The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-02-18

further incident. till Georgia was
reached, :
PrEsiding ofiicer--Let the certificate
be rIad.
Tile certificate was read by Mr..
Pruyn.
1t shows that the meeting of thu
electors was held on the ninth of De-
cember instead of the second, and that
the nine votes were given for Sey-
mour and Blair. 97
Mr. Butler-I object to the vote Of
the State of Georgia being counted,
and send my objection in writing to
the chair.
The objections were read by Mr..
Pruyn, as follows:
II object, under the joint rule, that
the vote of the State of Georgia for
President and Vice President ought
not to be counted, and 1 object to the
counting thereof, because, 81 p
"First-Among other things, the
vote of the electors in the electoral
college was not given on the first
Wednesday in December, as required
by law, and no excuse in justification
for the omission of such legal duty is
set forth in the certificate of action OF
the electors.
SSecond-Because, at the date of
the election of such electors, the State
of Georgia had not been admitted to
representation as State in Congress
in the rebellion of her people, or be-
cause entitled thereto. - gH
Third-That at said date said State
of Georgia had not fulfilled in due
form all the requirements of the con-
| stitution and the laws of the United
States known as the reconstruction
acts, SO as to entitle said State to be
represented as State of the Union in
the electoral vote of the several States
for choice of President and Vice Pres
ident.. faa
"Fourtll--That the election pretend
led to have been held in the State of
Georgia OH the first Tuesday in No
vember last was not a free, just, equal
and fair election, but the people were
deprived of their just rights therein
by force and fraud"
Representative Pruyn, by direction
of the presiding officer, read the con-
current resolution of the two houses
in relation to counting the votes of
Georgia. "a
/ Senator Edmundsr Rep.) of VT,
made point of order that the objec-
ton was not in order, the two houses
having, by special rule on the case of
Georgia, made a substantial change in
the standing rule.
Mr.. Butler-I desire to call the at
tention of the President to the law
/ fl,af kl,n.rvrfnc ho fo6 .r.o-
jected blythe convention of the two
houses. .s5:f. ......l. ~...
Mr.. Wood-I call the gentleman
from Massachusetts, to ordel. The
rule forbids discussion. ~ =
The Presiding Officer-Debate is
notin order. r,..,= SKI
Mr.. .Butler-Have I not right to
state the question 80. =
i The Presiding Ofice-The gentle
man has stated his objection in writ
ing.
4 Mr.. Butler-And the gentleman
! from Vermont Senator Edmunds)
did not state his in writing. "a pal.
pable hit, which was received with
much laughter, the presiding officer
contenting himself, for all response
with the use of the gavel.)
: The Presiding Officer, speaking with
much hesitancy-The chair is very
much disposed to hold the Senate and
House to their own doing, to the joint
resolution which they passed, the pur.
! port of which is, if we understand it
that if the votes of the State of Geor
: gia did not alter the results, they were
not to be counted. (This simple, nat
ural, and explicit explanation of the
concurrent resolution brought down
the house, and on the floor and in the
galleries, there was general outburs
of laughter and merriment, accompa.
: MED by the clapping of hands, stamp
ing of feet, and other manifestations
of uproarious nlirth. ta a-sf
" SenatortD Drake-I submit the poin
of order that the concurrent resolu
ton does not dispose of the frs
ground of the objections taken by th'
representation from Massachusetts, tt
{ wit; that the vote of Georgia was mo-
cast on the day required by law; sant
4 insist, therefore, that the, point mus
be determined by the votes of the TIVE
Houses separately.
The Presiding Officer-The concur
rent resolution declares that the vote
q of Georgia shall be announced by, the
Vice President pro tenn in certain
special way. The Chair is very nucl
!. disposed to obey the directions of botl
branches of Congress. 9E's.1sT1'-.
t Mr.. Butler With great respect fol
, the decision of the Chair, yet this is
matter of high constitutional law, an6
: as in other times it might make grea
trouble, I propose that the matte
shall be considered in both houses
Exclamations of NO." "No," ayes,
aYes," from opposite sides of tn,
chamber. The Senators who were OF
, the Democratic side of the House ap
5 pearing to have formed a junction
: with the Democrats and with con
3 siderable number of Republican mem
bers who were adverse to Mr.. Butler
: position. - ~ ..,-.. ..s. ~, f.,.,s,r,,..
The Presiding Officer rose to fac,
4 the storm, and then irresolutely, ant
: as if he felt himself utterly embar
rassed by the persistence of Mr.. But
E ler, took his seat without volunteerin,
to express an opinion or make a ruling
. This incident also provoked consider
5 able laughter. ayfaf 81
: Mr.. Jones, of Kentucky, as If to aa,
: to the complications of the auestio
aRd to the embarrassment of the Pre
II siding Officer, put forward an .objet
e ton to tho counting of the vote {
O Georgia in the manner indicated in tn
n concurrent resolutions, and said h
e would proceed to write out his lobjes
d ton in due form. He submitted tina
d under the 22d rule he had right I
IS object to that concurrent resolution
especially as it was passed subsequen
g ly' to tbs flettlaA: - :
S While Mr., Jones was sitting dow
:. to carry out this threat, the Presidip
Z. Officer, as being the easiest way OF
8, of the difficulties by which he ws
d beset, rose and said, that, objectio
l. being made, the Senate would retil
to, its chamber and deliberate. n
le Representative Scofield-On what
u u Presiding oficer-on the objectio
,e made by the gentleman from Mass
= ehgsetts. @ l.la ~
to Ar. Jones. as he saw the Senate