Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-02-13
CONGRESSIONAL
Counting the Vote for President
and Tice-President-A Field
Day.
Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Ar
kansas and Louisiana Bones
Of Contention.

( ACAAOSS EOtC Huu VOL HiVtu :
Both Thrown Out-Interest-
ing Proceedings In Both
Houses.
COKGREssIOKAL PROCEEDINGS.
IN THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, February II. -Thi:
being the day when the ceremony O
counting the Presidential Electora vote
takes place, the House galleries, in spite
of the rain, which has been falling al
the morning, were crowded.
On motion Of Mr.. Banks, the Senate
amendment TO the bill making provision
for the Vienna Exposition was con-
CURED in.
Mr.. Bingham, from the Committee
on Judiciary, reported a bill changing
the time Of holding the United States
Courts in Minnesota. Passed.
On motion Of Mr.. Dawes, a MESA ge
was sent to the Senate informing that
body that the House was prepared to
receive that body and to proceed with
the counting Of the Electoral vote for
President and Vice President
Mr.. Maynard, from the Committee
on Ways and Means, reported a bill
amending the thirtieth section Of the
/ Internal Revenue law of July IA, 1870,
so as to provide that on all i'm mportations
Of sugar, molasses, pig and railrsad iron
/ the amount of bond required shall only
| be in the penal sum of double the
amount Of the duties required on such
articles and that on all importations
u H., h-r,I aLaU ha int h. Il
| to the invoice value of the imported
merchandise, with the duties added
thereto. Passed.
At one o'clock in the afternoon
the Doorkeeper announced the ar
rival Of the Senators, and the
Speaker and the members OF the
House Immediately stood up, and re-
mained standing while the members of
the Senate, preceded by their Secretary
and Sergeant-st-Arms, filed down the
main aisle, two by two, and took the
seats assigned them in the southeastern
section of thehaIL Mr.. Colfax, the Vice
President, took the chair Of theSpeaker,
who occupied a seat to the left Of the
Vice-President. Senator Sherman, and
Representatives Dawes and Beck, who
had been appointed tellers, took their
places at the Clerks desk.
JOINT SESSION.
The Vice-Presideut called the Joint
convention to order, stating that the
Senate and House Of Representatives
having met, under the provisions of the
the constitution, for the purposing of
opening, determining and declaring the
vote for the offices ST President and
Vice President of the United States, for
the term Of four years, commencing on
the fourth of March next, and that it
being his duty, in the presence Of both
houses thus convened, to open the votes,
be would now proceed to discharge that
duty. He then broke open the sealed
package containing the certificate of the
Governor of the State of Maine as to
the persons chosen as Electors in that
State, together with the certificate of
the Electors, and handed tie sanSe to
the tellers.
Senator Sherman thereupon read the
certificate Of the Electors, showing that
the votes of that State were given for
L. S. Grant for President and Henry
Wilson for Vice President. The same
fOrmality was gone through with in the
case of the State of New Hampshire, and
then it was ordered that instead of read
ing the certificates in full, the teller
should simply announce the result of
the vote in each State, unless the read
ing Of the certificates 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 Ma
rylaud was reached. Mr.. Beck read
certificate from that State, showing that
its eight votes had been cast for Thomas
Hendricks (Indiana) rs President, and
for B, GrstZ Brown (MissoUrij as Vice
President.
The next deviation was in the case of
Georgia, and Mr.. Beck, having exam
ined the certificate, announced that the
eleven votes Of that State, for President,
had been given as follows: B. Gratz
Brown (Missouri) 6, Horace Greeley
New York; 3, Charles J. Jenkins (Geor-
gia) 2; and the eleven votes for Vice
President as follows: 3. Gratz Brown
(Missouri) 5, Alfred H. Colquitt (Geor-
gia) 5, and Y. 2. Banks Massachusetts,
1. The one vote for President
which General Banks received from the
State Of Georgia, caused some laughter
at the expense Of that gentleman.
Mr.. Hoar rose and made the point
that the three votes cast for Horace
Greeley could not be counted, because
the said Horace Greeley was dead st the
time such Electors were assembled and
cast their votes; and, therefore, was not
q person within the meaningof the con-
stitutiOn. This being historical fact,
it was one Of which the two Houses
might properly take notice.
The Vice-President read the rule
which requires that, in case any ques-
tiOn arising in counting the vote, the
two Houses shall separate and vote upon
the point.
At the suggestion of Senator Conk-
ling, Mr.. HoaT's objection was withheld
temporarily, as it was likely that other
questions would arise, and they might
be all disposed of at the same time.
The certificate from the State of Mis-
sissippi 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 sub
aituted for another who was absent,
such substitution was not certified to by
the Governor, and also because the Sec
retary of State certified to nothing of his
own knowledge, but only from informa-
tor.
HOUSE.
The various objections having been
reduced to writing, the Senate with
drew in order to pass upon them, and
the House theTeupOn 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 judgment of the House, 10
be counted, said Horace Greeley having
died before such votes were cast.
Mr.. Banks made point of order that
the House had no power to decide q
question Of eligibility.
The Speaker remarked that that was
q question for the House to determine
under the resolution, and not point of
order within the province Of the Chair.
A vote was taken without debate by
yeas and nays, and amid much excite
ment, particularly as it became evident
that the vote WAS 8 close one, and as
the difficulty presented itself of having
the Senate and House take opposite
sides of the question. The vote, how
ever, resulted in the adoption of the
resolution by yeas l02, nays rs. Many
Republicans voted against the Tesolu-
ton and many Democrats for it.
Mr.. Kerr then offered 8 resolution that
the votes cast for Horace Greeley should
be counted as blank votes.
The Speaker declined to entertain the
resolution, on the ground that the House
had already disposed of the question,
and was now engaged in voting on other