The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-03-02

and addressed the Speaker in more
moderate tone from his own place. Then
the space behind the outer row Of desks
wss cleared, by degrees the storm lulled
and, although there were some lesser re-
newsls Of II, the Speaker managed al
about 2 o'clock in launching the House
fairly into two hours discussion on the
Vermont objections.
The debate was opened BY Mr.. Pop
pleton, VINO soon yielded 10 enable Mr..
Hewitt of New York to relate how
he came into possession Of the package
produced by him yesterday, and how he
had last seen it in possession Of the Secre-
tsry OF The Senate, who stated that it was
the private property OF Mr.. Ferry, and
that he proposed rs the friend OF Mr..
Ferry to retain it.
After a good deal of colloquy in regard
to what had become of the paper, 3
messenger from the Senate came into
the hal! aad rendered q package to Mr..
Hewitt who refused TO receive it, and
then announced the fact 10 the House.
No immediate action was taken IN the
matter and the young lad who carried
the package retained it and took seat,
awaiting the action Of the House. and
the discussion proceeded.
Mr.. Hendee explained that the. case
ofVermont was only MINOR form Of the
case in Oregon, the exception being
that Cronin had certificate Of
the Governor, while Aldrich, the person
claiming 20 be An elector in the Yer
mont case, had not, but acted entirely on
his own motion. The members who par
ticipated in the discussion were Hendee,
Dennison, Poppleton, Monroe, Hooker,
Mooney, Wilson, of w. Va, Marsh,
Raymond and Lery.
Mr.. Garfield read letter from Cor
ham Secretary of the Senate, saying he
had put the package purporting TO be
the second certificate In his pocket, as
the package looked like private CON-
munication, but being sdmonisked that
his reception OF it might be construed
as reception OF it by President Ferry,
he took it from his:pocket and placed it
on the desk, and since that time he had
not seen II.
Mr.. Hewitt remarked that the package
had been brought TO him by messenger
from the Senate, who would not tell from
whom he received 1t.
The Speaker asked Mr.. Garfield TO
suspend his remarks till order was
restored.
Mr.. Garfield will till Ajax and
other chiefs have quoted their troubles.
After q pause-there is no pretense or
claim that under the law the President
of the Senate ought to receive the paper
under such circumstance. There is no
signature on the back OF the paper
suthenticating it, For aught We know
it is another Michigan certificate. 1t any
body has been deceived by the pretense
that we ought TO have paper opened
in this House coming in such round
about, unauthorized way, let all such pre-.
lenses be cleared away aud let them vote
with the knowledge of the fact that a
vote for such q resolution is simply q
vote 10 prevent count and bring us into
anarchy.
Mr. Stone, who was one Of the tellers,
stated thvt he saw the Secretary Of the
Ser ate throw n package under the desk
among the rubbish. That be Stone i'm
mediately wrote note to Mr.. Hewitt,
and that Mr.. Hewitt and he had con-
versation, during which he saw the Sec.
retary take a package from under the
desk and put it in his pocket.
The discussion was closed by Mr.
Field, who expressed his deep regret
that the day had been consumed IN M
attempt to rectify mistake of the Pre-
sident of the Senate, or egregious mis-
take which the dignity and self respect
of the House compelled it TO rectiiy If
possible. He would not 90 into
any question about the vote OF
Vermont, whether il was good
or bad, or whether lhe paper was OF any
value. All he knew was that q question
had arisen respecting 1t, which the Pres.
ident of the Senate hal assumed TO decide
for himself. He denied that the Presi.
dent of the Senate had any power TO do
anything except 10 keep order, and TO do
what had been committed 10 him under
the electoral law, and ali kno that this
was the very question th,t lay ut the
foundation of all the debates on the SUBJ
ject from the beginning of the session.
1t had been maintained by the
Republicans that the President OF
tie Senate could count the vote,
and on that they had stirred
up the country, had subsidized the press,
had procured legal opinions, and what
had they come up 10 at last? The senate
itself had in solemn debate repudiated
the doctrine as not worth moments
consideration aud the President OF the
United States in solemn message "
Congress declared that never 10 the his.
tory of the government had the Presl.
dent Of the Senate assumed TO decide
any question. That otiicIsi did now as.
sumo TO decide this question, whether or
not that was the return 10
be opened by him. If the men,
bers OF the House consented 10
that let them look TO the future
Absta principiis was q rule of prudence
and rule OF law. The Commons OF
England had made the Anglo Saxon race
the glory of the earth, by standing on a
small question that concerned their liber-
ties, so the House of Representatives
should not give up one jot or title Of its
rights. 1t was the duty Of the President
of the Senate, when that paper was be-
fore him, 10 submit the question, if he
had any doubt about it, 10 the two houses
and the only remedy now was 20 invite
him back TO open the paper in the pres.
ence Of both houses. If there were two
returns from Vermont they should 60
" the Electoral Commission. He sp-
pealed to the members 70 deal with the
question not as Democrats or ss Repub.
lieans, but as guardians Of the rights OF
the House in the electoral count.
Ia reply TO 8 question by Mr.. Cate be
said there was no time fixed by law in
which certificate must be filed.