pursuit to law, in
obedience to concurrent order of the tu O
Houses. The President 6rst opened the
vote of Maine, which was read by the TEL
lers- Other States followed in rotation.
| The President announced the result of
count and declared Buchanan and B-ecken-
ridge elected President and Vice Pres ident
The question was raised as to count in Q
the vote of Wisconsin. the electors having
met on the 4th instead of Sd December.
The President said the functions of the
| t,,,O II J;.rh,r.aJ
matter.
This decision was earnestly dssented
from by both Senators and Representatives..
Mr.. Cri.tenden said the decision involved
he privilege of deierming the election of
President of the United States
The President, replied lie had neither
assumed nor exercise such power, but had
merely performed the duty as required by
the Constitution.
| Much confusion and various propositions
were offered to releave the two Houses OF
their difficulty, but the Pres ident said no
vote could be taken in convention.
Mr.. Stuart moved the Senate return TO
their chamber this question d4termin ed in
| affirmative.
The House continued the subject in ami
mated manner til! adjournu eat, coming 10
no conclusion.
WAsnrSGr0k, February IL.
SENATE.-Mr. Wilson offered a resolu-
ton which was adopted, instructinI the
Committee on Post Office to inquire into the
cause of the repeated failures of the mails
between New York and ashiugton, DUR
ing the present session, and report VII It
legislation, if any, is necessary TO remedy
the evil.
Mr.. Pearce offered a resolution directing
the presiding otfic r 10 appoint committee
of three to make the necessary arrangements
for the reception and Inauguration of the
President elect. Adopted.
Mr.. Crittenden offered joint resolution
| that the electoral vote of Wisconsin, in the
late Presidential election, being given on :
day different from that prescribed by law,
was therefore null andivoid, and ought not
to have been admitted and inclu led in The
count of electoral votes.
Mr.. Thompson, of Ky, said Wisconsin
was like the horse which had been distanced
in the race and CAME in behind time. Her
vote should not be counted
Mr. Crittenden argued that it was impor-
tant to determine whether the vote shoul d
bu counted, for case might hereafter arIs e
when the result of the Presid n ial elect on
would depend on similar case, and there
could be no better time than now for settling
that question.
After brief debate the resolution was
tabled.
TIL Senate concured in House resolu-
tion Ior the appointment OF committee TO
inform Buchanan and Breckinridge of their
election. Adjourned.
HuUsE-Mr Jones, of Tenn, offered
resolution that committee be appointed,
consisting of two members of the House and
one member of the Senate, to wait upon
James Buchanan and John e. Breckinridge
and inform them that they have been duly
elected President and Vice President OF the
United States for the lour years commencing
on the 4th day of March, 1857. Mr.. Jones
said this resol lutiou had been agreed on by
the ellers.
MIR. Humphrey Marshall knew that those
gentleman were elected, and was as much in
favor of making that declaration as any gen.
teman could be, but desired the preliminary
business transacted agreeaby to the forms
OF the Constitution. Yesterday the Presi-
dent of the Senate received report from the
telerS and on that, while the vote OF Wis
consn was challenged by member Of the
House, declared the result. He denied the |
correctness of that proceeding. The two
Houses must in convention concur. in .orGer |
to produce u result and adjust the question
in controversy.
MIR. Jones, of Tenn, merely pointed to the
fact that Wisconsin had not cast her cleo
toral vote on the day designated by law.
After an Intellectual motion by MIR. Wal
bridge, to lay the resolution on the table, it
was adopted.
Mr.. Dunn offered resolution declaring
James Buchanan and John G. Breckenridge