Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-02-13
ELECTORAL.
Congress Counting the Presidential
e ~ Vote. 80
A Series Of Joint and Separate
Sessions.
Successive Disturbances Of the Two
.t5 Houses.
Georgia's Vote. for Greeley Not
Counted.
Arkansas and Louisiana Not Counted.
Objections to the Vote Of Mississippi
and Texas Overruled.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.-This being the
day when the ceremony of counting the
Presidential electoral votes takes place,
the House galleries, in spite of the rain
which had been falling all the forenoon,
were crowded.
On motion of Mr.. Dawes a message was
sent to the Senate that the House was pre-
pared TO receive that body.
At one o'clock P. NJ. the doorkeeper an
noubced the arrival of the Senators. The
Speaker and members of the House imme-
diately stood up and remained standing
while the members of the Senate, preceded
by their Secretary and Sergeant-St Arms,
fled downthe main aisle two by two and
took the seats assigned them in the south
eastern section Of the Hall. Mr.. Colfax,
Vice President, took the chair OF the Speak
er, who occupied a seat TO the left Of the
Vice President. Senator Sherman and
Representatives Dawes and Beck, who
had bsen appointed tellers, took their places
at the Clerks desk.
The Vice President called the joint con-
vention to order, stating that the Senate and
House of Representatives, having met un-
der the provision of the Constitution for the
purpose of opening, determining and de-
cisring the vote for the offices of President
and Vice President of the United States for
the term Of four years, commencing on the
4sb of March next, a1d that it being his
duty in the presence of both Houses thus
convened, TO open the votes, he would now
proceed to discharge that duty.
lie then broke open the sealed package
containing the certificate of the Governor of
the State of Maine, as to the persons chosen
as electors for that State, together with the
certificate Of electors, and handed the same
to the tellers. Senator Sherman thereupon
read the certificate of electors, showing that
the votes of that State were given for y. S.
Grant for President and Henry Wilson for
Vice President.
The same formalitY was gone through
with il the case of New Hampshire, and
then it was ordered that instead of reading
the certificates in full the teller should
simply announce the result of the vote in
each State, unless the reading of the certi-
ficates should be specially called for; and
that course was observed throughout the
proceedings.
The first variation in the uniformity of
the count was when the State of Maryland
was reached. Mr.. Beck read the certificate
from that State, showing that its eight votes
had been cast for Thos. A. Hendricks of
Indiana, as President, and b. Gratz Brown
of Missouri, as Vice President.
GeOrgia's Votes for Greeley.
The next deviation was in the case Of
Georgia, and Mr.. Beck having examined
the certificate announced that the IL votes
of that State for President had been given as
follows: B. Gratz Brown of Missouri, six;
Horace Greeley of New York, 8; Chas. j.
jenkins of Georgia. 2-and the eleven votes
for Vice President as follows: B. Gratz
Brown of Missouri, 5; Alfred q. ColquIt
of Georgia, >; n. P. Banks of Massachusetts
l. The one vote for Vice President which
Gen. Banks received from the State of
Georgia caused some laughter at the ex-
pense of that gentleman.
Then Mr.. Hoar rose and made the point
that the votes cast for Horace Greeley could
not be counted, because the said Horace
Greeley was dead at the time said Electors
assembled and cast their votes, and there
fore not person in the meaning Of the
constitution.
This being an historical fact of which
both Houses might properly take notice,
the Vice President read the rule, which re-
quires, in case of any question arising in the
vote, the two Houses shall separate and
vote upon the point.
At the suggestion of Senator Conkling,
Mr.. Hoar's objection was withheld tempo
rarily, as it was likely that other questions
would arise and might be all disposed of at
the same time.
Mississippi.
The certificate from the State of Missis-
sippi having been read, Senator TrumbUll
objected to its being counted, on the ground
that the certificate of the Electors failed to
state that they had voted by ballot.
Mr. Potter further objected to one of the
votes of Mississippi on the ground that one
of the electors having been substituted for
another who was absent, such substitution
was not certified to by the Governor, and
also because the Secretary of State certified
nothing of his own knowledge, but only
from information.
The various objections having been re-
duced to writing, the Senate withdrew in
order to pass upon them, and the
HOUSE
thereupon was called to order by the
Speaker.
Mr.. Hoar then offered a resolution that
the votes reported by the tellers as having
been cast by the electors of the State of
Georgia for Horace Greeley as President of
the United States ought not in the judg
ment of the House to be counted, the said
Horace Greeley having died before such
votes were cast.
Mr.. Banks made a point Of order that the
House had no power TO decide on ques-
ton cf eligibility.
The Speaker remarked that that was a
question for the House to determine under
the resolution, not a point Of order within
the purview OF the chair.
The vote was taken without debate by
yeas and nays and amid much excitement,
particularly as it become evident that the
vote was close one, and as the difficulty
presented itself of having the Senate and
House to take opposite sides on the ques-
ton. The vote resulted however, in the
adoption of the resolution by yeas 102, nays
rs. Many Republicans voted against the
resolution and many Democrats for it.
Mr.. Kerr then offered a resolution that
the votes cast for Horace Greeley should
be counted as blank votes. at
The Speaker declined to entertain the
resolution on the ground that the House
had already disposed of the question and
was now engag3 I'd in voting on the other
questions raised in the joint convention of
both Houses He stated the question now
before the House was on the objection
raised by Senator TFumbulI to counting the
vote of the State of Mississippi.
Mr.. Dawes offered a resolution that in
the judgment of the House the eight votes
reported by the Electors of the State of
Mississippi ought to be counted. The res
olution was adopted-10I to 80.
A question then arose On the objection
made By Mr.. Potter, that one of the votes
of Mississippi should not be counted be-
cause that vote had net been cast by Nor
gan, the regular Elector, but by Spellman,
who was appointed as a substitute, such
appointment not having been duly certified
by the Governor.
Mr.. Potter offered resolution in accord
ance with his objection,
Mr.. Banks offered substitute for it, de-
caring that the Electors of the State of
Mississippi having been appointed in the
manner directed by the Legislature Of that
State in accordance with the provisions of
| the Constitution of the United States, were
the legal Electors of that State, and that
the vote cast by them should be counted.
The substitute was agreed to, and then
message was sent to the Senate that the
House had acted on the questions submit
ted by the joint convention of the two