Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-22
WASHINGTON.
The Christmas HOliday-Fever Prevails
Among the Standing Committees
Texas Pacific Railway.
The Irish Centenary Address to the Amer
feaa People-Republican Caucus on
the Oregon Difficulty.
Witnesses Subpenaed In the Election In.
FestigatiOns-Interesting Letter from
Our Special Correspondent.
Christmas on the Legislative Brain.

Christmas on the Legislative Brain.
WASHINGTON, December 21.-The stand
ing. committees are not disposed to do any
business, unless such may be pressed on their
! attention, till after the holidays.
The Pacific Railway Taxes.
The house committee on the Pacific railroad
this morning referred all bills and PROPOSE
tons IN regard to the taxes Of the road to q
subcommittee, consisting of Messrs. Atkins,
Lamar, o Neil, Garfield and Luttrell, who are
to report upon them at the next meeting of
the full committee, ordered on January 14th
until which time the committee adjourned.
The Irish Address.
The house committee on foreign affairs held
a meeting to-day, at which J. 0'Connor Pow
er, member of parliament, was present and
read to the committee the address of the
Irish nation on the Centenary of American
| independence. The committee then appoint
ed Messrs. Swan, Faulkner and Monroe a
subcommittee to report to the full committee
as to the proper manner of receiving and ac
knowledging the address.
Republican Caucus on the Oregon DIFF
hculty.
The Republican senators held a caucus this
hlolAILnS lol bilG puIpOSt stt determining
whether the pending resolution, offered by
Senator Mitchell; for an investigation of Gov
ernor OroVSor . axulvII cu;. LII reference to the
Oregon Presidential electors, should be pressed
to its passage, it being considered advisable
by some to discountenance prolonged dis
cussion of the subject, in view of the fact that
the commn1ittee On privileges and elections
have already been given, by the adoption of
Senator Edmunds's resolution, substantially
| the same power on this subject as that pro-
posed by the Mitchell resolution. After
| some discussion it was decided to press the
| resolution to its passage, and thus make a
| special case In regard to Oregon. No other
action was taken, and nothing was said on
the subject of the joint committee which is to
be appointed by the presiding officer of the
two houses, to report some plan for the settle
ment of all anticipated disagreements in re-
gard to counting the electoral votes, etc. 1t
is generally understood that the members of
the committee on the part of the senate will
not be designated until after the house COM
mittee shall have been appointed.
Witnesses Subpenaed In the Election
Investigation.
The senste's subcommittee on privileges
| and elections have subpenaed the following
witnesses to testify in relation to the Oregon
election matter: Governor Grover, Secretary
of-State Chadwick, J. W. Watts, j. Fl. 0del,
W. H. Cartwright, BENZ. Simpson, 0. M.
Denny, J. N. Dolph and G. A. Steele. They
are expected next week.
CrOnin Arrived.
Mr.. X. A. Cronin arrived from Oregon this
afternoon. He says he has not yet determined
when he viii deliver to Vice-President Ferry
the certificates which he bears.
Interesting letter. -I
Special Correspondence of the Appeal
WASHINGTON, December 16.-Ihe cleo
toral votes of eleven States have been de-
posted with Senator Ferry, president pro
tenn. of the senate, by messengers of the
several States. The electoral votes of most
of the other States have been received by
mail, affording good opportunity for the tam
pering Herewith by postoffice returning
boards( p. The law requires one copy of the
certified votes to be delivered by messenger
and duplicate copy sent to the presiding
officer Of the senate by mail.
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC,
This ''trooly loial'' organization held its
annual meeting at the "Gity of Brotherly
Love" yesterday, quite number of delegates
being present from various States. Impor-
tant action was taken ON the political ques-
ton now agitating the country, the details of
which were ordered to be kept secret. Doubt
less the association will attempt to settle the
political ''muddle," so-called, for every in
dolent writer and lazy reader feels himself
justified in calling a thing nuddle because
he is too hstless or stupid to inform himself
on the subject. The misfortune of it is that
the public acquiesce, and languidly surren-
ders its minds upon the subject; upon which
their own interests require they should hold
clear and decided opinions. To that profound
n1uddled, or nonsense. But he is not a good
type of man for times like these.
THE OREGON ELECTION.
The Oregon electoral college was not a
muddle in the least. Governor Grover did
his plain legal duty, and did 1t with the most
punctlllous regard for the written law and
precedents. So clear was this action that it
was not In the power of the Republican elector
to muddle it. They filed a vacancy which
! did exist, and cast the vote of the State with
out even the primo fdcie marks of validity. 1t
was not merely Growers right, but his duty to
fill those vacancies, and he appears to have
performed that duty conscientiously, in selec-
ting persons who voted for Hayes, when he
might lawfully have selected persons who
would have voted for Tilden. The official re-
turns from Oregon show one vote for Tilden
and two for Hayes and this is certified to by
the broad seal of Oregon. Those who seek
equity must do equity, and if it be claimed
that equity requiring that relief should be
given to the Republicans of Oregon, torti0ri
relief should be gwen to the legality of the
returning boards of the bayonet States. In
one case relief is demanded by blunderers,
In the other against plunderers.
THE REPUBLICAN PROGRAMME.
Morton, Logan, Boutwell, & Co. are now
promising to offset the action of Grover, bv
contesting the eligibility of Benjamin vii
hanson, of New Jersey, claiming that he was
a United States commissioner. From present
indications, these gents intend to push the
test case to extremes, In the hope of finding
some excuse for rejecting Williamson, and
thus making it an easy matter to capture
Cronin' s electoral vote; or they will confirm
Williamson and claim Watts. The commit
tee appointed by Mitchells resolution will
undoubtedly report that Odell and Cartwright,
of Oregon, had full power to fill a vacancy,
and urge the precedent of New Jersey, thus
attempting to hoist the Democrats by their
own petard.
NAVAL.
Mr.. Whitthorne, chairman of the naval
committee of the house, has said that he IN
tends to push the Robson impeachment bust
ness, but IS waiting for the action of the ju-
dietary committee The case will not be al
lowed to rest. The question viii, it is believed,
come up some time next week.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL.
Attorney-General Taft has put forth his
pronunciamento, that, "if disqualification
existed with an elector, the remedy could
have been found in an appeal to the courts
before the election had been held, but it was
too late to cry foul afterward, and claim the
election of minority candidate" which
opinion must be taken cum granO, ETC.
JOINT RULES.
The dispute about the joint rules seems to
beget a difference of opinion between Demo-
cratic senators and representatives. The
joint rules are simply agreements between
the two houses, regulating their transactions
Of the public business Their existence does
not enlarge the constitutional powers of either
house, nor does their abrogation diminish
them in the least. 1t is simply absurd to say
the right of the house to raise objection
during the count of the electoral votes In any
way depends upon the existence of the twenty
second joint rule. Since, and including l793
the declaration of the vote has been made ac-
cording to the list made up under the super