The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1876-12-15
CONGRESSIONAL.

1WN RAfhE wv
it opens into the Mississippi. Also
to apply the proceeds of the sale
ofpublic lands to the education
of the people.
Banning moved to suspend the
rules and adopt the resolution re-
citing the eulogium passed by j.
Madison Wells, o. Louisiona Re
turning Board, in Senator Sher-
mans report to the President,
for copies from the War Depart
ment of reports, orders and cor
respOndence in connection with
General Sheridan's removal of
Wells from the Governorship of
Louisiana in 1877. Defeated by a
vote of al TO so.
MacDougall offered a resolu-
ton for the appointment of select
committees on election frauds, as
follows: Committee of nlne for
New York, Brooklyn, and Jersey
City; of five for Virginia, the Sc
cond anu fourth Congressional
districts; of nine for Mississippi;
Of five for Philadelphia, and OF
three for Alabama. Ayes 124,
nays 9S-nOt two thirds.
Cox offered a resolution for
committees on fraudulent regis
tration and fraudulent voting in
the cities Of New York, Philadel-
phia, Brooklyn and Jersey City.
Adopted.
SENATE.-The Senate resumed
the consideration of the unfinish-
ed business, being the joint reso-
luton Of Mr.. Edmunds proposing
an amendment to the constitution
of the United States Sc as to have
the electoral vote for President
and Vice President counted by
the Supreme Court; and the
amendment Of the Judiciary Com
mittee authorizing the electors to
vote instead Of by ballot, was
agreed to. Mr.. Morton opposed
the clause providing that the
Court shall, in the discharge of
the duty, disregard errors of form,
and be governed by the substan-
tiated right of the matter. He ar
gued that this clause would give
TO the Supreme Court a bound.
less jurisdiction. 1t would au-
thorize that body to do almost
anything, perhaps, to get and
count the votes in the State Of
Vermont. Such a jurisdiction
should not be conferred upon any
tribunal as it was dangerous.
Dir. Edmunds the object of the
clause was not to authorize the
Court to exercise a boundless jul
risdiction or go anywhere t..
count the votes of citizens, but
it was to authorize the Court to
do exactly what all Courts do in
matters which they are called
upon to try, and that was to disre-
gard forms and decide the sub
stantiated right ofthe matter. He
then explained at length the pro
visions ofthe joint resolution pro
posing the amendment to the
Constitution, and said it was not
a device, as some Of the newspa-
pers had minated, to swap
horses in crossing a sire nm. 1t was
introduced by him in the Senate
on the 22d Of March last. almost
a year ago, and reported avora-
bic on by the judiciary Commit
tee with amendments on the 10Th
of May following, before either of
the Presidential candidates were
nominated. He then referred to
the proceedings of the convention
which framed the Constitution
and said he had been unable to
find anything in the debates of
the convention which threw light
upon the clause of the Constitu
ton in regard to the count of the
electoral vote in the presence of
the House Of Congress. The eX-
tent Of the power Of the presiding
officer as to the count was not de-
fined. In regard to the last sec
ton of the proposed amendment,
making it applicable to the pres
ent contest if ratified in time Mr..
said he did not share in
what was said by parties who
should not have made use of such
expressions as there was danger
Of any civil convulsion. There
would not be such trouble unless
was forced by the men who
more for what they can make
out Of war than they do for the
peace of their county. If the
two Houses Of Congress could not
agree in regard to the last cleo
ton it did not follow that the
wise men and patriotic men
would think they must fall back
on their muskets. He did not
think the good sense of this ma
ton with its love for law, was 60
ing to allow any dispute as to
of the two men voted for
last November should appoint
and sing commissions
the next four years. There
would be found somewhere in the
Constitution a way to settle it
peacably. There was no action Ia
ken.
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