New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-11
WASHINGTON.

COUNTING THE ELECTORAL voTE-INTEREsTING
PROCEEDINGS IN CoNvENTIoN-THE SECRET
SALES OF G0LD-THE ST. DOMINGO CUES
TON IN A NEW LIGHT-THE STATUS OF
MIssIsSIPPI-GEN BUFFERS ENTERTAIN
MENT-TuE MGARRAHAN CLAIM.
WASHINGTON Wednesday, Feb. 10, 1862
The Senators and Representatives came together
to-day i'll Joint Convention to count the votes OF the
Electoral College for President and President OF
the United States. The place of meeting was the
Hall of Representatives, and the time o'clock.
Long before that hour thousands upon thousands
filed those spacious galleries tier above tier choking
up the doOrways, surging out into the corridors.
throngng the passage ways between the seats, filing
to oyerilowIng every inch of standing and sitting
space There was no distinction of race color
The rules prohibiting the privilege of the floor
were suspended and down there on lounges
and sofas, and Representatives seats, were
ladies and children wives and relatives of honorable
members, relieving the somber aspect of the Cham
ber That vacant space on the floor of the House,
behind the outer row OF desks was thronged with
spectators of this class, who formed rather pleasing
and brilliant back ground to the semcircular rows
of benches, behind which sat the wgiyers Of the
Republic. But there Others, too noted lobby
lists, aud even strumpets of the street. some way OF
other found admission. There Mrs. Cobb, the
pardon broker and Mrs. So-andSo, whose reputation
who invited them, no one. perhaps
will care TO TELL or acknowledge, but
they were there to the disgrace of civilization
and the shame of the House. Twelve o'clock came.
Routine work of no particular importadce, reading
of the Journal reports gof Committees, reference of
bills, resolutions, &c. nothing more One o'clock
came and with it the announcement that the House
would prepare to meet with the Senate in joint SEES
sion for the purpose indicate above. Then followed
the reading of the JOINT rule of tho House for the
meeting of the two bodies conformity. All
the Representatives the right of the
Speaker moved in accordance with the
regulation from their seats, leaving vacant
five circles of benches for tho accommodation of
Senator's They were nearly all Democrats, and as
they made way for perhaps honester men. there
laugh. FIVE minutes after o'clock and the Ser
geant-at-Ams Of the Senate appeared at the main
entrance of the Chamber, and behind him, in line,
the members of the Upper House. two and two, Wade,
President pro TEN. and GoTham. Secretary, first;
then Sumner and Wilson, and Cameron and Morton,
and so on 70 the number Of sixty. They marched up
| the main aisle amid deepest silence. Much as we
sometimes abuse these grave and reverent sena-
tors and criticise their action, there was hardly
one in all that vast assembly to-day who did not feel
proud Of them as a body, Mr.. Wade took the seat
prepared for him at the Speakers desk Cofax on his
left Conkling for tho Senate. Wilson of Iowa and
Pruyn for the House. teers, took their seats at the
desk immediately below the presiding officer. The
! Senators arranged themselves az best they could.
! sumner Cameron. and Wilson were together Oh one
Of the front rows, back of them Salisbury and Doc
little close By. frumbull not far distant,
| Spraguo awaysL.in adicorner, and 80 on
At Is o'clock fSfr Wade raped the Convention
10 order Every head bowed to catch the faintest
syllable; every eye was concentrated on point.
sio.rs Wade and Colfax. Conkling, Prtiyn, and WI
son were tho central figures Of thu tabeau. On the
| table before Mr.. Wade was little bundle Of enyel-
opes some yellow, some buff, and some white, all
tied together with red tape and sealed with seals Of
| States They were unimportant looking documents
| but in them were contained the recorded votes
| of probably 100000 Of citizens calling two
Of their number TO fill the highest offices
in tho gift of the people of tho United States Tho
| first one taken from tho package was New-IIamp-
shire. Nj. Wade broke the seal and handed the in-
closed documents to Mr.. Conkling. They wero the
certificate Of the Governor relative to tho choice Of
electors. and the certificate Of the said electors
| that they had met Mt tho Capitol of the
State and east their five votes for L. y.
| Grant Of Illinois, for President and five for
Schuyler Colfax OF Indiana for Nice-President They
were long tedious papers, full Of verbage and legal
and constitutional forms and phraseology At the
conclusion, Mr.. Wade announced that in the case Of
the remaining documents TO tho effect, their re-
suit merely would be announced by tho tellcrs.
Massachusetts followed for Grant and Colfax, then
came Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont, read
| by Wilson.
The question Of prohibiting the secret sales OF gold
by the Government, which has been under consider
alton by the Senate Finance Committee for some
! time was to-day again considered by them, and a
| lao
Senate tomorrow. II provides that hereafter there
shall be no secret sale of gold bonds by tho Score
tary of the Treasury or my officer of the Govern
ment Both gold and bonds to be sold at auction
| on terms most advantageous to the Government 1t
| 10 ascertaned from official information that If this
course had been adopted two three years ago. the
| Government would have saved millions Of dollars,
| which have been paid as commissions TO numerous
| favorites Of the Treasury Department.
The Envoy Of tho Dominican Republic now In
| Washington says the Government he represents has
no confidential agent in this country other than him
self unless an unexecuted commission to negotiate q
small loan for President Baez, now of some months
standing gives him that position, and that no one
has authority from his Government to state its IN
debtedness apart from his instructions upon the sub
cct 1t is not true stated that advices nave oeen
received from the highest official sources that Pres-
dent Baez and tho Dominican people would accept
unconditional annexation. No such proposition has
been made The mission of Mr.. Angenard is PLAIN
one. with which he alone il ntrusod, and its object
is sought to be attained by none of the dubious ways
of diplomacy. 1t is free from disguise or conceal
ment, and is in no wise directly or indirectly con-
ncctcd with any of the speculative jobs land grants
or other schemes with which efforts arc made to asso
ciatc it, The Envoy says the interference OF anyone
with its purpose IS wholly unwarranted, and as dam