The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-12-21
CONGRESSIONAL.
ROUSE.

WASHINGTON, December The OPEN
ing Of the sesslou uf the house was witnessed
pyan immense coneourSe ofspcrtatory. There
were very few members absent. Tie speak.
er's chair was drored in mourning in re.
spect to the late speaker Kerr. There bcing,
therefore, no presiding officer ,he house was
| called to order ut noon by clerk Adams,
who thereupOn called the roll of members
The call showed two hundred and forty,
nine members present, the whole number on
the roll being two hundred and eighty.elght
On motion the house proceeded to the elcr.
ton of speaker Samuel J. Randall was
nominated by Mr.. Cox, and james A. Gar
neld by Mr.. NcCrary, Messrs. Clymer, Ban.
ming, Banks Mass. aud Wilson Iowa, we,r
appointed tellers, The vote resulted as 70
lows: Whole number of votes cast. two hun.
dred and torty-slx necessary to choice
enc hundred and twenty.four; Samuel J.
Randall received one hundred and siNtvonr,
James A. Garfield, eghty.twc; Chos. q.
Williams, (Wis.) one, given by his colleague,
Magoon Wm. H. Morrison, one, given by
Potter (Mich,); Geo. =. Hoar, one,
given by Seelye (Mass.); the an
nounccment of the result was greeted
with applause in the gallery. Nc,,,n.
Cox and McCrary conducted speaker Ran.
/ dali to his chair, when he read his speech
from the manuscript as follows: Gentle.
men OF the house Of representatives
Called to this position because Of the death
of the late speaker, NJ. Kerr, of Indiana,
only express h universal sentiment in saving
he was a good and great man, whose public
and private life was characterized by purity,
patriotism and answering integti.y No.
body can more completely appreciate than
| do, the high honor of presiding over the
deliberations Of the representatives of the
American people, and for this mark of your
esteem and confidence, return my profound
and heartfelt acknowledgement, In the dis.
| charge OF the important duties cOnfded to
me, shalt vndeavOr to be absolutely fair
| and impartial while enforcing the rules and
upholding constitutional prerogatives of the
| body. shall at the same time protect each
leges to which he may be entitled in the en-
perienco Of the parliamentary power of The
chair. it will be my duty and my pleasure
to give true expressions in the appointments of
COMMITTEES, to the opinions and wishes of the
house upon every question presented, be.
lieving myself, as ! 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 degree our form OF government
Our liberties, cOnseCratcd by so many sac.
rifices in the past and preserved amid the
rejoicings of an cXultant people to our cen.
| tennial anniversary as one among the ma.
tons OF the earth, must be maintained at
every hazard, [Applause,l The people
look confidently to your moderation, to your
patiet, calm, firm judgment and wisdom, in
this time fraught with so many peris. Let
us not, beseech of you, diSappOn. their
| Just expectations and their keen sense of
right, but, by vigilance, prevent even the
| slightest departure from the constitution
and law, forgetting in the moments of diff.
Guilty that we are adherents of party, and
only remembering that we are American cit
liens, with a country to save, which will be
lost If unauthorized and unconstitutional
acts on the part of the executive officers be
not frowned down at once with unspairing
and relentless condemnation. The oath Of
office was then administered to the speaker
by Mr.. Holman. Objection was made to
swearing in OF Mr.. Butts of South Carolina,
and Belford of Colorado. In relation to the
latter Mr.. Springer offered resolution in
Structing the judiciary committee to inquire
and report at as early a day as possible
whether Colorado is state in the union,
and directing that until such report is re-
ceived no person claiming to be a represcn
tative from Colorado shall be sworn in as
member. After some prelimlnaries, a vote
On the question was taken on Mr. Springer's
resolution, referring the credentials Of the
Colorado members to she Judiciary commit
tee, and it was adopted, l42 yeas rs nays.
The republicans voted sOlidly against it, as
did the following democrats: BlOunt, Cox,
Durham, Hartzell, Holman, Keher, Lemeyne,
Morgan, Neal O'Brien, Rea, Savag ge, Steven
son, Watterson and Wells of Missouri Mr..
Hewitt's motion to appoint three committees
to look into elections IN three doubtful
states was carried-ayes l56, nays IS. A
committee to notify the president that the
house was ready for his message was ap-
pointed. The speaker announced the ap
pointment of the South Carolina committee
as follows: Messrs. Sayler, Abbott, Stenger,
Eden, Jones (Ks), Phillips Mo-, Bank,
Lapham and Laurence. Adjourned.
In the house on the 5th, Mr.. Hamilton
(Indiana) offered his resolution assigning
Saturday, the 10Th, for the presentation of
suitable resolution on the death Of the late
Speaker Kerr, aud an expression by the
members Of the esteem in which he was held;
of his unbIemshed character, and eminent
public services. Adopted. The speaker
then announced the presidents annual mes
sage, which was thereupon read by the clerk.
The speaker announced the following select
committees: On Louisiana-Mcssrs Morri-
son, jerks, Mcmahon, lyndc, Blackburn
Moade, House, Phelps, New, Ross, Town
send PENN, Danford, llurlbut, Cllllnolsh
Crano and Joyce. On Florida Messrs.
Thompson, Debolt, Wallings, Hopkins and
Dunnell. On the South Carolina committee,
the name of Mr.. Cochren was substituted tor
that of Mr., Stenger, excused on account oil
| illness in his family. Adjourned.
In the house on the 9th, the bill re-
healing so much OF the act Of December
1872, as provides for a pivot draw in any
bridge on the Ohio river between Covington
and Cincinnati, was made the special order
for the first Tuesday after the holiday re-
cess. At the close of the morning hour the
speaker laid before the house a message
from the president, transmitting letter, ac'
companied by testimony, addressed to him
Nv Hon. John Sherman and other dlstin:
gIished citizens, in regard to the canvass OF
| the vote for electors in Louisiana. M
! Wood moved that the message OF the preSl-
dent and accompanying document be Iai1 "n
the table aud it was adopted-yeas, los,
navs o0 party vote. Adjourned.
In the house on the 7th, Mr. Atkins
from the appropriation committee, reported
the pension appropriation bill, aud said ne
would call it up tomorrow. The bill appro,
priates three million eight hundred and
thirtv.fve thousand three hundred dollars
| a., ,pCr,-,. ofI.red the following resolution !: