The New York herald., 1875-12-07


first four districts both sets indicating me election q
the same persons; that 10 the Fhh district ne had
received two certificates, one signed py mllham ss Nv
Kellogg showing the election of Mr.. horey, ana the
other signed by John hcEnery showing the electon oi
Mr. Spencer and that as Mr. Kellogg was tho ds Jaco
Governor he he Clerk had acted on his certhcae ana
had enrolled Mr. Morey the Sixth district ne hau
only received one certificate, signed by Mr.. helogg,
and he had acted on that
The call having been concluded the Clerk announced
that 2S6 members had answered to their names the ao
sentees being Mr. Dobblns Of New Jersey Mr. Egber ot
Pennsylvania (who had returned home this morning on
account Of death in his famiyl Mr. Stephens OF Geor
ga, and Mr. Oliver, OF Iowa These, with Two vacancies
from the Thirty-third district OF New York and the
Fourth district OF Illinois, make the 292 members OF
which the House is composed
ORGANIZATION THE HOUSE.
Mr. LAMAR, dem.) OF Miss then moved that
the House proceed TO the election OF Speaker Agreed
Mr. LAMAR-I put in nomination for the onice Of
Speaker Of the House for the Forty fourth Congress
Mr.. Michael 9. Kerr, member-eect from the State OF
Indiana
Mr. WHEELER trep) of N VI nominate for
the same position Mr. James G. Blaine, Of the State Of
Maine.
The Clerk asked whether there were any other
nominations, and there response. The Clerk
appointed as teIlers Mr. Holman, OF Indiana, Mr.. ely
mer Of Pennsylvania, Mr.. Danorth, of OHIO, and Mr.
Banks, Of Massachusetts, and the House then pro-
ceeded to vote for Speaker with the following result:
VOTE FOR THE sPEAKERsHlP
Whole number of votes cast ................... 2s2
Necessary 70 choice l4l
Micnael c. Kerr received 173.
James g. Blaine received 106
Alpheus s. Williams OF Michigan, cast by Mr.
Banks, OF Massachusettsl
Mr. Alexander Campbell, OF Illinois, tcasJ by Mr.. An
derson, Of Illlnoisl.
William Anderson, l.
The Clerk appointed Mr. Randall OF Pennsylvania
and Mr. Blaine to escort the Speakereec to the chair
They escorted him him down the main aisle amid
considerable capping of hands from the democratic
side OF the House The Speaker, on taking his position,
said
ADDRESS or SPEAKER KERR
GENTLEMEN THR HousR OF REPREsENTATIvEs:-I
am heartily grateful to you for the honor which you
have conferred upon me in calling me to this exalted
decacy of It's duties l shall doubtless many
times need your patient indulgence. pray that
you will grant it, And, with nothing but kindly feel
ings toward every member of the House. promise
that in all my official acts will dvest myself TO the
utmost Of my ability OF all personal bias ana observe
complete fairness and mpartiality toward all and
toward all the great and diversified interests OF
country represented in this House.
Mr.. KELLEY, (rep) of Pa, as the Oldest member OF
the House in continuous service administered the oath
Of office to the Speaker.
THR MEMBERS SWORN IN
The oath then administered by the Speaker to
the members beginning with those from the New Eng
land States who, being called ranged themselves in
the in front of the Clerks desk and there, with up
lifted hands, went through their part of the ceremony
What Is known as the ''ron-cad OATH the torn
administered to the members generally but sxty-one
Of the Southern members being unable TO take that OATH
the modined form of oath was administered TO them.
Mr.. WooD, (dem) Of New York, objected to Mr.
Morey, OF Louisiana; and Mr.. GARFIELD, OF Ohio OBJ
jected to Mr.. Goode, of Virginia Thereupon these
gentlemen we're not permitted to qualify.
THE LOUISIANA QUESTION
Subsequently Mr. WooD offered resolution referring
the credentials of Messrs Morey and Spencer to the
Committee on Elections with instructions to report
which of them is entitled to the He said he did
not propose to raise the question to who was the
legal Governor of Louisiana 1t was not pertinent to
the inquiry to determine that question: the sole and
exclusive question being to what form of credentials
| the respective claimants presented.
Mr. BLAINE, trep) ofMe declared that there was no
official ground for the speaking of John McEnery
Governor of Louisiana than there for the speak
ing Of the gentleman tMr. Wood as Governor Of New
York No department OF the government had ever
recognized Mr.. McEnery and the House last session,
by very large vote to which many gentlemen on the
/ democratic side OF the House were conseuting and
many of them anxious that the resolution should pass
had solemnly recognized Kellogg as Governor
| of Louisiana; and for the gentleman from New
/ York to make statement that the Governor
| ship OF Louisiana was still matter OF doubt
or was stil in suspense was to place the House in
wrong position He thought that the Clerk would have
been perfectly justified IN tearing up as waste paper
the credentials signed by McEnery. He trusted that
the gentleman from New York did not wish to open the
whole Louisiana case on this question.
Mr.. WOOD replied that the papers in the case of all
the members from Louisiana were themselves sufh-
cient answer to the gentleman for # there was no
sbe question to who the Governor OF Louisiana
why was it that all the members OF that State had
deemed II necessary to obtain the certificate Of Nc
| Enery2 They had all deemed-i important TO come
here clothed with certificates from each OF these So
called Governors He did not propose TO raise in this
inquiry the question as to who was or who WIS not
Governor cfLouisiara The question to be determined
in the first place was whether Mr.. Morey present ted
credentials which entitled him a seat this floor
Mr.. WHEELER, of New York. said he had trusted that
the question as to who was Governor Of Louisiana had
been set at rest at least until the next general elec
on and regretted that Tor paltry advantage il should
be again raised Not only had Kellogg been recognized
| as Governor of Louisiana by the President Of the
| United States and by both houses, but also by the
people Of Louisiana and by solemn statute passed by
It's Legislature at its extra session held last April
Besides this man, Spencer, had absolutely foreclosed
himself by having made himself a contestant
Mr.. Fry rep Of Me-Is there on record since tho
election held in 1872 in the State Of Louisiana single
official act of McEney except this single Of signing
those certificates
Mr.. WHEELER of New York-Not one.
I Mr.. WOOD remarked that the question settled last
had been confined entirely to the relation OF tho
Legislature not to the election OF Governor.
Mr. LAMAR, Of Mississippi, remarked that the Clerk
of the House had made known to the House the ex-
isence Of controversy, not only with reference TO
prinad facie right to a seat in the House. The House
in possession OF the fact that there such
troversy II might be very simple and very in
tellgible question: but still 1t a question OF law
to whether this certificate signed by the proper
Governor or not 1t had been crystallized into regu-
lar parliamentary law that question involving the
pTind tdee rights well the merits OF should
be referred to committee on elections.
Mr. BLAINE asked Mr.. Lamar whether in the history
OF the House he knew OF any where credentials
pseudo credentials OF member, signed by pretended
/ Governor who had been recognized the Gov
ernor by any department OF the United States or by
his own State had been referred to a committee. He
| trusted that his friend Lamar, with his well known
moderation would restrain his party from placing
the record such an outrage not only State rights
of which he Mr Lamar was such an exemplar and ad-
vocate, but on the rules ofcommon decency as well
! Mr. LAMAR remarked that the question whether one
of these pretended to be Governor the
! question TO be referred TO the committee.
| Mr. BLANE-Then | understand the gentleman to
mean that this is the formal opening Of the whole
Louisiana case, and not merely question as to the
4 seat Of the member
| Mr.. LAMAR-The gentleman simply understands that
question which the Clerk Of the House has RENTED
the House-whether or not IL involves the other ques-
tion to the validity Of the gubernatorial incumbent
Of Louisana-is question which ought not TO be de-
cded Informally the seating Of a member, but
ought be formally referred TO committee and gravely
| and maturely decided.
/ Mr. BLANE-Is II not matter Of history that last
rhufw
perfectly understood that the OF the House
declaring Kellogg TO be Governor a final settlement
and whether the venerable gentleman from Georgia
Mr Sephcns the very Nestor Of the democratic party
mad not voted with The republicans in order avowedy
that t might be hnal settlement Did his honorable
| friend Mr. Lamarl come here TO head movement
TO trample the other side Of that agreement and
| reopen the whole case2
Mr. LAMAR admitted that there had been compro-
mise last session, and that that compromise did ac-
knowledge Kellogg the acting Governor OF Louisiana
\ he hoped that the gentleman from New York tMr.