The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-26
The Joint Convention.


The Joint Convention was called to order
by Mr.. Ferry, and the decision OF the Com
mission in the Oregon case was read by Mr..
Gorham, secretary Of the Senate, as fol-
lows:
DECISION OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.
ELECTORAL COMMISSION, }
WASHINGTON, d. g., February %, 1877. !
To the President of the Senate OF the
United States, presiding in the meeting of
the two houses OF Congress under the act
F of Congress entitled "An act to provide
for and regulate the counting OF votes for
President and Vice-President, and the de-
cision OF questions arising thereon, for the
term commencing March 4, A. D. 1871"
approved January 20, A. D. 1877.
The Electoral Commission in said act hay
ing received certain certificates, and papers
purporting to be certificates, and papers &C.
companying the same, OF the electoral vote
from the State OF Oregon, and the ob1ec-
tions thereto, submitted to 1t under said
act, now reports that it has duly considered
the same pursuant to said act, and has by
majority Of votes decided, and does hereby
decide, that the votes OF W. II. Odell, j. C..
Cartwright, and j. ". Watts, named
in the certificates OF said persons, and
in the papers accompanying the same,
which votes are certified by said per-
sons, as appears by the certificates
submitted to The Commission rs aforesaid,
and marked No. /, N. c., by said Commits
sion, and herewith returned, are the votes
provided for by the Constitution of the
United States, and that the same are law
fully to be counted as therein certified
namely: Three votes for Rutherford 3.
HAYES, of the State Of Ohio, for President,
and three votes for William A. Wheeler, OF
the State OF New: York, for Nice-Presi-
dent.
The Commission has by majority OF
votes also decided, and does hereby decide
and report, that the three persons first
above named were duly appointed electors
in and by the State Of Oregon.
The brief ground Of this decision is that
it appears upon such evidence as by the
Constitution and the law named in said act
OF Congress is competent and pertinent to
the consideration Of the subject, that the be-
aforementioned electors appear to have been
lawfully appointed such electors OF Presi-
dent and Nice-President OF the United States
for the term beginning March 4th, A. d.
1877, of the State of Oregon, and that they
voted as such at the time and in the manner
provided for by the Constitution OF the
United States and the law.
And they are further Of opinion that by
the laws OF the State Of Oregon the duty CT
canyassing the returns of all the votes given
at an election Of President and Vicc-Presi-
dent was imposed upon the Secretary OF
State, and upon no one else.
That the Secretary Of State did canvass
these returns in the case before us, and
thereby ascertained that j. G.. Cartwright,
w. Ii. Odell, and J.W. Watts had majority
of all the votes given for electors. and had
the highest number Of votes for that Office,
and by the express language OF the statute
those persons are deemed elected.
That in obedience to his duty the secre-
tary made canvass and tabulated state
ment OF the votes showing this result,
which, according to law, he placed on file
in his office on the 4th day OF December. a.
D. 1876. All this appears by an official GER
tificate under the seal Of the State and
signed by him and delivered by him to the
electors, and forwarded by them to the pre-
sident OF the Senate with their votes.
That the refusal or failure OF the Gov
ernor Of Oregon to sign the certificate OF
the election OF the persons so elected does
not have the effect Of defeating their APP.
pointment as such electors. .....-
That the act Of the Governor OF Oregon,
in giving to E. A. Cronin certificate Of his
election, though he received thousand
votes less than Watts, on the ground that
the latter was ineligible, was without au-
thority of law, and is therefore void.
That although the. evidence shows that
Watts was postmaster at the time OF his
election, that fact is; rendered immaterial by
his resignation both as postmaster and
elector, and his subsequent appointment to
fill the; vacancy SO made by the Electoral
College. ,.,&.. st.f;: +, lf.I,t' I a.l-t
=. The Commission has also decided, and
does hereby decide, by q majority OF votes,
and reports that as q consequence OF the
and upon the grounds before
stated, the paper apurporting to be eerti-
ficate Of the electoral votes OF said State OF
Oregon, signed by E. A. Cronin, j.. n. T.
Miller, and John Parker, marked No. 2, N.
G., by the Commission, and herewith re-
turned, is not the certificate Of the votes
provided for by the Constitution Of the
United States, and that they ought not to
be counted as such. rl4 ra
Done at Washington, d. c., the day and
year fret above written. ~. ~ -
[Signed] Samuel F. Miller, w. Strong,
Joseph P. Bradley, George F. Edmunds,
%. p. Morton, Frederick T. Frelinghuy-
sen, JamesA. Garfield, George T. Hoar
Esr'.F.j e. ."E#