The national Republican., 1869-02-11


seen whether there was to be any difficulty or
not. Because no man could know officially
and legally, n the stntc Of Gcorgin had been
state would nut hnye effected the result Of
the election. Therefore II was first. Very
well, sir, with a unanimity without parallel,
every loyal man on the Republican side Of
the House, and some loyal men on the other
side, hope, voted for resolution that
Georgia ought not to be counted, under the
IN ...r ....--
The Speaker has told us that the President
OF the Senate did right--in doing what In
counting the vote Of Georgia, although the
House protested against IL. What Is the
force Of that concurrent resolutionf II Is
that the two houses concur. Amer we have
concurred In q resolution, can we not non
concur and rescind II, so far as we are con-
cerned7 And did we not, by oyer-actlon on
that resolution, declaring that Georgia
should not be counted, non-concur and re-
sclnd the concurrent resolutlonf 1 put that
question 10 the Speaker as matter Of par
liamentary law. We agreed, then, that
Georgia should not be counted IN either way,
and We sent to the Senate message that we
had non-concurred aud rescinded the con-
current resolution. II that Is not so, then
the House has lost all control over counting
votes for President and Vice President. 1t
drawn resolution here that the joint rule,
so far as we are concerned, is rescinded.
But II the ruling Of the Speaker Is correct,
then we never can rescind II. We did, In
fact, resclnd the Joint resolution when We
said that Georgia ought not to be counted
under any circumstances.
Now, II we cannot resclnd q resolution or
a rule, and II the SENATE can always control
our action as II did to-day, by instructing Its
President what TO do, where are we left
The President OF the Senate takes his gayel,
and he stands there and hammers on the
desk, and we cannot appeal from his deci-
sion; and we cannot even clear our own
House, so that we can deliberate ourselves.
Laughter and encouraging applause.l He
and the Senators win remain there, they
shouting and yelling, "order ~ "Order!"
at our proceedings until they shut us up.
Laughter and applause.l That Is our con-
dltlon to-day. The Senators have got into
our room, and they hold themselves there,
and We cannot dissolve the convention.
Tho President will not receive a motion to
dissolve the conventions In fact, In other
words, the convention can only be dissolved
by order OF the Senate, and not by order Of
the House. The Senators can ask leave to
retire, but We cannot ask leave that they
shall retire. [Laughter.l They can go out
when they want to; but we cannot kick them
out when we wantto Laughter and shouts
Of applausc.1 Am not righti [Approvlng
answers Of ayes, yes" from his friends.
Is there any escape from IT.
II was the duty Of the Speaker to decide
the question upon the House being left to de-
liberate. We desired that the House should
be left to itself for the purpose OF considera-
tion. But II the President Of the Senate will
not put the motion, and II the Senators will
not leave on the broad hint which gave
them, and II the Speaker win net turn them
out, how are we to get rid Of themi Rounds
of laughter.l We have had the shameful
spectacle to-day Of the election Of Presi-
dent and Vice President, who were elected
with more unanlmity than any others were
ever elected since this Government began,
being declared amid the jeers and shouts
and laughter Of the whole House, because Of
the action Of the presiding officer Of the Sem
ate, which have denominated In this rcso-
luton as gross outrage upon the rights Of
the House. We have seen that joyful event de-
clnred amid confusion worse confoundcd, and
the only thing that we could have done
would have been as the British Parliament
did Of old when they had a Speaker who In
sisted that the House should adjourn, and
the Parliament sent two strong men to hold
him down In his seat, only We should have
had TO reverse the process.
Il was the Vice President Of the Senate and
the Senators who sustained him In 1t who
were to-day trampling upon our rights and
| the rights OF the people In my person, for
gave everybody notice that there would be Il
| noise about 1t. II cannot speak In an
orderly and proper manner, will do rs the
gentleman from Illinois Mr.. Farnsworthl
does, and speak In disorderly manner and
improper manner; but will speak In some
way. / will not be sienced. Now, Mr..
Speaker, what Is our remedyl | have not
drawn up that resolution with the expecta-
/ tion that 1t shall be acted upon tonight, be-
cause do not wish anything to be done
without great care. / have no doubt that
the House will vote mem con. that this was
gross Outrage upon the House; but propose
that the resolution and another resolution
| abrogatlng the Joint rule which ! shall offer,
shall be referred to q select committee of
Ave or seven, with Instructions to proceed at
| once TO consider and report what action the
| House shall take for the purpose OF preserv-
| Ing its right with reference to the dlsgraceful
and unseemly scene which took place here
to-day. offer the following resolutions;
| "Resolped, That the 22d Joint rule of the
| House and Senate be, and hereby Is, re-
scinded on the part OF the House.
/ ResolUed, That the resolutions now pend
ing be, and hereby are, referred to select
committee of five, with leave to report at any
time.
Mr.. Shellabarger took the floor.
Mr.. Speaker Colfax (from seat which he
occupied on the hoor.) VIII the gentleman
from Ohio yield to met
Mr.. shellabarger. Yes.
Mr.. Colfax. / acknowledge, Mr.. Speaker,
my surprise when referred to directly by the
gentleman from Massachusetts, In what he
propounded as a hypothetical case, that
when asked him the poor courtesy Of re-
plying at the moment, he declined to grant it.
Mr.. Butler. l gave the reasons for my de-
cllning.
Speaker Colfax. There arc various ways
Of attacking a person-sometimes by u
| charge dlrect-sometime with charging him
with what he may do In the future, and the
gentleman from Massachusetts Is master of
both methods. II he did not In the remarks
which he made, which he will read tomorrow
In the Globe, allude alphabetically to the con-
duct which he who Is now speaking to YOU
may be guilty Of In future day, when in sit.
ting In the chair as Vice President for the
counting of the next electoral votes, then do
not understand language.
Mr.. Butler. On the contrary, sir.
Speaker Colfax. yield to the gentleman,
though he declined to yield to me. Laugh
ter and applause.
Mr.. Butler. told the Speaker that did
not refer to him alphabetically. said that
the Speaker, when the next electoral votes
are being counted, might be the candidate
for Vice President, and l did not have the
gentleman In my mind at all. | did not
think Of him.
Mr.. Colfax. accept the explanation of
the gentleman from Massachusetts. | am
glad to find that l was mistaken, although
was listening carefully to his language and
his SMILES. There is question here be-
tween the two Houses. AS one who Is to
leave this House, perhaps forever, desire
to address words of warning to fellow-mem-
bers, to avoid as far as possible conflict be
tween the two branches to which are in-
trusted by the Constitution the legislative
powers Of the Government.
lfit Is apparent that duties have been per-
formed In conformity to the law, standing Oh
the statute-book, then / pray you beware !
VIII this House or any member of II choose
to go down to all coming generations as un-
Justly condemning an act performed by II CO.
ordinate branch Of Congress- This case is
all In q nutshell. The Constitution of the
/ United States declares that the President of
the Senate shall count the electoral votes
I and shall declare the result. If there was no
other rule than that, then the whole matter
would be In the hands of the Vice President.
We saw that In 1856, when the question came