, 1876-12-17
CONGRESS-.

"ASAANS1tN3 IEN. lUs~AIs CCIllc1CuET
amendment to. the Post-OGice Appropriate,
bill, increasing the appropriation for the trans
portatfon Of mails On the ststar'' routes ant
steamboats,, was agreed to,--yeas, 30; nays, G6
The bill was then passed without division.
The Speaker laid before the House the tele
gram received By him from Mr.. Morrison, tht
Chairman Of the Louisiana Select Committee
and that to Mr.. Morrison from Mr.. Orton, tht
President Of the Western Union Telegraph
Company, refusing to produce the originals ot
the telegraph dispatches. The dispatches hay
ing been read, Mr.. Wood (New York; rose te
offer a resolution, promising it by an expires
sion of his belief that the House would not bt
slow to yindiate its rights and privileges.
Mr. Hoar made point of order that the cues
tion was not properly before the House, as the
report Of the Committee could not be made tt
the House by telegraph.
The Speaker overru1cd this point OF order and
ruled that it was question OF privilege, and
vas properly before the House.
Mr.. Woods resolution was then read as fol
lows:
Eesolred, That the Communication presented By
tha Speaker from the Hon. ". r. Morrison. the
Chairman OF the Select Committee appointed to
Investigate certain matters relating to the late
election III Louisiana, bk referred TO the Judiciary
Committee, with instructions to report at the
earliest practicable moment what action the House
should take in the premises,
Mr. Kasson again pressed the point of order
made By Mr.. >Hoar; but the Speaker adhered to
his ruling, and Mr.. Hoar remarked that on re-
Election it seemed to him that the position OF the
Chair was entirely correct.
The resolution then passed without discussion
or division.
IN MEMoR1AM.
The special order wns taken up, and eulogies
on tho late Speaker, Mr. Kerr, were delivered.
The first Of the orations Was made By Mr..
Hamilton, Of Indiana, who spoke Of Mr.. Kerr us
man who could have led a for1orn hope, or
breasted popular opinion ana gone to the stake
martyr to bis principles, and also one who
stood out irnmaeulate-'a tall pa1m-tfee in the
moral desert Of the age" He said that when
the final summons came, the response Was not
merely ad sum, but also the scn,per pardtus Of
the man, who felt that his life had been un-
spotted.
The next speech was made by B1r. Kelley, Of
Pennsylvania, who characterized Mr.. Kerr as a
wholc-1leartcd and COURAGEOUS man, who never
practiccd, but loathed, the hcts Of the dema-
gogue.
Other. speeches were made by Messrs. Ray
mond, Monroe, Holman, Burchard Qll.), and
Mr. Cox. The lastnamed stated that when, by
Mfr. Kerr's dcath-bed, he asked him whether he
was ready to meet the terrors Of death, the an
swer was, "Deatn had no terrors fot him." He
believed, S1r. Cox said, that a just Life on earth
would give him his reward.
The speakers who followed 1fr. Cox were
Messrs: Clymer, Mccrary, Atkins, Hereford,
Knott, Vance, Of Ohio, and Carr, Mr.. Kcrr's
successor, who offered resolutions expressive Of
the profound sorrow Of the House, directing the
Speakers chair, to be kept draped in mourning
during the remainder Of this Congress, and the
usual badge Of mourning to be worn by the
members and officers Of the House.
The resolutions were adopted unanimously,
and the House adjourned.