National Republican., 1876-12-21
FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS
SrCOND srssIOy.
"WEDNESDAY, December 20, 1878.
Senate.

OuereO Dy tne CuaplSlu
Bills, petitions, So, were presented and re-
ferred as follows:
The CHAIR laid before the Senate a commu-
nicalion from the Secretary OF War, transmitting
the fifth report of Gen. Comstock upon the i'm.
provement of the South Pass Of the Mississippi
river. Commerce.
Also, the House fertilization bill. Commerce.
BY Mr.. MITCHELL: Amemorial from citizens
of Oregon, praying for an appropriation Tor
geological and scientific survey Of that state
MI WRIGHT from the Committee on Claims
reported back the following
RELIEF BILLS,
and asked their indefinite postponement and re-
For the relief of John Cummings;
For the relief of VIM. NJ. Weaver;
Petition OF James ]. Brown, for payment for $50
bales of cotton. So ordered.
BIZ for the relief Of Philip Rae, for payment Of
a tobacco claim. Placed on the calendar.
Also, petition Of II. II. Lemon, one Of the Capi
tol police force, praying for payment for damages
incurred by by falling through trap in the Capitol
Mr.. WRIGHT said If there was any foundation
at all for such q claim 1t would more properly
come from the Committee on Public Buildings
and Grounds, who had sometimes, by courtesy.
taken into consideration such clair1s and granted
relief and at his suggestion the claim was taken
from the Committee on Claims and referred to
Public Buildings and Grounds.
Also, for the indefinite postponement and re-
lection of the claim of Michael W. Brock. Sc
ordered.
He also gave notice that on Friday he would
ask the attention of the Senate to bill intro
duced in July to amend an act in relation to the
MI. HITCHCOCK introduced bill in relation
to another Congressional district in Nebraska
Privileges and Elections.
Mr.. WRIGHT asked that House bill 2,0i3-ar
act to improve the law in relation to dover In the
District OF Columbia-be taken up. So ordered
and the bill was passed. ,n
Mr.. HITCHCOCK called up the bill to estab
lish the
TERRITORY OF PENBINA.
The bill was passed last session, and the question
was on a motion to reconsider the vote whereby
the bill was passed, and II was carried, bringing
the bill again before the Senate;
the bill, providing that all laws and cases In
courts &C, now In existence in that section to be
formed into the Territory shall be d N force until
Mr.. BOGY moved to amend by striking out
Pembina wherever 1t occurs in the bill and in
sert Huron; He said he was in favor Of preseIv
ing the old generic names, and thought the
shorter name Of Huron would be more satisfac
tory. PemDina was not an Indian name, but was
composed Of two French words, signifytng "holy
bread" ard was pronounced Pembeena instead Of
Mr.. SHERMAN desired to have the name
changed to Wyandotte instead Of Huron,
Mr.. r.SPENCER suggested that Ogallalla would
be a better name than either, as the Territory
was inhabited by the Ogallalla Sioux among
others.
CHANGE OF NAME.
The question was taken on the motion to change
the name to Huron offered by Mr.. BoGY, and Il
was adopted and the bill was then passed.
A CLAIM SIXTY YEARS OLD.
Mr.. WHYTE asked that the bill for the relic
of the administrator Of Samuel T. Anderson bt
taken up. This Is a claim for services rendered
as private secretary to naval Oficer In the wal
Mr. WRIGHT objected to the bill on the
ground that the claim was for services performed
than sixty se and
as great as the claim itself, even If any claim
ever existed.
Mr. WHYTE said the bill had been passed
had never been passed by both Houses at the
same Congress, and that was the reason, he said
why the claim had been SO long pending.
said If this bill were topass It would open way fol
large number Of claims Of similar character. ii
was well known that q great many clerks were
performing extra duty not properly within the
scope of the duties they were employed to perform
and If this claim was allowed they would be
flooded years hence with claims for these services
After further debate the vote was taken, and
the Senate refused to take up the bill for consid
Grafton.
ON motion Of Mr.. BoaY the Senate took up the
bill for the relief Of Thomas Van Dugen and his
assigns, for lands, and passed 1t.
On motion Of Mr.. WINDOW the
PENSION APPROPRIATION BILL
was taken up. He said the Committee on Appro
prtatiOns had reported 1t just as IL came from the
House, and the House had framed the bill to con
form to the estimates made by the Commissioner
Of Pensions.
Mr. DAVIS offered an amendment making II
incumbent on the Commissioner Of Pensions, in
future reports, to furnish fuller Information In re-
lation TO the number Of observation-disclosures, de-
crease, &C., which was adopted. and the bill wal
passed.
The CHAIR laid before the Senate the regular
order, being
THE OREGON RESOLUTION,
on which Mr.. BOGY resumed the floor and de
Tended the act Of Gov. Grover, saying he was
glad that the State had at its head q man of firm
tifcate Of election to a man Who had given hi:
vote for Mr.. Tilden, and thus given them Presi
dent and given his friend from Ohio (Mr. Hayes
the opportunity TO remain at home. This he
regarded as providential. These Returning
Boards, he said, were a most remarkable and
wonderful piece Of machinery: Why, even Russis
sexes there, If they could only have one of these
Returning Boards, backed up by tho army, t.
count the votes. The Returning Boards wert
countries would be very thankful for the inven
ton of it when they come to understand its ad
vantages.
SENATOR MORTON TO THE FRONT.
Mr.. MORTON said he took issue with the Sen
new invention. They were older than the Don
stitution, and there was not State that did no
have them in one form or another under difieren
names, and in different States they possessed
different powers. In Oregon the Governor was
not the Returning Board, as he assumed, but the
Secretary Of State was the Returning Board, ant
ernOr, who was there only as a witness. And tn
law OF Oregon distinctly says that the certificate
shall be given to the person who has received the
power to adjudicate upon this case; but he haC
done so, and in exercising judicial power had de
clared Watts was not elected, and then had dis
regarded all law and given the certificate Of elec
ti0n to q man who had never been elected.
SENATOR EAToN's SPEECH.
Mr.. EATON said the question was grave on
and he deprecated that any one on this moo
should taunt Senators on this question. Tn
Senator from Oregon had, with much vehemence
dared the Democratic Senators TO stand up ant
answer him. The Democratic Senators on thi
floor were not to be dared. He (the speaker
was Democrat, and he wanted to say tnat tn
Democrats dared to do right.
Mr. MITCHELL. VIII the Senator say on hi
reputation as Senator, on his reputation as
lawyer, that Mr.. Cronin was elected as al
Mr.. EATON. Before get through the Sens
tor will not need to ask me that question, H
proceeded to argue that inasmueh as Mr.. Watt
was ineligible the votes cast for him were n
votes at all, but were mere pieces Of paper and
therefore, there was some Justification for tn
action Of Governor Grover.
He discussed the. question at some length, an
said It might as well be stated now as at any tim
that the President OF the Senate was not pres
dent OF the joint convention Tor counting the ele(
toral votes. By long custom the President Of tn
Senate had presided, but the Constitution con
ferred no such power, and he was not the pres
dent Of the joint convention unless he was al
pointed by that convention TO act as such. Fo
himself, he believed that If Mr.. Hayes was dc
clared elected he would be fnaugurated, and h
did not believe there would be any difficulty
There was some talk and threatening, but he bt
leved all would come out right.
During his remarks he read the letter of Nj
Long, OF De Soto parish, in Louisiana, who de
clined to accept the position of member Of tn
Legislature, on the ground that he had not, /
his opinion, been elected, and thought tina
showed how corrupt the board was, and that
deserved the denunciation heaped upon it.
He was not, he said, brought up in the sam
school Of politics that Gov. Grover was, and b
he believed his motives were proper, and
[GrOverl thought he was doing his duty.
SENATOR sHERNAN's REMARKS.
Mr.. SHERMAN said his attention was directe
to the letter Of Mr.. Long, OF De Soto parish, bJ
he could not hnt out that Mr.. Long was ever T
turned as elected by the Returning Board. b
defended the action Of that board, and asked VIII
Senators on the other side who, though admittin
that Gov. Grover had done wrong, looked upC
his acts with charity, and thought he acted fro
pure motives. Why could they not have the san
For himself he would not have Mr.. Hayes d
clared elected If there was anything to show TIL
| he was not fairly and honestly elected.
He believed that the Returning Boards
Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina had actt
| in accordance with law, and that Mr.. Hayes WI
elected. II he thought otherwise he would rath
see Mr.. Hayes anywhere else than In the Pre-
| each question as 1t came up would be satsfa
| torily settled. and dificulty Would artse fro