Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-01-27
CONGRESSIONAL.
Proceedings Of 43d Congress.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.
| HOUSE.
The Speaker presented Twins letter stating he
| woaid answer any question asked hin by the Ways
l anu Means committee. and purge himself of con-
,empt also stating that he is suffering from ma
/ would prove fatal '>'r -,
The resolution requiring the sergeaut-at- A rms
| to keep Irwin In jail WAS resciuded
Cox presented petition from imnortcrs and
aeais.s "a ioreigh wines protesting against an in.
crease OF TAX on low grades OF vines to forty
cents per gallon as eNorbitant and unjust and "a
restricting the importation Of these wines and
thereby iessentng the Revenue.
| Crounz introduced bill appropriatfur s3o ofo
for special distribution OF seeds to portions OF
the country that have suffered from the grasshop-
per ravages Passed.
OBrien asked leave to offer resolution calling
on the President to state by what authority tn.
courts and officers at vickst urg, have been inter
fered with By the military.
Lynch objected TO the resolution In that shape.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 90
Mr.. Morton moved to take up the
proposed amendment to the Constitu-
ton submitted by the Committee on
Privileges and Elections. Agreed to.
Mr.. Morton then had the following
amendment read
"Article l. The President and Vice
President shall be elected by direct
vote of the people, in manner follow
ing Each State shall be divided into
districts equal in number to the num-
Der of Representatives to which the
State may be entitled in Congress, to
De composed of contiguous territory,
and to be as nearly equal in populs-
tion as may be.
l. The person having the highest
number Of votes in each district for
President shall receive the vote of
that district, which shall be counted
one Presidential vote.
I'd. The person having the highest
lumber Of votes for President In q
State shall receiyo two Presidential
votes from the State at large.
Sd. The person having the highest
number of Presidential votes in the
United States shall be President.
4th. 1t two persons have the same
number Of votes in any State, it being
the highest number, they shall receive
each one Presidential vote from tho
State at large; and if more than two
persons shall have each the same num-
Der of votes in any State, it being the
shall be counted from the State at
large. Ifmore persons than one shall
have the same number of votes, it be-
ing the highest number in the district,
no Presidential vote shall be counted
from that district. The foregoing pro-
visions shall apply to the election of
Vice. President.
9th. Congress shall have power to
provide for holding and conducting
elections for President and Vice Pres
ident, and to establish tribunals for
the decision of such elections as may
be contested.
9th. The States shall be diYided in
to districts by the Legislatures thereof,
but Congress may at any time by law,
make or after the same.
SENATE.
WAsHINGTGN, Jan. 81.
Unfinished business was the reso-
luton from the committee on elections
concerning the proposed constitutional
amendment for the election OF Presi-
dent which was called up.
Mr.. Morton addressed the Senate,
strongly advocating the amendment,
which was q matter of the deepest
concern to the people, and above all
party interests. He marveled that
there had not already been trouble
from tho imperfection of our system.
The election of electors might be at
tended with fraud and violence. There
was no remedy. There was too much
power in the hands of the Vice-Presi-
dent under the present system. Six
times the Vice President had counted
the votes when he himself was q candi-
date. These were in the cases of John
Adams. Jefferson, Tomkins, Van Bu-
reu. johnson and Breckenridge Tho
there had been no dishonesty in these
cases it might occur and elect.
He referred to the counting of the
vote in the presence of both houses,
aud said the houses were merely wit
nesses. In the case of death or nom
attendance of electors from any State,
the other electors from that State
might fill vacancies. Suppose the
electors in any Stale were evenly di-
vided, and one died, the other eide
could select one and thus have d ma
jority and carry the State, which
would make the voice of two and
half millions ofpeoplc Silent in State
like New York.
Under the present system ten States
could elect . President. II was an cleo
ton by States, not National election.
He had read the 22d joint rule re-
garding the casting OF the electoral
vote, and said ii wes grossly uuconsti-
tutional. 1t made the election depend
on either House, which could throw
ont whole State vote. AN election
by the House OF Representatives had
been twice tried. and both times the
country came very near being ship
wrecked. In an election by the House
Of Representative Nebraska, with her
l42,000 people, would have tho save
vote In electing = President as New
York with her 5,000,O0 Inhabitants
Mr.. Thurman also supported the
amendment, but it seemed TO him the
remedy failed to meet tho danger. Ii
the election of President at the last
count had depended on tho vote Of
Louisiana or Arkansas, the whole
country might have become involved
in civil war. He was much surprised
that the committees report provided
for no tribunal for the settlement of
COukCctCO 0AcCN1Ou NusSs III tue IlSEtDr-
81 College.
Mr.. Morton said that some mem
bcrs wished to have to Supreme Court
of the United States settle such cases
others thought the Circuit and Dis.
trict Courts Of the United States might
decide. The committee had therefore
concluded to leave the whole matter
to Congress.
Mr.. Thurman objected TO confiding
| this great power to Congress. He
wanted it provided for in the Consti-
tuition. Laws on this subject should
no. be at the mercy of the dominant
party. The proposed amendment pro-
vided sweeping changes, which there
should be time to consider He asked
that the resolution be laid over for
closer examination.
Mr.. Conkling agreed with Mr..
Thurman, but said there would be a
long time A. best before the amend
ment could come in force. He thought
Congress ought to dissolve before de-
visin gsome better mode OF election
than the 22d joint rule
Pending tho discussion. Mr.. Thur
man ynOvad a nosfponpmpnt