Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-12
COUNTING THE VOTE.


| OyIsShSA 10 Ge9fSfR-D1S
graceful DOiDgs and Sayings Of ths
8 Peoples Representative"
Special to the Louisville Courier.
w WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.-The cal
continued until all of the State:
were recorded but Georgia. THAI
State was called last, and Ben But
Ter promptly rose and objected. The
joint resolution lately passed by
Congress in reference to the vote Of
Georgia was then read. Senator
Edmunds, Of Vermont, held that
the objection of Gen. Bntler was
not good, AS the joint resolution COW
cred the case.
Mr.. Butler sent to the clerks desk
his objection in writing, that the
electors did not meet on the first
Wednesday of December, as requir-
ed by law, and the State had not
complied with the reconstruction
laws.
President Wade said he was in
| clined to hold Congress to the rule
adopted, which was that the vote
of Georgia could be counted if it
did not change the result, but
could not be counted if it should
change the result. This decision,
delivered in the quaintest manner,
provoked shouts of laughter all
over the hall. The Senate retired
to its chamber, and the House, by
Al to $50, decided not to count the
Georgia vote. At 4 P. NJ. the Sen
ate came back, and its Secretary
announced that they had decided
that the objection of Mr.. Butler
was not in order. Mr.. Wade took
the chair and told the tellers that,
as the votes had been counted, to
announce the result.
This was followed by an explos-
ion. Butler rose in an excited
manner, and said that he made the
point of order that the House had
decided that Georgia could not be
counted, and he asked the chair to
pass upon that point, and direct
the Senate to retire to consider it,
Butler spoke with great and often
sive earnestness. Wade said he
could not entertain any such point
of order. Butler, with renewed
excitement, said he appealed. Wade
said he could not entertain the APP
peal. A storm of excitement arose,
above which Butler could be heard
saying: /" appeal | l appeal l call
upon the Representatives. of the
people not to allow their rights to |
be trampled on Shouts Of ''ques-
ton question order orderl7 came
from all parts of the hall The
crowds in the galleries rose to get
a better view of the scene. Many
members left their seats. Butler
bounded out into the aisle and then
went back again. Fifty members
at least were shouting " Mr. Speak
err" and Mr.. President" at one
time. Above the din at last came
the stentOrian voice Of Senator
Doolittle asking the vote to be an
nounced. Wade took courge and di-
rected the tellers to go on. Senator
commenced to read the
result, when Kelly, Ingersoll, of
Van Horn, of Missouri, |
and others commenced to shout
again. Speaker Colfax, |
who sat at the right of Wade,
called these members to order, and |
said that if the decisions of the |
President of the convention were |
not respected he should direct the
Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest such
members as objected. When it was
known to all that there was no ap-
peal from the President of a joint
session under the joint rules, Butler
called out again, 81 move the Sen
ate have leave to retire, and again
move the interlopers on the floor
be cleared out. Several Senators ]
seemed TO think the latter personal, |
and arose as if to speak, but said
The Sergeant alarms then
went to several members of the
House and asked them to retire or
sit down They did the latter, and
order was restored. The result was
announced, by proclamation by |
Wade, that Grant and Colfax were
elected lie signed the certificate,
the Senate retired, and the House
resumed it's normal state.