National Republican., 1876-12-28
FORTY-FoURTH CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION. -
WEDNESDAY,, December aI, 1875.
Senate.

SECOND SESSION.
WEDNESDAY,, December 2T, 1876.
- Senate.
The SENATE was not in session to-day.
House of Representatives.
Mr.. HUNTON, Of Va, from the special joint
committee to provide form Of government for
the District OF Columbia, reported blllto pro-
vide permanent government for the District, of
Columbia, and 1t was made the gpecial order for
Thursday, January 4. after the morning hour,
and from day to day until disposed Of
MESSAGES TnoM THE PRESIDENT.
The SPEAKER laid before the House mes:
sage from the President inclosng the report OF
the commissioners appointed to repave Pennsyl-
vania avenue. Ordered to be printed and re-
ferred to the District COMMITTEES.
Also, a message from the President tncioslng
the report of the Sioux Indian Commission. Re
ferred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
Also message from the Pres ident inclosing
the correspondence between the State Depart
ment and the Government Of Great Britain in
relation to the extradition treaty. Referred to
Committee on Foreign Affairs. rs
NR. BANNING WANTS IT IN rHR RECORD.
The SPEARER then proceeded 70 present a
number of executive documents, to which no OBJ
lection was made, and at last he presented
memorial of citizens OF Cincinnati, being an
there % in relation to the Presidential dificulty,
when
Mr.. BANNING, of Ohio, moved that the psper
Mr.. GARFIELD, OF Ohio, objected TO the
printing in the Record, because 1t would not do
to lumber up the Record with all the proceedings
OF meetings on the subject of the Presidential
election that might be held all over the country.
Mr.. CONGER, of Mich, also objected to the
MT. GARFIELD said he knew nothing of the
meeting. the proceedings Of which were enclosed.
The SPEAKER. Neither does the Chair.
Mr.. GARFIELD said as he understood IL this
the House under which memorials and petitions
were presented. The SPEAKER could not present
o paper In any other way than under the rule.
the SPEAKER said it would be observed that
this paper was respectful petition from citizens
Of the United States, and the SPEAKER could not
present It. Besides, 1t was laid before the House
Mr.. GARFIELD said that by the courtesy of
the House the SPEAKER could present at all times
all communications of an official character, but 1t
was not expected that he would have presented
an unofficial communication.
The SPEAKER said the paper was properly
before the House for reference, ard its reading
could be demanded by any member before he
Mr. soUTHARD asked that the paper be
Mr.. GARFIELD inquired how it got before
The SPEAKER replied by unanimous consent.
Mr.. GARFIELD said that unanimous consent
was given to the presentation Of an Executive
SPEAKER would present petition. n
A further discussion ensued as to the rules, Mr..
HoSKINS and others contendng that under the
rules the SPEAKER could not present this paper
for action or to have 1t printed but he could have
The SPEAKER said he had right to present
the paper, and It was for the majority of the
House to determine whether 1t should be printed.
Mr.. BANNING, of Ohio, said he was surprised
that his colleague (Mr. GARFIELDl should have
been one TO object to the printing OF this paper
when he was one of the most earnest advocates Of
the printing Of the paper sent here by the Presi.
dent the other day containing the report Of .
number of citizens who went to New Orleans to
witness the counting of the vote. Mr.. GARFIELD D
noW hs Objects % when promipent Citizens Of cIn
cinnati send here respectful petition In relation
to the momentOus question before the country,
partisan committee whose report was sent here BY
N Mr. CoSGER, of Mich. objected to further do.
MI. GARFIELD and others. Oh, let him 20
The SPEAKER said he knew not by what
NJ Mr.. B Banning e then St Continued, ed and said he
would also show Mr.. CoTGER's Inconsistency.
He then read from the Record the report Of the
proceedings when the President sent In the re-
port Of Messrs. SHERMAN, GARFIELD and others
on affairs In Louisiana. Mr. CoNeER demanded
the reading Of the whole report, in order that II
Mr.. BANNING. here we have two gentlemen
making objection to-day who were anxious for
the printing Of the report Of citizens who had
gone to Louisiana without authority OF law. Yet
these same gentlemen try to stife all investiga-
tion. Ever since this session has met the GENTLE
men on the Republican side Of the House have
placed themselves in q strange position. They
brought in here an unauthorized report indorsed
by the President. and when the House attempted
to organize committee to send TO louisiana to
man on the other side Of the House, with three
honorable exceptions, voted against the propos-
tion, all Of whlcn showed that they were afraid
Of Investigation.
Then these gentlemen in their report eulogize
and sustain the character Of the members Of the
Louisiana Returning Board, and when the Demo-
cratic side Of the House desired to obtain the re-
port of Gen. Sheridan to Secretary Stanton, and
the Endorsement Of Gen. Grant as to Governor
fee in 1857. the other side Of the House objects.
In that report Wells is denounced rs trickster
seen see tss SsS Of sanR q se
War Department and examining papers. When
he went and asked for this report Of Sheridan's,
would first have to get the consent Of the Secre-
tary Of War. He found that the Secretary of War
was absent, and the chief clerk said that the re-
Bauning) could see II. Still IL was refused him.
He afterward saw the Secretary Of War, who said
that be could not see the paper unless he got an
He then came to this House and offered his
resolution calling for the papers. and how was 1t
met? 1t required a two,thirdl vote, and the gen
tlemen on the other side objected. He tried It
again, and again there was an objection. He
hoped the other side Of the House would permit
there Is one thing that the American people love
more than another 1t is the liberty that is now
about to be usurped from them. tApplause In
the galleries. And he would tell gentlemen
here that they would have that liberty. The
army may be ordered here to prevent It with
eighty rounds Of ammunition: the navy may be
ordered here but the people will, in their might,
put them all down. IRenewed applause.1 He
hoped that the gentlemen on the other side Of the
in 1881 as patriots, and not at the dictation Of
mere party. The people wanted correct vote,
and the ballot box must not be oyesthrown M and
The SPEAKER. II the applause In the gal.
leries is repeated the Charwiii direct them to be
Mr.. BANNING. (Apparently not noticing the
SPEAKER's remark-) No, Mr.. SPEAKER. the peo.
pie will never permit that TO be done. (Grea,
Mr. BANNING explained that hs didnot mean
TO be understood as saying that the people would
not permit the galleries to be cleared, but that
they would not permit the ballot boxes in Louis
lana or elsewhere to be periured or violated. he
did hope, therefore, that the gentlemen on the
other side would permit the people to be heard By
petition.
GENERAL GARFIKLD REPLIES.
Mr.. GARFIELD, of Ohio, said he was glad We
had on this moor gentleman who could speak fol
all the people; who could tell the House Of theil
wants and desires, and what they proposed to do
He had been trying In feeble way, by reading
and by consultation, to get at the general phase
Of the public mind on the great questions now nov
aware that all this information could be obtained
from q gentleman here, who knew all about It
VINO Knew all IDe Iacts OF the elcctlOn IN LOulsi
ana, and also of the returning board in Oregon
he supposed who knew exactly the condition O.
all sealed packages, and who knew just what the
people wanted and what they would do. His col
league [Mr. BANNINGl talked about returning
boards and the perjury Of the ballotbox, Inohit
there were
-FOUR THOUSAND BALLor-BoxEs,
and four thousand returning boards Of three mer
each sitting behind them at the last election
Each of these returning boards purged the bal
box over which they had control, and certified
the returns to Columbus, the State capital, and
the results were there footed up. Does the gen
teman say that this House should go behind al
| these boxes? Now, in Louisiana they have
another kind OF Returning Board. There the
men who SIT behind the ballot-boxes do not purge
them, but they send them TO general Returning
Board at the capital of the State, where they arr
purged; and does the gentleman say that that
Returning Board in New Orleans must accept
each poll whether II is true or falsef He could
| say, after O careful study OF the Louisiana Ques
| tion. that there were ballot-boxe there
ALL COVERED WITH FRAUD,
and If his colleague would put his hand In them
IL would come out all leprous with fraud and red
with blood. In view Of this fact 1t was early In
| the day for his colleague to set up his cry o.
axrtrT xrafn Qf