Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-02-13
The Disorderiy Sccne ia the House.

The scene which occurred in the
House, OH Wednesday, on counting the
votes for President and Vice President
was disgraceful i'm the extreme; ana
Ben. Butler, we are sure, did not gam
any laurels for the part he took IN IL.
The immediate point involved in the
contest was this: Four years ago joint
rule was adopted by both Houses, for
the regulation Of the time and manner
of dec !aring the electoral votes for Pres
ident and Vice President. Under that
rule the two Houses are to meet in the
Hall of the House Of Representatives,
at o'clock, on Tie second Wednesday
in February succeeding the meeting OF
the Presidential Electors, and then ana
there open and count the certificates
from the several Electoral Colleges. If
any question arises, or objection to the
vote of any State is made, the Senate Is
to withdraw, ond the question is to be
determined by the two Houses, separate
ly, it being proved that ono question
shall be decided affirmatively, and no
vote objected to shall be counted, ex-
cept by the concurrent vote of the two
Houses"
In speaking of the contest the New
York Sun says:
If no further legislation had been had,
IL ia evident that, according to the
clause of the rule last quoted, majority
of either House could exclude any cleo
toral vote objected to. But during the
present session of Congress joint reso-
luton, in tie nature of an amendment
to the Joint rule, was passed, making the
case of the electoral vote of Georgia an
exception to those of other States. This
last Joint resolution directed that II the
vote of Georgia should be fou I'D not to
affect the final result, it should be re-
ported by the presiding officer, with
declaration of what the total vote would
be with it, and what it would be with
out it. The purpose Of this amendment
was evidently to prevent the discussion
and decision of a knotty subject, which
had no immediate practical Importance.
The counting of the votes on Wedn es-
day went on smoothly enough till the
State OF Louisiana was reached. OBJ
lection being made to the reception OF
her vote, tho Senate retired in accord
ance with the joint rule, and by con-
current action of the two Houses the OBJ
lection was not sustained, and the vote
of Louisiana was received. Then came
the turn of Georgia, and here it was that
the excitement we have spoken OF be
gun.
Gen. Butler, forgetting or overriding
the fact that by the amendatory JOINT
resolution the vote of Georgia was to be
reported, except in case it would have
the effect of turning the scale, which it
evidently would not, objected to its re-
ception. Tho presiding officer of the
joint convention, Senator Wade, like
wise, weakly allowing himself to be
compelled to disregard the special reso-
luton respecting Georgia, directed the
Senate to retire, hat the objection of
Gen. Butler might be considered in the
same way as that to the vote of LOUIS
ana had just been considered. When
the Senators, however, carae to meet in
their own chamber, they recognized Mr..
Wades mistake, and adopted resolu-
ton declaring their adherence to the
amendatOry solution. In the House
of Representatives, on the contrary,
Gen. Butler succeeded in having the
vote of Georgia thrown out by large
majority, Notwithstanding the joint res
olutiOn still in force.
VII IcSuIuluS pluCc III Ihc
Mr.. Wade projected to do what he
should have done at first, namely, re-
port the vote of Georgia in the special
manner provided for by the joint reso-
luton. He was met by the most defiant
and persistent abuse from Butler and
it was only under threat by the Sergeant
alarms, acting by direction of Speaker
Colfax, that the General should be made
to take his seat, and allow the result OF
the Joint session, the declaration of the
election of Grant and Colf.X, to be COM
pleted. We will not repeat the violent
language used by him on the occasion,
as it is given in detail in the reports OF
the session. 1t is sufficient to say that It
was tie most emphatic the General
could command, and his objurgatory re-
sOruces are ample.
When finally the joint convention
came to an end, and the Senate had
withdrawn, the ire of the belligerent
Butler, which had been choked down
by the threat of arrest, broke forth anew.
He was for passing resolution denOuL-
cling Mr.. Wade's Inference to the joint
resolution as "a gross act of oppression
and an inva. ion of the rights and privi-
leges of the House." Speaker Colfax
however, taking the floor, very neatly
opposed the fallacy of his long and vi
Imperative speech in support OF his reso
luton, by setting forth simply the
facts of the case as we have stated them
The House seems to have taken the
same view as Speaker, as they
voted down Mr. Buffers resolution yes
terday.
That Mr.. Wade exhibited great un
readiness and irresolution in presiding
ON this exciting occasion is incontesta
BILE; but it is no less clear that thu
belligerency of Gen. Butler was uncallet
for and foolish.
GENERAL SHIELDS.-The Kansas Git,
journal says: Z" A few weeks since
Gen Shielda the Democratic candidat,