The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-02-15
The Electoral Commission. Florida
Declared for Hayes and Wheeler.


Declared for Hayes and Wheeler.
The Commission, at It's, session or
Wednesday OF last week. took action as
follows
On motion Of Justice Miller, it was or
lered that no evidence perceived OF con
sdered by the Commission which was not
submitted 10 the Joint Convention of the
two houses by the President Of the Senate
with the different certificates, except such
relates tn the eligibility of F. {. Hum
phreys. one OF the electors. The vote is
as follows: Yeas - Bradley, Edmunds,
Frelnghuysen, Garfield, lloar. Miller,
Morton and Strong-S Nays--Abbott,
Bnyard, Clifford, Field, llunton, Payne,
Thurman.
ON motion of Mr. Abbott, ii was re-
solved that in the case OF Florida this
Commission will receive the evidence re-
latng TO the eligibility OF f. C. Hum
phreyS, one of the persons named in The
certificate No. As elector. Yeas--Ab-
5ott, Bayard, Bradley, Clifford, Field,
Iunton, Payne and Thurman--S Nays
-MessrS Edmunds, Frelinghuysen. Gar
iield, Hoar, Miller, Morton Strong.
The Secretary of the Commission was
instructed to inform the counsel on the re-
3pectye sides that. at l | o'clock Thurs
day it would be prepared 10 hear argu-
ments on the question Of the eligibility of
Frederick G. Humphreys as an elector
Mr. Humphreys is one of the Republic
can electors, and the question raised rs to
his eligibility is that he was at the date OF
his election United States Shipping
commissioner, which is alleged to be
such an office OF trust and profit as to dis
quality him acting a an elector. but
which office, it is asserted by the Repub-
Leans, he resigned before the election
The rule above adopted placed before
the Commission the following evidence
favorable to the Tltlen electors
Iirst-The certificate OF the Attorney
General Gone OF the State Canvassing
Board under Slealns) that the canvass OF
the Board showed that the ril'len elect
ofs had been appointed.
Second The ono warranto proceedings
and decision q the Circuit Court OF the
Second Florida District thereon that it
found the l'ildeM electors had and the
Hayes electors had not been appointed.
Third - The decision of the Supreme
Court that the Stale Canyassing Board
had canyassed illegally.
Fourth-Ihe act OF the Florida .egisla-
ture ordering new canvass.
Fitth-lhe certificate Of the State Can
yassing Board that they had made re-
canvass of the votes. in accordance with
the mandate of the Legislature and the in
st n IA 4 hot
canvass of the returns still on file in the
Secretary OF States office, shows that the
Tilden electors were appointed
NiEth-Ihe certificates OF the Tilden
elector5 that they met on the day ap-
pointed by law and cast their vote in ar.
cordancc with the law
oeventh-('ov Drew certificate TO the
Iilden electors.
Eighth--A tabulated statement Of the
vote Of Florida as shown by the returns
81 the County Canyassers, which were the
returns canvassed by both the State Can
Va-sing boards
WASHINGTON, Feb .. The Electoral
Commission this evening, by II vote Of $
against +, decided that the Iour electoral
votes OF Florida should be counted for
Hayes and Wheeler. 4 formal report TO
This effect was signed at $ 20 O'Clock this
evening by Messrs Bradley, Edmunds,
frelinghuysen, Garfield, Hoar, Miller,
Norton and Strong and viii be sent to
the President Of the Senate tomorrow
As il had been very generally taken tor
granted that the Electoral Commission
would decide to count Florida for Hayes,
there was, to-day, no unusual excitement
IN political circles The two houses went
forward with their regular business, near
ly all the members being in constant at
tendance, 1t was thought not improbable
that the decision might be made before 4
O'Clock so as to be reported to-day, but
about > o'clOel it was given out by some
of the members Of the commission that it
would not be possible to get through with
the discussion, the voting and the prepar-
alton OF the decision in time for any action
OF the House to-day hence the Senate ad-
l0urned at about 1 and the House about
haIt-past 4, very few members remaining
after that time. Various rumors We're in
circulation about the Capitol during the
afternoon, and furnished food for talk and
debate to the crowd standing in the pass
ageway on either side Of the Supreme
Court room. waiting leisuely for the final
action of the commission. These rumors
all had one direction-that there was no
doubt that majority Of the commission
had expressed themselves in favor OF re-
rognizing the Hayes certificates Every
few minutes it would be reported by some
one that vote on the main question had
already been taken, and this was Just as
often contradlcted. Now and then. mem
Der of the commission would come out of
the chamber and make his way through
the eXpectant crowd to the House or Sen
ate. But they were very retcent and in
reply to questions would give but little
satisfaction.
Almost the entire time until nearly the
close OF the session was occupied with de-
bate, I'D Which every one of the fifteen
members OF the commission by turns par
ticipated. Two or three of the justices
and several of the senatorial members
read deliberately prepared opinions upon
the main points az issue, and the discus
sion is understood to have been, from its
commencement to its close, of extraor,'i-
nary power and ability. The question Of
the eligibility of F. {. Humphreys was
not made a subject Of much discussion.
FOR was any vote taken concerning it.
At one stage OF the proceedings, how
ever, Senator Thurman offered a resou-
ton declaring that there was not sufficient
evidence offered to show that Humphreys
was not shipping commissioner on the
9TH OF November. This resolution was
criticised by several Republican members.
on the ground that it might carry an i'm
plication that If Humphreys had been
such Il commissioner on the 9TH of Nov
ember, his vote would have been invalid.
and the resolution was not urged, there
seeming to be practically an unanimity of
opinion that Humphreys resignation was
legally etfiectual, being rendered and ac-
cepted before the election.
About G o'clock p. NJ, the debate being
ended, Senator Edmunds submitted res
olution declaring in substance that the
four Republican electoral votes of Florida
should be counted, and embodying, also,
various reasons for such declaration.
Representative Hunton offered the fol-
lowing as substitute:
Resolved, That the electors named in certifi-
cate No. .. to wit: Williamson Call, j. +.
Yonge, Robert Bullock and Robert Il. Hilton,
are the four persons who were duly appointed
electors by the State of Florida on the 7th day