The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-12-07
Congress-.

bled on Monday. Sam'l J. Randall
was elected Speaker of the House
on first ballot, which stood Randall
16l. Garfield 81.
The announcement of the result
was greeted with applause in the
galleries. Messrs. Cox and McCrary
conducted Speaker Randall to his
chair, when he read his speech from
manuscript, as follows:
Gentlemen of the House Of Rep
resentatives-CaIled To this position
because Of the death of the late
Speaker, Mr.. Kerr, of Indiana,
only express the universal senti-
ment in saying that he was a good
and great man, whose public and
private life was marked by purity,
patriotism and answering integ
rity. Nobody can more completely
appreciate than l do the high honor
of presiding over the deliberations
Of the Representative of the Amer
lean people, and for this mark of
your esteem and confidence l re-
turn my profound and heartfelt ac-
/ Acknowledgement. In the discharge
of TIL important duties confided to
me, | will endeavor to be fair and
impartial. While enforcing the
rules and unfolding the constitu-
tional prerogatives Of the body, l
shall at the same time protect each
and every member in the rights and
privileges to which he may justly
be entitled. In the exercise OF
the parliamentary power Of the
Chair it will be my duty and pleas
ure to give true expression in the
| appointment o. committees to the
opinions and wishes of the House
on every question presented, belicv
ing myself, as l really am, no more
than the voice of the House itself.
We stand in the presence of events
which strain and test in the last de
gree our form of government. Our
liberties, consecrated by so many
sacrifices in the past and preserved
among the rejoicings of an eX-
ultant people to our Centennial an
uiversary as one of the nations of
the earth, must be maintained at
every hazard. Applause. The
people look to moderation, to your
patient, calm, firm Judgment and
wisdom in this time, fraught with
so many perils. Let US not, l be
seech, disappoint their just eXpec-
tatiOn and their keen sense of
right, but by vigilance prevent even
the slightest departure from the
Constitution and the law, forgetting
in the moment Of difficulty that we
are adherents Of party, and only re-
Numbering that we are Amerit an
citizens with a country to save
! which will be lost if unauthorized
and unconstitutional acts on the
part of the executive officers be not
trOwned down at once with relent-
less and unsparing condemnation.
The closing words were delivered
with great force and emphasis, and
were loudly applauded on the floor
and galleries.
Objection was made to the swear
ing in of Messrs. Butts, of $. c..
and Bedford, OF Colorado-the' for
mer because he was not legally
counted in, and the latter because
Colorado's status as a State in the
Union is not decided. The creden
tials of the Colorado member after
some discussion were referred to
the judiciary committee by a vote
of 142 yeas to 50 nays. The Re
publicans voted solid against it, as
did the following Democrats; Mes
srs. Blount, Cox, Durham, HarzeI,
Holman, Keher, LemOyne, Morgan,
Neal, O. Brien, Rea, Savage, Steven
son, Warterson and Wells of Mis-
souri,. Mr.. Hewitt's motion to sus-
pend the rules and adopt resolu
lions to investigate the election in
Louisiana, Florida and South Caro-
lima, after some debate was adopted
yeas 1876, nays 78-the necessary
two thirds in the affirmative. The
announcement was hailed by the
Democratic side Of the House with
loud demonstrations of applause.
1t was a party vote, except that
Messrs. Geo. A. Bagley and Pierce
and Seelye, of Massachusetts,, voted
with the Democrats in favor of the
motion. The resolutions provide
for the appointment of committees
for each State, with full power to
probe the late election to the bot
tom. In the Senate Mr.. Edmunds
offered resolutions to inquire into
the suffrage laws of six of the
Southern States, which passed by a
strict party vote on Tuesday.
In the House on Tuesday, after
correcting the journal as to the vote
on Mr.. Hewitt's resolutions of the
day before, the Speaker announced
the following select committees.
On Messrs Morrison,
jerks, Mcmahon, Lynde, Black
burn, Meade, Honse, Phelps, New,
Ross, Townsend, Of Pennsylvania;
Danrord, Hurlbut, of Illinois; Grape
and Joyce.
On Fiorida-Thompson, DeBolt,
, Walling, Hopkins, Garfield and
DunreL
o. the South Carolina committee
the name of Mr.. Cochran was sub
stituted for that of Mr.. Stenger,
excused on account of the illness
in his family.
Mr. Lawrence asked leave 10 of
fer a resolution designed TO secure
equal school privileges to white and
colored chill iren, but objection was