Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-02-18
COUNTING THE VOTE.

On the 10th Instant the two Houses met in
Joint session in the hail of the House of Represen-
tatives, for the purpose of counting the electoral
vote of the States for President and Vice Presl-
dent. This ceremony was intended to be very I'M
posing, and large concourse of spectators had as
sembled to witness it. But owing to slight diff
ference of opinion between the two Houses, the
august proceedings gradually degenerated into an
exciting squabble, in which Butler and Wade were
the principal actors.
The counting was done very smoothly until the
vote of Louisiana was reached, when Mullins, OF
Tennessee, objected to its being counted. Each
House being obliged to vote separately on receiv-
ing the vote of State, the Senate retired to its
own chamber On their return, it was found that
both Houses had decided to admit the vote aud
the counting was resumed
When Georgia was reached, Butler objected and
the Senate retired, as before. The House voted
against, and the Senate in favor of, receiving the
vote of Georgia. Mr.. Wade, President of the
Senate, and also presiding officer of the joint ses-
sion, announced that the vote would be counted.
Butler again objected, but Wade would not sus-
tain the objection. Wade raised a laugh, being
somewhat confused by the uproar, by deciding that
eff the vote of Georgia would alter the result, it
was not to be counted: but if it did not alter the
result, it was to be counted. D"
Butler, however still objected, and when Wade
refused to reverse his decision, appealed to the
House, asking whether they would allow them.
selves to be over-run by the Senate. Many Rep
resentatives responded that they would be heard /;
but Wade would allow no appeal. The result Of
the vote was then read, in the midst Of deafen-
ing uproar and cries Of order At this point, Mr..
Colfax, Speaker of the House, came to Wade's
assistance, and springing to the Speakers desk,
ordered the Sergeant-at-A to arrest all dsor-
derly persons In short time the Sergeant had
his men distributed through the House, and men,
bers resumed their dignity, when the result was
again announced, and the Senate retired.
When the House recovered possession of its own
dunghill, Butler offered the following resolution;
"Reso7red, That the House protests that the
counting of the. vote of Georgia, by the order Of
the Vice President pro. tem., was gross act
of oppression and an invasion of the rights and
privileges of the House"
The discussion of this resolution occupied the
remainder Of that day and all of next day, and
brought B. F. into trouble with some members
of his own House. On the llth, the follow
ing resolution, in response to Buffers, was offer
cred in the Senate, and laid over for future action:
''Resolred, That the noisy, disorderly conduct of
Benz F. Butler, and other members Of the House,
during the counting of the votes for President and
Vice President, whereby said business was dis
turbed and obstructed is dsreputable to said Benz
F. Butler and other representatives acting with
him, and wrong and insult to the people Of the
United States
Our readers will probably come to the conclusion
that there is good ground for both resolutions and
that this is very pretty little specimen of the
amenities of Congressional debates.