The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-27

DEBATES IN THE. SENATE LAST sEssioN-
WHAT THE LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES
THEN sAID-sHERNIhN, MoRToNS FIRE
LTNGHUYsEN, CHRIsTIANCY, d AW Els
BOUTWELL,, AND OTHER REPUBLICANS
CLAM THE POWER FOR THE TWO HOUSES
OF CoNGREss-sENATO TIL r NJ a
BLAZES THE WAY FOR THE DEMOCRATS.
In the United States Senate on the 18th Of
March, 1885,
Mr.. MORTON: Ii there be no further
morning business move to proceed to the
consideration OF Senate bill No. l.
The motion was agreed to; and the SEN
ate, as in Committee OF the Whole, pro-
ceeded to consider the bill Is. No. y to pro-
vide for and regulate the counting OF votes
for President and Yice-President' and the
decision OF questions arising thereon.
The first section provides that the two houses of
Congress shall assemble In the hall OF tue House OF
Representatives ut the hour OF O'Clock on tne Ias
Wednesday in January next sucscealns ,ne meeting
the United States and the President OF the Senate
shall lie their presiding oHlcer one teller shall be
pnt ed on the parf OF se whom
be handed rs they are opened by the president OF the
Semitic the certificates of the electoral votes; and
the telers having read the same IN the presence ana
hearing of tile two houses then assembled, shall
make list of the votes they shall appear from the
at and the be- saS. to e pre
dent of the Senate. who shall thereupon announce
the state OF The vote, and the names OF the persons,
il any, elected, which announcement s t De aee-
elected President and Vce-Prcsident Of the United
States, and together with list of the votes be en-
tered OH the Journals OF Inc TWO H9nses. IL, upon
question shall arise in regard to counting the VOTES
therein certified, the same having been stated by the
presiding officer, the Senate shall thereupon Will
draw and the question shall he submitedt to the body
for It's decision: and the Speaker OF the House OF Re
presentaves shall, In ike manner, submit Tue que,
lion to the House Of Representatives for It's decston
and no clcctorahvote or votes from any stale 70 lG
counting of which objections have been made. shall
rejected except by tue armay sy vote OF inc t 1wV
shall Immediately reasselnbie, anu the presiding
officer shall then announce the decision OF the cues
ton submitted. Andany other question pertinent TO
the object for which the two Houses are assembled
may he submitted and determined In like manner.
The second section provides that If more than one
return shall be received by the President of the Sen
ate from State purporting TO be the certificates OF
electoral votes given ut the last preceding election
for President aud Vice-Prcsidcnt in such State all
such returns shall be opened by him In the presence
of the two houses when assembled to count tlie
votes and that return from such State shall be
counted which the two houses. acting separately:
shall decide to be the true and valid return.
BY the third section 1t Is provided that when the
two Houses separate to decide upon IN objection tia
nav have been made 10 The counting OF any electoral
vote or votes from any State or for the decision OF
any other question pertinent thereto, each senator
and representative may speak to such objection or
but after scl debate has asted two Hours II s'lll De
In the power of majority of each house to direct
that the main question shall be put without further
Section declares that at s,ch joint meeting Of The
two houses seats shall be provided as follows: For
the presi ent of the Senate. the speakers CHAIR for
the speaker, Immediately upon his Left the senators
In the body OF the hall upon the rig mt of the pre-.
siding officer for the rcprce cntutTes, In the body OF
the hall not provided for The senators for tile cllcrs
of the Senate and clerk Of the House OF
ut the clerks desk FOR the DINER
officers OF the two houses In front of the clerks desk
and upon each side of the speakers platform. The
joint meeting shall not be dissolved unity the
electoral votes arc all counted anu the result ae-
cared and no recess shall be taken unless Il qucs-
lion shall have arisen in regard 10 counting any such
votes in which case il shall he competent for either
house. acting separately, in the manner hereinbeore
provided 10 direct recess not beyond the next day
1T The iIour of 10 o'clock III the forenoon.
Mr.. BAYARD: hope this measure will
be discussed I am not prepared to say that
| shall vote against this bill, nor have
proposed to raise my voice in opposition to
it.. Yet he seemed to claim the power to
count for the president OF the Senate. .
Mr.. SHERMAN next spoke. lie claimed
full power for Congress to decide upon the
returns. 80
Mr.. EATON objected to the bill. He
held that the power was in the president OF
the Senate. ...@ .-s. ~... .r
Mr.. MORTON, the author and patron oil
the bill, and the greatest Of the Republican
leaders, next spoke. liz said many things.
We can give nothing more than mere
skeleton OF the debate. We quote from the
Record:
Mr.. NORTON: suggest to the Senator
that the rule is exactly the reverse IN the
two sections, and OF necessity. Where
there is one set OF returns, this bill provides
that the vote OF State shall not be rejected
unless both houses agree to it; but where
there are two sets of returns, and the two
houses disagree, then who is to decide? l
will suppose, as in the case OF Louisiana,
here are two packages sent to the Vice
President. He opens them, and finds that
each one purports to be signed by the Gov
crnor of Louisiana; that there are two sets
of electors. each assuming to vote for PresI-
dent and Vice-Presidcnt. Who is to decide
which is the correct return, who is the Gov
ernor OF Louisiana, and which set Of elect
ors was entitled to cast the vote OF that
State? VIII you Leare it to the Ticc- Presi-
dent alone? Ii you do not provide for set
Ting it by the two houses, he must decide
that question. He is the absolute arbiter,
and there is no appeal from his decision.
Here are two sets placed in his hands. He
may take political view OF the question,
and he presents that set to the two houses
to be counted which he thinks ought to be
counted, and there is no possible escape
from it. You cannot even know what arc
the contents OF the other package; you have
no means Of knowing. You leave him to
decide what this bill provides that both
houses shall decide. " " u
There is the precise danger to be avoided.
Ii there are two sets of returns, and there
is no means by which the two houses can
pass upon them, who is to decide that qucS-
Jon? We cannot read both sets; both
cannot be counted, because the State can
have but one vote or series Of votes accord
inc to its population. Somebody must de-
eide it. II the two houses do not decide it
the president OF the Senate must de-
eide il. ~ Ii. .
Where there is but one set OF returns, it is
right TO provide that no vote shall be reject
ed unless by the concurrent vote OF both
houses but where there are two sets, some
body has got to choose between them. And
who is it, Will you leave it to the presl-
dent OF the Senate? You cannot leave it to
one house, because one house may choose
one set and the other house choose the other
set. You must trust to the Judgment, you
must trust to the integrity OF Congress act
ing under the Constitution and under their
oaths, lust as YOU do in the passage or any
bill on an importantsubiect. You must be,
lievc something in the integrity OF men, and
in that case it is safer to leave 1t to both