Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-02-17
Csgating the Electoral Votes.

In accordance with the Constitution,
the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States, assembled in Joint
convention last Wednesday, IT l 0 clock
T. NJ, t. open certificates ana count tile
electoral VOTES fer President and Vice
President
The proceedings progressed with deco
rum and dignity, witnessed by enc of the
largest and most respectable audiences
ever assembled n the country, until tie
opening of the certificates OF the vote vi
the State of Georgia, when occurred
a scene which disgraees the country. aud
should damn the principal participants
n tie eyes oil me world.
On the Monday previous Congress had
passed = resolution (how wisely we will
not lad ge)-in view Of anticipated oi}jec>
ton % counting the electoral vote Of
Observation-Disclosures that the total vote
should be stated, both including and ex-
cludaE the vote Of Georgia provided
that lie Counting # It did not change the
general result On the call Of Georgia,
rs gas anticipated Ben Butler objected
TO the votes being counted, which stopped
proceedings until each house could for
itself consider the objection The action
of the Senate resulted in that body over
ruling the Butler objection, and to count
the vote Of Georgia, while the House de-
termined to sustain the objection and to
not count the vote. With these adverse
actions the two bodies re~assembled in
joint convention, aud would doubtless
have soon finished the business. but for
the combative disposition of Butler, who.
thinking he had an opportunity OF dis
playing his ability As o rioter, and deter~
mined if possible to have the vote thrown
out, In accordance with his wishes: COM
menced by every possib means, and n
defiance of frequent calls to order to be-
rate everybody differing with him, and to
especially insult the presiding officer, and
in general create such a commo.ion as to
turn the august assemblage into q mere
mob, each speaking without egar1 to or
der, decorum or common deceney. Spite
of all efforts on the part of the President
and better disposed members this COM
motion prevailed COR half an hour; and
1t IS impossible to surmise where or
when it would haye ended, but for the
interpOsition of Speaker Colfax, who or
dered the Sergeant-at>arms to preserve
order aad arrest all who failed to regard
the warning. Ben Wade, the presiding
officer of the convention, though usually
well poised and clear~headed, became
greatly confused, by the impertinence of
Butler, and sat in the chair witness of
the scene but wholly helpless to quiet
the uprOar or restore order, being accus-
toned to preside over the more sedate,
/ dignifed Senate, the boisterous impetu-
| osity Of the hot heads of the House proved
too much for his temper, and he seemed
| to loose all control of himself as we'll as
Of the body over which he was presiding
! The whole affair may be summed up in
brief as a national disgrace, and must ev-
er be dark spot in our history. ReSo-
buttons Of censure may be passed, which
/ shall show that such conduct is con-
I demned, but resolutions can Eever erase
the fact that our National Council is par
tially made up of BiIiingsgate Graduates