Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-02-11
ALEXANDRIA.
Counting the Electoral Votes.

present at the counting OF tue Eiectorai 'ol0
for President and Vice President. A larg
crowd filed the galleries.
Messrs. Senator Conkling and Representa-
tives Pruyn and Wilson, OF Iowa. acted as tel
lers, and announced the votes OF each State
follows: For Grant and Colfax-Massacbu
sets, u: Rhode Island, 4; Connecticut. 6
Vermont, 5; Pennsylvania, &c; North Carolina
O. South Carolina, 6; Tennessee, 10; Ohio, q
Indiana, Is; Illinois, 16; Alabama, s, Maine
Z; Missouri, II; Arkansas, 5; Michigan, 8
Florida, 3; Wisconsin, s; Iowa, S; California
s. Minnesota. 4; Kansas. 3; West Virginia. 5
Nevada. 8; Nebraska, 3. For Seymour anC
Blair-New York, 80; New Jersey, Z; Mary
land, 7; Delaware 3; Kentucky, H.; Louisiana
!; Oregon, 8; Georgia, 9.
When Louisiana was called Mr.. Mullins OBJ
lected to the vote of the State being counted,
ON the ground that 40 lawful election had been
held there
Mr.. Washburne, of Illinois, asked Mr.. Mul-
Illus so withdraw his objection. And the Sen
ate retired TO decide whether the vote OF that
State should be counted, and this it resolved
afirmarively. The House decided the same
way-yeas l36, nays Ga; and soon back came
the Senate, aud the vote of Louisiana aodS
counted.
All now went On we'll enough till Georgia
was reached Here Mr.. Butler objected to the
vote. The President OF the Senate, Mr. Wade
was of opinion that under the JOINT resolution
OF The two Houses lately passed, the vote OF
Georgia was directed to be counted and an
nounced In O certain way distinctly speclhed
but he nevertheless retired with the Senate 10
consider the question presented by Mr.. Butler.
That body came to the conclusion already To-
tima,ed by the presiding officer, as subsequent
" appeared In the proceedings Of the JOINT
convention.
Meantime the House went on and gave a
party vote against counting the ballots OF Geor-
ga Shortly after. Mr.. Thomas OF Maryland,
moved to reconsider; but only few Radicals
sus. aimed him, and his motion was laid on the
table. A good deal of other business had been
transacted meantime, and much ct the day
spent, when the Senate came back to make its
third entrance. Here it must be noted that at
this stage the two Houses had that day ruled
differently as to the point involved; but still
the joint resolution was express and mandatory
1t lett no discretion to the presiding officer, and
it was not competent for the House OF Repre-
sentatiVes alone to rescind the order prescribed
nv joint resolution OF the two Houses
This point was subsequently elucidated by MIR.
Coltax.
But now came the pinch all at once. The
count had to go on somehow. Mr.. Wade had
60 give some direction 10 respect TO the vote OF
Georgia. He had either to follow the express
order of the two bodies In their concurrent res
luton, or to adopt the afterthought Of the
House. He directed the tellers to read the
vote OF Georgia n the manner already preScrlb-
ed. And now came on most extraordinary
scene. MIR. Butler rose to debate, to appeal
from the decision, to badger the Chair with
questions; be rolled up his sleeves, tossed his
bead about deiiantly, insulted the Senate
then present-asked them to leave, denounced
them as ''interopers in a word, did his best
TO insult the presiding officer and the Senate,
and to cast opprobrium and contempt upon the
formal proceedings by which General Grant
was a. out to be invested with the Executive
authority. The House was for many minutes
a bear garden many members behaviog nearly
rs badly as Mr.. Butler and aiming, evidently.
TO browbeat the presiding officer. The Senators
all remained aulet-save one word OF digniied
protest from MIR. D)olittle.
At this stage it became necessary tor Mr..
Coliax to interfere, and he did so by directing
the Sergeant at Arms to arrest the dlsorderly
members it they persisted This brought them
at once to their senses. Mr.. Butler promptly
subsidized. Mr.. Ingersoll wilted moment later,
and then order Ieigned IN Warsaw.
The result was announced, first by Senator
Coukling, and afterwards repeated by the Pre-
siding Officer, that, including the State of
Georgia. Grant and Cofax had received PA
votes, and Seymour and Blair 80 votes.
The Presiding Officer, after repeating the
-csult, said: | do, therefore, declare that
Ulysses s. Grant, of Illinois, having rcoeiv,
sd majority Of the whole number ut electoral
votes, is duly elected President of the United
States for four years, commencing on the 4th
OF March. 1869; and that Schuyler Coltax, of
Indiana, having received majority OF the
whole number Of electoral votes, is IDLY eIcc,ed
Vice President of the United States for four
years, commencing on the 4th day Of March,
1869. The joint convention, having accom-.
pshed the business which brought it here,
w,ll now retire to the Senate Chamber
This bull was greeted with uproarlcuS laughter
Oh all sides Of the chamber 10 the midst Of
which the Senators drew their togaS around
them (iu spirit add retired from the hall where
they had suffered so much annoyance.
After the Senate had retired, Mr.. Speaker
,)olfax made succioct statement OF the mat
tiers involved in counting the vote OF Georgia.
Mr.. Butler Immediately obtained the floor,
and introduced his resolution of implied Geo
sure on the Senate, aud addressed the House
AL length.
Mr.. Allison moved that the House adjourn.
The yeas and nays were taken On that mo
lion, and resuted-yeas l04, nays A.
The House, therefore. at six clock, after
one Of the most exciting sessions in its Ieglsla-
tive annals that il has ever passed through, ad-
iourned till to- day.
The law OF kindness Is a powerful one by
which to render men tractable, as we'll as to
subdue enemies. But, unfortunately this law,
is, to a great extent, ignored, and pronounced
obsolete, 10 this day and generation. We be-
ieve il is now regarded by those who "iule the
roast las almost every thing else is that is
good, as "old fogyish' -"behiud the times"
anticipated, out OF date, &C., &c The
law is now, not to win peace and harmony, by
kindness, but, Ito force, drive, bind, aud gag"
When there is disability, it is not to be
removed. but fastened on Where there is
burthen increase it That's the law aolo