The Portland daily press., 1876-12-14
Fort; Fourth Congressional Session.
SENATE.

pies OF the message OF the PRESIDENT aud ac-
companying documents in regard to the late
elections, went over till tomorrow.
Senate resumed consideration of the resolu-
ton for inquiry into the appointment of Ore
gon electors.
Mr.. Bayard spoke at some length in favor of
amending the preamble of the resolution sub
mitted by Mr.. Mitchell, SO that a violation of
law should not be charged upon Gov Grover
before the investigation made.
Pending discussion Mr.. Edmunds demanded
the regular order and the Senate resumed the
consideration of the joint resolution proposing
an amendment to the Constitution, SO az to
have the counting of the electoral vote made
by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mr. Bogy being entitled to the floor. smoke at
length upon that subject
Mr.. Bogy read at great length from the jour
nal OF CongresS in regard to the manner of
counting the electoral vote, and argued that
the votes had already been counted by the tell
ers appointed by the two Houses of Congress,
and not by the President of the Senate. Wheth
er the 22d joint rules be in force or not it was
nothing more nor less than the 18th amendment
to the Constitution of the UNITED States. The
practice of the two Houses of Congress in
counting the electoral vote for the past sixty
years had been upon the same principles as the
22d joint rule. That rule was prepared by
| joint committee of the two Houses, and passed
unanimously by both Houses. As to receiving
and counting the electoral vote, he said the first
| question presented was one of the reception of
the votes, not of rejecting them, and it reauir-
| ed the concurrence of the two Houses of Con
gress to receive tie vote of state.
MI. Edmunds said according to the areu-
| ment of the Senator (Bogy) if objection of
House of Congress could reject the vote of a
state, the vote of every state except Delaware
or one OF the smaller states might be rejected
by one or the other House and the vote OF such
| small state would then elect President. That
would be the absolute breaking up of the gov
| eminent by the exercise of the constitutional
powers Of Congress.
Mr.. Bogy said the great fundamental princ-
pie underlying the very foundation of our gov
eminent was the presumption that Senators
| and Representativ es in Congress would dis
| charge their duty with fidelity. When dishon-
esty entered our legislative halls and accom-.
| plished such result as suggested by the Sena-
| tor from Vermont our government would be-
| come farce and it had better be turned into a
| despotism. Where could the power of count
ing the electoral vote be placed better or more
wisely than with Congress? Why take this
Court? Were not the judges of the Supreme
Court men, like Senators and Representatives?
| Had they not party attachments and were they
| not liable to the fraities of human nature?
| Mr.. Burnside inquired if the Senator from
Missouri held that members of Congress in
| counting the vote could be actuate1 by any
| higher motives than the members of the two
committees that witnessed the count in Louis
| lana?
| Mr.. Bogy said that all the committees ever
L
| publican, had agreed and represented that the
| government of that state was founded on
| frauds.
Mr.. Burnside asked il the main body of the
| BY any decision of the Supreme Court? Was
there any tribunal where the question of count
ing the electoral vote could be rested with more
| satisfaction?
Mr.. Bogy said the court now stood beyond
| and above any party. 70 vest it with the ,ount
OF the electoral vote would bring it into the
| arena of politics. Any decision made by the
court after counting the vote would give less
and less satisfaction than if made by the court.
Inc coupling Of the vote was not function
the government. 1t was a function which
properly belonged to the legislative depart.
| ment
Mr.. Randolph also opposed the transfer of
| the count to the Supreme Court, and quoted
from the journals Of Congress to show it al
ways been held that the power to canvass the
| vote was vested in Congress and not with the
presiding officer of the Senate alone.
The question being on the passage of the
joint resolution proposing an amendment to the
| Counstituton, it was rejected, yeas IA, nays 81,
two thirds not voting in the affirmative The
| vote was as follows
Yeas-Messrs. Allison, Anthony, Blaine, Burnside,
Hitchcock, Key, morrill,, West and Wright-14.
NdysEAlcorn, Bayard. Bogy, Booth, Bruce Cam
eT io Of Pa, Chaftee Clayton Gonover, Dawes Ben
| Jones OF Fla, Herman. Logan, McCreery, Maxey,
Morton, Norwood, Patterson Price, Randolph, Sar.
gent, Thurman, Wallace, Whyte and Withers-3l.
Messrs Window and Christiancy, who would
have voted in the affirmative, were paired with
| Davis and Ransom, who would have voted in
| the negative.
Mr.. Edmunds grve notice that he would TO-
morrow move to take up the bill to provide for
dent and Vice President and the decision of
the questions arising thereon, which passed the
| Senate last session, but were now before the
| body on motion to reconsider.
MI. Sherman asked if the Oregon resolution
| had been laid aside.
Mr.. Edmunds repliedlt had been laid over
TIL tomorrow, but the case was practically coy
in the session and adopted BY the Senate. wRHcEE
authorized Investigations as to elections in GER
tain states, and also to the eligibility of cleo
| tors.
Senate went into executive session and at
~, when the doors were re-opened, adjourn
| ed.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Hale asked leave to introduce bill au-
| thorizing citizens of Colorado to cut timber in
the public domain, and proceeded to say that
by thelaction of the House Colorado was ex-,
order by the Speaker, and Luttrell and SPRING
| er objected to the introduction of the bill.
| Hale-That only illustrates the hardships
| which this state rests under.
/ opiiuScE-1t Ouly ILLUSTRATES LQe pIeSumDtlOQ
| of the gentleman in his course.
The House then proceeded with the business
| OF the morning hour, which was the considera-
ton OF the bill to utilize the produce of the gold
| and silver mines.
| Speeches in favor of double standard of
gold and silver were made by Messrs. Durham
| of Kentucky and Willard of Michigan The
latter, member of the silver commission, de.
clared that the testimony taken by that COM
mission was largely in favor of double stand
| ard.
A discussion on the bill followed.
MessrS. Garfield, Hewitt and Chittenden
| made strong speeches against immediate action
ON the subject pending the report of the silver
| of the bill or of double standard of money
The debate on the silver bill closed and the
substitute proposed yesterday by Mr.. Bland
was agreed to without division. 1t is that sill
be coined and SHALL be a legal tender for all
debts, public and private, except where pay
ment Of gold coin Is required by law.
The substitute was agreed to without divis-
| ion.
| Bill as thus amended was passed.
| Yeas-Messrs. Ainsworth, Anderson, Ashe, At
kins, bagley, John Bagley, Baker of Ind, Banning
Bland, Blonnt Boone, Bradford, Bradley, Bright,
OF WIS., ca6s Gaaws or Aa
Caldwell Of Tenn, Campbell, Conner, Carr, Cason,
Caswell, Cate, Caufeld, Clark of KY, Clark, MO,
Culberson, Cutler. Davis, Bisbrell, Durham. Ellis
Evans, Faulkner, FELTON,, Finley, Forney, Fort,
Foster, Franklin, Fuller, Glover, Goode, Gunter
Hamilton of Ind, Hamilton OF n. j., Hancock
Harkenberg, Harris of Ga, Harris of Va, HARRISON
| Hartridge, Hatzel, Hatcher. Hathorn Hayward
Holman, Hooker, Humphreys, Hunter, Hunton,
Kelley. Kimball, Knott, Lamor, Landers of Ind,
Landers of Conn.,, Low, Leavenworth, Lewis, Lul-
trell, LyHde, Mackey, Magoon, McCrary, McDilI
Mcfarland, Milliken, Mills, Money, Monroe,
Morgan, Mutchler, Neal, Odele, Oliver, Page,
Payne, Phillips of Kansas, Piper, Poppleton,
Powell, Rea, Reagan, John Reilly, Rice,
Riddle, Robbins of Pa, Robbins OF N. c.,
Roberts, Rush, ,Sampson, Savage, Scales, Sheakley,
Sparks Spencer, Springer, Stanton Strait, Stringer
Stevenson, Stone, Stowell, Swan, Teese, Terry,
Thornburg, Throckmorton, Townsend Of N. Y,
Tufts Turney, Van Vohees, Vance of Ohio, Vance Of
N. c., Waddell, waldron, Walker of Va, Wallace
Of S. T., Wallace OF Pa, Walsh Watterson, Wells OF
Willard, Williams Of n. r. Williams of Wis,
Williams Of Ala, W. b. Williams of Mich, Wilson
OF W. Va, Wilson OF Iowa, Woodwork, Yeats and
Young-167.
Nays-Messrs. Adams, Geo. A. Bagley, Baker of
N. Y, Ballou, Bell. Blair Burlegh, Gambler, Chit
tenden, Davy, Dennis Fye, Freeman, Frye, Gar,
field, Gibson, Hale, HARRISON. Harris of Mass Hew-
lit Of n Y, Hoar, Hoskns, Hurd, Jones of N. H.,
Kasson, Kehr, Levy, Lynch, Marsh. MacDougall,
Metcalf, Miller, Nash, Norton O'Brien, O'Neill,
Packer Pierce, Plaisted, Platt Potter Schumacher
Seelye, Sennickson, Smith Of Pa, Tarbox, Wait,
Warren, A. S. Williams, Wike, Willis, Wood of Pa,
ann Wood O N. VA