Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-12-12
FORTY-FOCRTH CONGRESS.
TUESDAY, December y.

BY Mr.. Merrfmon-A RESOLUTION Tor adding
anew rule TO the rules of the Senate, provid-
ing that all bills appropriating money for
Improvements Of rivers and harbors shall be
referred to the committee on commerce and
by them referred to the Secretary OF War for
an opinion whether the improvement is ne
cessary or not, before IL is reported to the
Senate. Referred 10 the committee on rules.
The Postmaster Generals report was taken
up and referred To the committee on post
Offices and roads, and the report OF the Secre-
tary of the Treasury TO the committee on
finance.
Mr.. Edmunds moved to take up the resolu-
lion onered by Mr.. Bayard yesterday calling
upon the Attorney General TO communicate
To the Senate the total number of deputy
marshals employed throughout the United
states ON November Z, last, and the length of
time so employed, &c. He moved 10 amend
| after the word "employed.' I'm last line the
following: with a fun statement of causes
and necessities of such employment, the
object thereof, and The nature OF the duties
| performed" He said he Offered this i'm order
| that all the Information possible relating 10
| case might come before the Senate. The
amendment was agreed 10 and TIE -esolution
adopted.
i, BY Mr.. Dorsey-A resolution providing
that the committee on the District OF Column
bia be authorized TO inquire into the expe-
dlency and necessity of repaving certain
streets end avenues i'm Washington, and the
cost thereoi. A list OF the streets and avenues
accompanied the resolution. II was laid over
and ordered TO be printed.
BY Mr.. Bogy-Memorial of five democrats
who went TO Louisiana 10 witness the count
| OF the returning board. Referred 90 the COM
mittee on privileges and elections and ordered
TO be printed.
Mr.. Mitchell asked that the resolution in
PRODUCED by him relating 10 the
j ELECTORAL VOTE IN OREGON,
be iaken up. So ordered.
Mr.. Mitchell said he did not desire TO take
mp time by lengthy statement, but would
state the case and the law of Oregon. He
showed by IL that Gov. Grover had acted
illegally IN The course pursued, in giving
certifit ate 10 Cronin.
Mr.. Morton read from a large number OF
| cases of similar nature, to show the Illegal
~ OF Gov. Growers cause. He argued that
| where one candidate for an Office was incl gi-
bic, and IL was know at the time the votes
We're cast for him that such was the case,
then the vote so cast went for nought, but i'm
no instance did the law allow the certificate
| OF election TO goto the candidate receiving
The next highest number Of votes, for i'm such
case the person whom the people intended to
| repudiate at the polls might be declared
| elected by this same people. He said that
Gov. Grover in his card had given his rea-
his support, but the authorities so cited, as
| well as the law, were decidedly against Gov.
| Grover. lie We citing the Wilkes case in
| English Parliament when
| Mr.. Dawes, interTupting, said he thought
| The Wilkes case had been brought into Con-
| gress I'm this case needlessly. He explained
| that Wilkes was excluded by the House of
| Commons and not by Parliament, and that
| afterwards the House of Commons reversed
its action and ordered that the former pro-
Il CStulDSS De eNpuD8eu from TIE journal.
| Mr.. Morton resumed his argument, and
cited various other cases showing that the
/ English law did not sustain the action of
l Gov. Grover. He said that the rule that
every man il supposed TO know the law. does
| not apply in such cases as these, and nothing
| could even make the election OF an ineligible
| candidate go for nought unless notice OF incl
| igibility was given TO voters. They wolld be
| compelled to assume that every republican
| voter i'm Oregon had received notice OF the
| ineligibility OF Watts as an elector.
II Mr. Snr a NJ l,-Fl II
| part in the election in Oregon, asserted that
| no such notice was given; and Mr.. Mitchell
added that he visited nearly every count
| in the state, and never heard The ineligibili
| ty of Watts preached during The election
and not afterwards till about tn
| I2th OF November, while i'm San Francisco.
| Mr. Morton, resuming, said the act OF Gov
| Grover was just as indefensible under tn
English law as under the American law, and
| If Watts was ineligible then the only deci-
| sion could be that no election was effected.
/ He said both parties were anxious Of success
i in that election, and ii there had been any
| bar 10 the election of Watts il would have
been remedied at once. He said that Gov.
| Grover had also cited the New York law, but
/ he read that law and asserted that it did not
| sustain Grover at all, and asserted that no
reliance could be placed on anything he says.
i he said that Governor Grover had under
| taken TO exercise a judicial function and de-
4 eide question which he had no more power
1 TO decide than he Mr.. Norton had. He knew
| or no state constitution that bestowed Judi
| his argument by citing several more cases in
support OF his argument.
The further consideration or the resolution
| was laid aside temporarily, and the regular
/ oruer, oelng Senate resolution No. 10, relat-
ing TO counting the electoral vote, was taken
up.
! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
| willard presented petition, signed by Mrs.
Sara j. Spencer and others, calling attention
to the necessity OF reformatory institution
Il rrri,. ~ ;.,sl ~
4 ing the immediate consideration and passage
OF the bill reported last session from the COM
| mittee on public buildings and grounds. pro-
viding for the erection of an Industrial school
for girls in the District OF Column bia Referred
| 10 committee on appropriations.
Mr.. Buckner introduced joint resolution
blankets TO the reform school of the District
OF Columbia. Referred TO the committee on
| the District of Columbia.
Mr.. Blair introduced joint resolution pro-
| posing an amendment To the Constitution of
| The United States, providing that after the
year 800. the manufacture and sale of dis
/ ulled alcoholic liquors, except 10 be used for
| chemical and scientific purposes shall cease.
| and If this amendment shall not have been
| ratified by three fourths of the states before
| the year ls90, then il shall take effect within
| ten years after such ratification. Referred 10
committee on judiciary.
| THE JOINT RULES QUESTION
| Mr.. Bland demanded the regular orler of
| business, and called attention TO the fact
| mat under the 2lst joint rule the unfinished
business Of the preceding session came up
| within six days after the commencement of
| a new session. He therefore asked that the
House resume the consideration OF his silver
| coinage bill OF last session.
MI. Burchard (llll asked 10 have read also
the lS6th rule of the House, which was in the
exact terms as the joint rule.
The Speaker ruled that Mr.. Bland had a
right to call up his bill as the unfinished bus
mess.
Mr.. Garfield said that the Speakers ruling
was unquestionably right; that the unfin-
ished business should now come up. But IL
came up under the l36th rule OF the House
and not the joint rules. II, therefore, the
Speaker decided that the business came up
under the joint rules he would be compelled
10 appeal from the decision, because he held
that there were no joint rules. Even the Di-
gest, the recognized parliamentary authority
OF this House, declared that the joint rules
were not in force, but that they were pub
lished in the Digest, as they existed at the
close OF the ijd Congress and for informal
ton.
The Speaker.-That announcement was
placed in the Digest without authority from
any one.
Mr.; Garfield said that the Journal OF the
last House also announced that the rules
were inserted there only Information II