The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-21
Fort, Fourth COngress-First Session.
WASHINGTON, Mar. 20.
SEN TE.

Several communications were received, also
petitions, etc. A number of bills were iutro-
duced.
Mr.. Wright of Iowa, denied the newspaper
his private Secretary, and stated that he had no
private Secretary.
Mr.. Dawes of Massachusetts, introduced
petition from the medical society of Boston,
Referred to the Finance Committee. Also
petition from the business men of Boston, ask
ing tn At the bankrupt law be amended and not
repealed. Referred to Judiciary Committee
Mr.. Withers, from the Committee on Appro-
prations, reported House bill 25S9 to supply the
deficiency for feeding Sioux Indians: he mov-
ed to strike out of the bill the words 100000
and insert $l50O00. The amendment was
agreed to and the bill passed.
Mr. Dorsey, from the Committee on Claims,
reported back a communication from ctlZenS OF
Fredericksburg, Va. in relation to the petition
of citizens of Boston in regard to the erection
of monument at Yorktown, Va, and asked
that it be referred to the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds. 1t was so referred.
The Senate took up and passed Senate bill
591 to regulate the transportation of bonded
merchandise withdrawn from warehouse.
The Senate took up for consideration Senate
bill No $50, providing for an agreement with
the Sioux nation in regard to portion of their
reservation (the Black Hils) and for other pur-
poses. During the discussion Mr.. Merrimon
asked leave to offer an amendment that the
President shall appoint five army officers not
below the rank of colonel, in place of the five
persons mentioned in the bill Ordered to be
printed.
The Senate bill relative to Presidential cleo
tons was taken up, and Mr.. Randolph brief
ly addressed the Senate in support of his
amendment. providing that should the two
Houses of Congress, acting separately, fail to
agree as to which is the true and valid return
of state then and in that event only the Pres
ident of the Senate shall render the decision of
the question, and such rendition shall be in
favor of that return of state which shall have
received a majority of all votes cast in both
Houses of Congress, considered as if both
Houses had cast their votes in joint meeting
assembled. He said the old 22d rule had out
lived its usefulness. 1t was a sort of political
bastard, which had been dropped none too soon.
A state might have two sets to return. For
instance, Louisiana might come here with two
sets Of returns. The House might agree to
count one set aud the Senate might decide that
the other set was valid one. In that case the
vote of Louisiana would be thrown out. There
would be 361 electoral votes left and $50 of
them might be for the Republican electors and
181 of them might be for Democratic electors,
and in such case, although majority of the
electoral votes had been cast for Republican
candidate a Democratic President would be
declared elected. He believed it the duty of
Congress to see that the vote of every state was
counted.
Mr.. Whyte contended that the presiding Off
Ger of the Senate was the proper person TO de.
eide which was the valid and proper return,
and he though it the duty of the Senate to de-
termine that question first He cited many
tory of the first Congress to substantiate the
practice, and said all the present legislation
contemplated was to rob the President of the
Senate of his constitutional power.
Mr.. Dawes read the constitution concerning
the composition of the electoral vote, the man.
ori inn h nt fhn ota md ph0
shall open the returns All these different
acts were so specifically described and pointed
out he said, that in his opinion all the amend
ments which had been introduced hero to the
pending bill were out of order and out of place,
for it was clearly pointed out who should open
ton designate any other power. The only ques.
ton which could arise was which in certain in
stances was the correct return. That was a
difficulty towards which we were drifting, and
had been warned repeatedly to provide for such
contingency, and he had hoped the committee
would have evolved something to meet the
case, and he was forced to say that right here
there was constitutional defect The bill was
delusion. 1t purports to do what it will not
do.
Mr. Merton said the ed rule had been abol-
ished, and within one year they would be called
upon to count Presidential votes. In the alb
sence of that rule who but Congress was com.
petent to decide a question that might arise,
and would not the passage OF this bill be the
decision of Congress, and if the two Houses OF
Congress do not settle the questions that may
arise, who can settle them?
Mr.. Dawes said he would admit that the
pending bill was better than none, and he
should vote for it, but it was not complete
enough.
rhe chair laid before the Seuate the military
bill from the House, with notification that
the House failed to concur in the amendments
of the Senate
The Senate agreed to adhere to their amend
ments and asked a committee of conference
and Senators Sargent Cockerell and Harvey
were appointed on the part of the Senate.
Pending the discussion, at 40 o'clock the
Senate went into executive session, and at 5
o'clock adjourned.
HOUSE.
Several petitions were presented.
Resolutions were adopted calling for the re-
port of the Special Commission appointed to
supervise the Commission to the Vienna Expo
sition.
A bill was introduced recognizing and re-
ducing the marine corps.
Mr.. Atkins of Tennessee moved to suspend
the rules and pass the bill repeating all the pro
visions of the act of the 14th of January 1875
authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to re-
deem and cancel U. S. notes and to sell q. s
bonds for the accomplishment of that purpose.
Mr. Payne of Ohio desired to offer an amend.
n6DC, DuC IL was Iuleu Dy Tue speaker b1dG nc
amendment was in order.
Mr. Holman of Indiana called for the yeas
and nays, and they were ordered.
The motion to suspend the rules and pass the
bill was rejected-yeas 100, nays 108. not two
thirds voting in the affirmative as follows:
Yeas -Ainsworth, Anderson, Ashe, Atkins, Bake
of Indiana Bsnning, Blackburn, Bland. Blount
Boone, Bradford, Bright, Brown of Kentucky
Burchard Of Wisconsin, Caoel, Caldwell of Alabama
Caldwell ofTennessee, Campbell, Cannon, Cate, Caul
nj Clarke n
Cochrane, Cook, Cowan De Bolt. Dibbell, Douglass
Durham, Eden, Egbert, Ellis, Evans, Faulkner For
ton of Indiana, Harris OF Georgia. Harris of Virginia
Harrison, Hardridge, Hartzell, Raymond, Hays
Hereford. Hewitt Of Alabama. Holman, Hopkins
Jones of Kentucky, Kelley, Knott, Landers of In
dianna, Lewis, Lynde, MCFARLAND, Mcmahon
Milliken, Morgan, Neal. New, Oliver, Phelps. Phillips
John Reilly, Jos. B. Reilly, Rice Riddle, Robin
Of n; Robinson. Sayage Sayler, Scales Sneak
Stevenson, Stone, Terry, Tucker Van Worries
r virginia, ' &sacs Of Wells Missouri
Seatss and youngL Sana
Nays-Bagby. George A. Bagley, John H. Bagley
Baker Of n Y Balos Banks 1Barnam Bass
Kansas, Burchard of Illinois, Caswell, Chittenden
Conger, Cox, Grape, Cutler, Dennison, Dunnell
ef epse2
| Hancock, Hardenburgh. Hathorn, Hendee, Henkle
Hewitt of Network. Hoge, Haskell, Hubbell, Hoar
| Hubert, Joyce, Kehr, Kimball Landers Of Conn
Lapham, Leavenworth, Luttrell, Lynch, Marsh
| McCrary. McDill, Metcalf, Miller. Morey Norton
| OBrien, Page, Payne, Pierce, Piper Plasted, Pot
ter, Powell. Pratt, Randall, Reagan Robbins of Pa
Sampson, Scheicher, Schumacher, Seelye, Singleton
Smas, Smith of Pa, Strait, Stenger, Stowell, Tar
| box. Thompson. Thornburgh. Throckmortop, Town
send Of Pa, TUFTS, Walker of n. y: Wallace o
S. G., Ward, Warren, Wheeler. Whitehouse, Whiting
! Wike, Willard Williams Of N. Y, A. S. William,
Michigan, Williams of Wisconsin, Williams O
Delaware, W. B. Williams of Michigan, Willis, Viii
| son of Iowa, and Wood of Pa. Total-108.
Mr.. Neal of Ohio, from the Committee OF
| the District of Columbia, claimed the rest o
| the day for business of that committee, tn
third Monday of the month being allowed.to i
| by the rules.
Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvania raised th,
question of consideration, but the Speake
ruled that the Committee on the District O
Columbia had an absolute right to the remain
der of to-day's session.
Mr.. Randall intimated that Lis object was t.
allow Mr. Payne of Ohio to have a vote of tn
House on the financial bill, which he had beer
authorized to report.
Mr.. Neal declined to yield his right, although
Messrs. Cox, Springer and other members en-
deavored to induce him to do so.
The business of the District Committee wa
then proceeded with, and at $50 o'clock tn
House ad burned.
MASSACHUSETTS,.