The national Republican., 1869-02-11

many votes given for President and Vice
President, and II the State Of Georgia were
not counted there would be so many votes
given for President and Vice President, and
that in either case such and such persons are
elected President and Vice President.
Mr.. Colfax. The two Houses adopted
that concurrent resolution, and declared that
when the Houses shall come together In this
Hall In conformity with the laws and with
the Joint rule, then, n the vote Of Georgia
did not affect the Issue, the President Of the
Senate should say exactly rs he did say. Il
seems to me that there Ia nothing clearer
than that, and was surprised when heard
the supplementary argument Of the gentle
man from Massachusetts Mr.. ButlerJ where
he said that by the action OF the House Of
Representatives In sending over message to
the Senate that the House did not think the
vote Of Georgia ought to be counted, that
that abrogated the Joint rule. have never
heard before that one House could abrogate
a Joint rule agreed to by both Houses.
Mr.. Woodward, Of Pa, (lnterruptlng.)
desire TO correct a mistake that I have Just
now made. find that on the yeas and nays
the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr..
Butlerl did vote on that concurrent resolu-
tlon. .H
Speaker Colfax. That Is not material. II
does not affect the question. desire to say
only one thing more. II is impossible In q
Joint convention that there should be an ap-
peal. There has been much feeling mani
Tested here because an appeal was not enter
tained by the presiding officer Of both bodies.
] repeat, there cannot be, and never has
been, an appeal In joint convention Of the
two Houses.
There Is right reserved In the twenty
second rule that II the vote of any State be
objected to the Houses shall retire TO their
respective Chambers and decide upon the
question. But the two Houses subsequently,
by deliberate vote, took the case Of Georgia
out Of the operation Of that joint rule, and
laid down q specific rule for Georgia; and
the vote Of that State was to-day withheld
until the Inst, so that the concurrent resolu-
ton could be called into effect by the pre-
siding officer. repeat that there can be no
appeals from points OF order In Joint con-
venton, because the Senate represents the
States and the members of the House repre-
sent the people. The two bodies are made
up differently, and therefore no appeals In
joint convention have ever been recognized.
Mr.. Butler, of Mass, made some remark
as to the precedents In State Legislatures In
elccting Senators.
Mr.. Colfnx. The cases arc not analogous,
and therefore ] will not answer the gentle
man. In conclusion, | regret thai have
occupied so much Of your timej but proba-
bly, II will be the last moment that will oc-
cupy II until / deliver my valedictory In
leaving the chair. The electoral vote has
been counted In accordance with your con-
current resolution. The President of the
Senate has uttered the very words which
that resolution put In his mouth. The vote
OF Georgia did not affect the result, and the
concurrent resolution ordered him, II II did
not, to rise and declare what he did declare.
appeal to you, Representatives, not, un-
der such excitement as now exists, to put on
your Journal record which will not stand
the scrutiny or the approval Of your own
Judgment In your cooler moments.
Mr.. Allison, Of Iowa. I move the House
adjourn.
Agreedto-yeas 104, nays 49j so the House,
at o'clock, adjourned.