National Republican., 1876-12-12

ne, and not the law, must take whatever fate the
onstitutian gave them, without any interference
Mr. COCKRELL. what was the date of that
MI. EgMGNDs. February, 1855. do not re-
member the exact date.
Mr EDMUNDs. February s, I think. Just as
the joint resolution was thus the verge when 4
veto IL or sign 1t,
THIS TwENTY-sEcoND RULE,
now happily, everybody has said before this
spIang inio existence one morning In The ssnste
here. Nobody knew exactly who the father of 1t
his great aston,shment that amy sucn thing should
tipguished senator, once the chairman Of the Com
on s q is fSr
the central part Of the continent expressed his inf
exi.tence; and vet on looking it up It turned out
that he was the identical person who wrote 1t and and
rule everybody knows what we have tone.
Mr.. EDMUNDS then proceeded to argue at
great length why the Supreme Court was the
ing the electoral vote and deciding Presidential
MT. MORTON opposed the amendment, and
said 1t would make the Supreme Court political
body. 1t would make them a great returning
board. A Chief Justice who has the casting vote
in such an election would lay the foundation for
future candidacy for Presidential honors. This
amendment was but q re-enaetion of one of the
articles of the twelfth amendment Of the Consti-
tuition, with these changes, viz: first, it changes
the vote of electors from ballot to uivG uoce;
second, 1t transfers the count to the Supreme
Court: third, 1t makes judges Ineligible as candi-
dates "a for the PRESIDENCY until two years after;
College. 1t was unrepublican and prevented
men from voting as they wish.
We came near making shipwreck OF the Gov
ernment as early as 1901 by this Electoral Col
lege, and the methods used to elect Jefferson at
that time would damn any man who would resort
The system was open to the greatest corruption.
The election might turn upon single vote, as at
the present time, and there would be great
temptation to offer bribes. We have escaped
disaster so far because each electors ha been
supposed to be pledged to vote for a certain man
beforehand But suppose 1t is not always so,
and some elector chooses to disregard his pledge
and vote for q different person, in what manner
can we hold that man to the performance of his
pledge?
We are now called upon to pass upon this ques-
tion Of the Electoral College again. After one
hundred years of national existence we are called
upon to readopt the Electoral College to which
ing that in past elections the popular will had
been defeated by the machinery Of the Electoral
College. He had proposed an amendment to the
Constitution, which was introduced last week, to
remedy the defects Of the Electoral College, and
at the same time protect the rights of the smaller
Mr.. MERRIMON and Mr FRELINGHUY-
SEN briefly discussed some provisions of the
amendment, and Mr.. MERRIMoN offered an
amendment to the second section, making it read
as follows:
No person holding the office of Justice of the
Supreme Court Of the United States shall be eli
gible to be elected as President or Vice Presi-
dent, .'or appointed to any office in the United
States Government" d" until after the expiration
of two years next after he shall have ceased to
be such Justice. The amendment was ordered
printed.
The Chair appointed Mr.. OaLEsBY to act in
place OF = MI: , BoUTwsL5, 5 excused, excused, on the com-
At $40 p. m, on motion Of Mr.. EDMUNDS,
the Senate went into executive session, and at
O'Clock adjourned.
House of Representatives
Under the usual Monday morning call the
SPEAKER proceeded to call the States and Ter
ritores for bills and joint resolutions and resou-
tions of State Legislatures, for reference only.
Under this call the following, among others, were
introduced and referred:
By MIR. FRYE, of Me-: To provide judicial
remedies for the overcharge of duties on tonnage
and imports.
BILL TO REDUCE POSTAGE.
By Mr.. EAMES, OF r. l.: Bill to reduce the
postage on letters. 1.-THE bill proposes that after
July /, 1877, the postage on all letters except
drop letters shall be two cents per each half
ounce. 1t was referred to the Committee on Post
Offices and Post Roads,
BY Mr. DAYY, Of n. Y: To amend section
1015 Of the Revised Statutes so as to permit COM
missioners of the Circuit Courts Of the United
States to take bail for the appearance OF parties
accused before them from time to time until the
final disposition of the case.
By Mr.. DARRALL, of La: To apply the next
proceeds of the sales Of the public lands to the
education Of the people.
AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE SILVER BULLION.
By Mr.. HUNTER, of Ind: To authorize the
Secretary of the Treasury to purchase silver bull
lion. and to authorize the same to be coined into
silver dollars, each to be of the same value and
fineness as the silver dollar authorized to be
coined by the act Of 1859, and the same to be 9
legal tender in the payment Of all debts, public
and private; and receivable for duties on imports.
of States against domestic violence.
By Mr.. KASSON, of Iowa: To establish dis
eliminating duty upon the products of sugar cane
growth and product of slave labor. THE bill
imposes an additional duty of twenty-five per
cent on the product 6T Of slave over that
Under this call a large number Of bills of
private nature were introduced and referred.
BANNINe's RESOLUTION DID NOT PASS.
Mr.. BANNING, Of Ohio, asked leave to offer a
preamble and resolution reciting that the Presi-
dent has sent to this House what purports to be .
report of gentlemen sent to New Orleans to wit
mes: the % count Of u the t Returning Board @ Of the
are referred to in complimentary terms, and the
following language is used with reference to J.
turning Board, there is quoted the language eulo-
CYSTIC of Governor Wells;l therefore.
RESOLVED, That the President be, and he
copies from the War Department Of ali reports,
orders, correspondence and kilograms connected
with the removal Of said ]. Madison Wells from
the office of Governor of Louisiana by Gen. Sheri-
dan in 1857.
Mr. KASSON of Iowa. object.
Mr. BANNING then moved to suspend the
rules and pass the resolution.
The House refused to suspend the rules and pass
the resolutfon-yeas 141, nays S0-two thirds not
voting in the affirmative.
MORE COMMITTEES TO INVESTIGATE
Mr.. MACDOUGALII, of N. Y, moved to sus-
pend the rules and pass resolution for the ap-
pointment of special committees to examine into
frauds in registration and elections during the
past summer, as follows: A committee Of nine to
examine as to New York, Brooklyn and Jersey
City; committee of five as to frauds and intimi-
dation in the Second and Fourth districts of Vir-
ginia; a committee of nine as to Mississippi; a
committee of i've as TO frauds in registration in
the city of Philadelphia, and a committee CT
three as to frauds in Alabama.
Mr.. COX, of N. Y, asked If the resolution was
divisible. He never heard frauds charged in New
York. Laughter
to appoint SO many committees as to leave the
House without q quorum.
The SPEAKER said the House must determine
that question.
The yeas and nays were demanded and the
resolution was rejected-yeas 124, nays s9-two
thirds not voting in the Affirmative.
The vote in detail was as follows:
YEAS.
Adams, Harris, Mass, Ross, of Pa,
Ainsworth, Harris, OF Va. .Rusk.
Anderson, Hartridge, Savage,
Bsgby, HartZell, Seelye,
Bagley, Hathorn, Sinnickson,