The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-12-13
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CONGRESS-.

The short session Of the asa Con-
gress convened on Monday week,
elected Samuel j. Randall, Democrat
Of Pennsylvania, Speaker OF the
House, and has come down to its
work in real earnest. The House
has sent special Committee of nine
to South Carolina, one Of five to Flo
rida and one of Is to our State, all
for the express purpose of enquiHng
into the doings of the Returning
Boards.
Grant has delivered his Message,
which, en- passant, we deem too unim-
portant to publish, but then again he
is moving favorably for his infamy
in our State. As sample we give
the following, which will throw some
light on his movements, and at the
same time to convince our doubters
that the Democratic House intend to
do their own thinking:
WASHINGTON,
Dec. 6, 1851
The only matter of interest in the
House to-day was the transmission
nv the President of communication
made to him by Senator Sherman
and others, and testimony taken by
them at New Orleans in regard to
the Presidential election in Louisi-
ana. The message itself made no
suggestion or recommendation. The
reading of the communication was
demanded on the Republican side of
the House, and resisted on the Dem
ocratic side. The Speaker decided
that it was best to be read. 1t was
accordingly read. When the reading
was finished, Mr.. Wood, of New
York, rose and expressed his surprise
at such a message being sent by the
President. He regarded it as most
extraordinary and unprecedented
but remarked that this is marvel
Gus and extraordinary time. The
President has had the experience
which nearly eight years of service
had given him, and that experience
of itself should have given him a
knowledge not only of the theory but
of the practice of the Government
and its officers, and yet the Presi-
dent had seen proper to send to the
House this unauthorized communi
cation from persons clothed with no
official position in the premises
The President, by giving it his Off
cial sanction, and by transmitting it
to the House, made it one of the re
cords Of the Government. He
f (Wood) could conceive of but one
object waich the President could
have had in transmitting it, and that
was the incidental one Of suggesting
that the House was clothed with au-
thority to institute careful inquiry
into the election Of President in ad
vance of the regular presentation o!
that great subject.
The President told the House by
this procedure that the House is au
thorized to institute an inquiry as tc
the correctness and integrity of the
certificates of election. The excep
, ton which he Wood took to it was
that the President should have trans
, mitted in such an unauthorized way
, an unauthorized document of parti
, san and ex parte character, and his
first impulse had been to move that
the communication be returned tc
, the President. If he had followed
the indignation which rose to bis
heart when the document was pre-
, sented to the House, he should have
: made such a proposition, but he
, should simply move that the message
of the President, with the accompa
nying documents, be laid on the ia
BILE. Applause.
Mr.. Hoar, of Massachusetts, sale
} that his side of the House desired tc
} have some debate on the subject
The motion, however, was not deba
table, and it was adopted. Yeas 1853
nays 90-a party vote. Adjourned
The SUN.-This truly and ably ed
tied and conducted New York Jour
nal makes its Prospectus-bow fe,
1877 in our columns to-day. We ART
sure and certain we are not wri
!, ting too flatteringly when we assert
8 that no Journal in America merit.
more the favorable consideration O
, the people of Louisiana than the on,
F! we are now calling special attentio,
to. Truthful, bold and fearless, i
E has never changed its advocacy 0