Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-12-14
FORTY-F0URTH CONGRESS.

1ully, and probably fatally, burned.
F0RTY-F0URTH CONGRESS.
MONDAY, Dec. 4-When the Senate
was called to order on the 4th the new members
were sworn in, and the two from Colorado drew
for their respective terms, Chafee securing the
long term. and Teller the short one. Resol utions
were submitted by Mr. Edmunds, and ordered
printed, 1nstructing the Committee on Privileges
and Elections TO inquire whether, at the recent
election the right of any CITIZEN to vote had been
denied or abridged in South Carolina. Louisiana.
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi Florida, and
also as TO The eligibility of Electors. A
gals, and ordered prin ed, recommending
that convention be held at Columbus,
Ohio, IN May next, to revise and amend
the Constitution of the United States. -.
The opening of the session in the House was wit
messed by an immense concourse of spectators
The Speakers chair draped in mourning in
respect to the memory of the late Speaker Kerr.
the number the roll being 268. A
resolution was offered to proceed to the
election of Speaker, when Mr.. Banks sent
up the credentials of the member elect from Colo
raGo, and insisted upon his right to have his name
placed on the roll so that he might participate in
the election of Speaker After discussion the
CLERK decided that the resolution to proceed to the
election of Speaker took precedence over receiving
OF the credentials; an appeal was taken and laid
on the table -l65 to 81 and the resolution was
then adopted. The vote for Speaker resulted as
follows: Samuel j. Randall, of Pennsylvania, re-
ceived 161 votes; James A. Garfield. of
SIN, Morrison, OF Illinois and Hoar Of
Massachusetts, one each. After acknowledge
ing his thanks for the honor conferred upon
him. and giving an assurance that he should
endeavor to discharge the duties devolving upon
him in an absolutely fair and impartial manner
Mr.. Randall took the oath of office Speaker
Several new members were sworn in, objections
being made to Messre. Buttz of South Caro- ina
and Belford. OF Colorado. A resolution was Of
fered, debated and adopted-142 to 98-r ferring
the credent ais of the Colorado member to
the Judiciary Committee; fife n Democrats
voted with the Republicans in the. mega
tive. The question as to the admission of
Mr.. Buttz was referred to the Committee on
Elections. A resolution was adopted-156 to rs
for the appointment of three select committees
one of fifteen members to proceed to Louisiana,
one of six members to proceed to Florida and
one of nine to proceed to South Carolina to in
vestigate the action of the Returning or Canvass
ing Boards as to the recent elections in those
States The South Carolina Committee
nounced fOllows Messrs. Sayler, Abbott,
Stenger, Eden, Jones (Ky.) Phillips (Mo.), Banks,
Lapham and Lawrence.
TUESDAY, Dec. 4.-In the Senate, Mr..
Morton submitted joint resolution proposing an
amendment to the Constitution TO provide for the
election of President and Viee-Prssident by q
direct vote of the people, which resolution was
laid on the table to be referred to the Commi tee
on Privileges and Elections when appointed. A
petition was presented asking that Iowa be divided
introduced to establish the Territory of
Black Hills. The Presidents annual mes
sage was read and ordered printed. Mr..
Edmund's resolution ordering an inquiry
into the late elections in the various Southern
States was taken up and, after considerable de-
bate, adopted after being changed to
authorize the committee to extend its inquiry to
the elections of 1874 in the States especially
named in the resolution. A bill was introduced
to change the time prescribed for holding the
Presidential election to October and for counting
the vote of the Electoral College to January In
the House, Mr.. Paisted announced that he had the
day before voted in the negative on the resolution
for the three select committees for Louisiana,
Florida and Sou Carolina, but that his name
recorded on the journal in the affirmative; he de-
manded that the correction be made. After some
running debate the correction was made, which
left the resolution without the necessary two
thirds Mr.. Fuller tFen stated that his name did
mol appear on the record voting in the affirma-
then voted in favor of the committees, thus
curing two-thrds vote. The fol owing are the
committees "a announced: On Louisiana-Messrs.
Morrison, jerks, McMahon, Lynde, Black burn,
Meade, House, Phelps, New, Ross, Townsend
(Pa), Danford, Hurbut Oil J. Crapo and Joyce.
On Florida Thompson, Debolt, Waiing, Hop
kins, Garfield and Dunnell. On the South Caro-
lima Committee the name of Mr.. COchrane was
substituted for that of Mr.. Stenger, excused
account of illness in his family. The Presidents
message and accompanying documents were
dered printed.
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 6.-The standing
committees were announced in the Senate.
A lengthy debate was had on a resolution
introduced by Mr. Withers requesting the Presi
dent to inform the Senate, if not incompatible
with the public interest. whether United States
troops were stationed at Petersburg. Va. on the
day of the recent general election. and if so,
der what authority and FOR what purpose; the
resolution finally agreed to without division.
A message was received from the President in
closing the report of Senator Sherman and other
members Of the committee which visited New Or
lans to witness the of the votes before the
Returning Board together with ACCOMMODATING
testimony in regard to the recent election in that
State. After debate, motion to print the deposit
tOns referred. point of order being raised
that the joint rules were in force, the Chair de-
cided such not to be the case, and an appeal
taken from the decision, but pending discu sion
the Senate adjourned In the House, the Presi-
dents message inclosing Mr.. Shermans report,
etc, was recelvded, and the documents were read,
and, after remarks, Mr.. Wood moved that they be
laid on the table. Mr.. Hoar said his side of the
House wished to debate the subject; but the mo-
ton not debatable and it was adopted-153 to
SO-a party vote. Adjourned.
THURSDAY, Dec. IA communication
was received in the Senate, and laid on the table
signed by Carl Schurz and J. B. Henderson. pray
ing for the submission 10 the various States of
Constitutional Amendment by which the count
ing of the Electoral vote for President and Vice
President, and the declaring of the result thereof
may be conferred upon the Supreme Court of the
United States. report was made from the Com
mittee on Printing in favor of printing
the .depositions accompanying the commu-
nlcatlOn OF MI oneIIndn ana olners 10
the President relative to the election in
Louisiana, and lengthy discussion ensued Mr.
Salisbury, member of the committee d ssenting
from the report of the majority The report was
advocated by Messrs. Morton, Sherman, Edmunds
Sargent and Mitchell, who took occasion to allude
to the action of the Governo- of Oregon in giving
q Democratic Elector in that State certificate of
election, and opposed, as being of partisan and
unofficial character, by Messrs. Eaton, Thurman.
Bayard, ETC. The report was finally adopted
40 49, A resolution introduced
instructing the Committee on Privileges
and Elections to investigate the fact. attendi g
the appointment of the Oregon Electors; ordered
printed and laid on the table. A bill was intro
duced and referred TO restrain unauthorized pr
sons from assuming 10 act as Presidential Eec
tors. The Pension Appropri ation bill (S3S 35t,
CO0) was reported in the House. A resolution wa
mittee, with leave to rep TT at any time, providing
for the appointment OF a committee to act with
similar committee on the part of the Senate to
propose and report measure, either leg
islative or constitutional whe eby the differences
of opinion as to the proper mode of canvassing
the Electoral votes and the manner of determin-
ing questions that may arise as 10 the legality and
validity of such returns from the several States.
may be satisfactorily settled, and the counting
the votes and the declaring of the result may be
questioned and dec sion shall be final. 4 protest
was presented and referred from the Colorado
Legislature against the refusal OF the House to ad
nit the member elect from that State Mr.. Beebe
was appointed on the Louisiana Committee in
place of Mr.. Lynde, excused. Mr. Woodburne
Committee, in place of Mr. Garfield, excused.
ACCORDING to the German philosopher
Adelnay, the number OF languages spoken
in Europe is 567, in Asia 937, in Africa
4 -.