The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-12-07
Xiv CON G r E S S
SECOND SESSION.
HOUSE.
WAsHNaTaN, D. O., December 6.

w
The bill repeating so much Of the act
Of December, 1872, as provides for d
pivot draw In any bridge on the Ohio
between Covington and Cincinnati, was
made the special order for tho first Tues
day after the holiday vacation.
At the close Of the morning hour the
Speaker laid before the House q message
from the President transmitting letter
accompanied by testimony addresed to
him by Hon. John Sherman and other
distinguished citizens in regard 10 the
canvass Of tho vote for electors in Lou
isiana.
Mr.. Springer moved its reference to
q Select Committee on Louisiana.
Mr.. Conger required that either the
correspondence and testimony should be
read or should be printed for the inior'
tion OF members.
Mr.. Springer objected 10 either pend
ing action in the matter.
Mr.. Woodburn was appointed on the
Select Committee for Florids instead o
Mr.. Garfield, who was excused.
A motion 10 adjourn was Debated, and
then the question came up as TO whether
the members could be required TO vote on
paper before its being read.
The Speaker, after review Of the rule
on the subject, decided that the paper In
question was in the nature Of intUFma-
ton and step towards correct legisla
tion, and that therefore il must be read
The Clerk then proceeded with the
reading Of the paper.
The reading OF the report OF Senator
Sherman and others occupied nearly an
hour. When It was finished, Ar. Wood
OF New York, rose and expressed, his
surprise at such q message having beeI
sent by the President. He regarded it as
most extraordinary and unprecedented
but remarked that this was marvellous
and extraordinarily true. The President
had had the experience which nearly
eight years OF service had given him, and
that experience itself should have given
him a knowledge not only Of the theory
but OF the practice Of the Government and
its officers, and yet the President had
seen proper 10 send 10 tho House
this unauthorized communication from
persons clothed with no official position
In the premises. The President by Civ
ing to Il his official sanction and BY trans
mittinE it to the House made II one oI
the records Of the Government. lie
(Wood) could observe but enc object
which the President could have had in
transmitting it, that was the incidental
one Of sIrpesting that the House
was clothed with authority TO institute a
careful inquiry into the election Of Presi'
dent, In advance Of a regular presenta.
ton Of the great subject the President
told ,the House by this procedure that
the House Is authorized to institute an
inquiry as to the correctness and In.
teerity Of certificates OF election,
The exception which he Wood
took to il was that the Presi-
dent should have transmitted In such
an authorized way an unauthorized docu
ment Of q purely partisan and ex.Party
character, and his frst impulse would be
10 move that the communication be re-
turned 10 the President. II he had fol-
lowed the indignation which rose to his
heart when the document was presented
TO the House, he would have made such
a proposition, but he should not now dc
90. He should move that the message oil
the President and the accompanyiu
document be laid on the table. ZAP
plause,
Mr.. Hoar said that his side Of the
House desired to debate on tho subject
! The motion, however, was undebatable