The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-10-16
XLVth CONGRESS-Extr Session.
SENATE.

seats anu were Kept busy receiving congratula-
tlons OF trends before the Senate was called to
0tder. Inc desks of Senators ConkliDg, Blaine,
dawes, Ferry and Ransom were adorned with
handsome boquets.
An order was passed that the Senate meet at
II o clock daily.
Messrs Anthony and Bayard were appoint.
ed to wait on the President
A resolution that the Senate committees ba
revised was laid over till tomorrow that va can
cies might be filled.
The oath of Office was administered to STAN
ley Matthews in place of John Sherman, j. d.
Cameron in place of Simon Cameron, and d,
81. Armstrong from Missouri vice L. V. Bogy,
deceased.
The Senate then at 1926 adjourned until -
O'Clock tomorrow.
The only Senators absent were Morton, Nc
MILAN of Minnesota and Sharon of Nevada
HOUSE.
The opening of the House was witnessed by
very large assemblage. The galleries were
crowded and the corridors impossible for two
hours previous Clerk Adams called the
House to order and read the Presidents
proclamation converting Congress and proceed
ed to call the Toll of members by states, begin
ming with Maine.
When Louisiana was reached the Clerk
made the following statement: There were
received from the State of Louisiana three
different sets of credentials, one set signed by
John McEuery as Governor. bearing date of
the 10th of December. 1876 and declaring
certain persons elected from the first, fourth
and sixth districts, but silent as to the other
districts. Inasmucb, however, as John Nc
Emery was never de fdcto Governor of Louisi-
ana and never exercised or performed the
functions of that Office, it is not deemed neces-
sary to make here any statement concerning
the regularity or irregularity of credentials
coming from that source.
Another set was signed by VIM. P. Kellogg
no. IF 81 go Ak,
state attached, all bearing different dates, and
all of which reached the hands of the Clerk
through, different channels, declaring the per-
sons elected from each of the districts except
the second, as to which district no certificate
seems to have been issued by Gov Kellogg to
any one. These credentials signed by Gov.
Kellogg are in no sense compliance with the
requirement of the law of Louisiana. They
do not even purport to be copies of certificates,
but are simply declaration of Gov. Kellogg
that certain persons were elected, and no more
constitute credentials within the meaning of
the law of Louisiana than similar statement
from the Treasurer or other state officials would
do. They cannot therefore be registered by
the Clerk.
The other set of credentials is signed by
Gov. Nichols and Secretary of State Arroyo,
with the seal OF the state attached. They de-
clar the persons elected in each of the districts
of Louisiana, and conflict with the certificates
signed by Gov Kellogg in reference to two
districts only. These credentials comply with
the law of Louisiana in every respect, and the
Clers has accordingly placed on the roll the
names OF the persons contained in them.
When Missouri was reached the CLERK stated
no certificate had been received from the third
district.
AS to the state of Florida. he had received
the certificate of Gov. Stearns to the election
of VIM. j. Purman in the first and Horatio
Bisbee, jr., in the second districts, but he had
subsequently, received two certificates from
Governor Drew One reported that the can
vass which showed the election of Purman b ad
been by the Supreme Court of Florida declar ed
illegal, and another canvass had been made,
which showed the election of Robert Fl. M.
Davidson from the first district. Under such
circumstances the CleIk had placed the name
OF Davidson on the roll. The other certificate
of Governor Drew declared as to the second
district that by counting the votes in certain
precincts in Clay county, (Which the board of
state canvassers iected and the Supreme
Court said could not be legally counted) J. J.
Finlay would be elected. The Clerk could see
nothing in this to invalidate the previous GER
ticate in favor of BIsbee, and he had therefore
placed the name of Bisbee on the roll.
In regard to Colorado the clerk said the
certificate presented by Jas. B. Bedford showed
that he was elected the Sd of October, 1876, at
time not authorized by the law of the nited
States or of the State of Colorado, while the
papers presented by his competitor, Patterson,
were merely certlneQ copies OF the abstracts or
votes in the several counties, which votes had
never been canvassed. The Clerk had there
fore declined to place either name on the roll,
but left the matter for the House, after its
organization, to determine
Mr. Hale of Maine thereupon rose to what
he called question of highest privilege (the
right of member to his seat) and at the same
moment Mr.. Wood of New York rose to what
he asserted also to be question of highest
privilege (the organization of the House by the
election of Speaker)
After some contest on question of precedeucy
the Clerk ruled that Representatives elect could
not before the organization of the House take
out of his hands duty imposed upon him by
law, directing him to insert or omit name,
and that the motion to'proceed to the election
OF Speaker must be put. He announced that
207 members had answered to their names.
Mr.. Woods motion was agreed to, 149 to 129,
and the Clerk then stated that nominations for
Speaker were in order.
Mr.. Clymer of Pennsylvania, nominated S. ].
Randall of Pennsylvania, and Mr.. Hale of
Maine, nominated James A. Garfield of Ohio.
Messrs. Clymer, Banning, Fort and Foster were
appointed as telers. The result was announc-
ed by Mr.. CIymer as follows: For Samuel j.
Randall 149; James A. Garfield 1872
The CLERK thereupon declared Mr.. Randall
duly elected Speaker for the 45th Congress, and
deputed Messrs. Garfield and Goode to conduct
the Speaker to the chair, and requested Mr..
Kelly, as the Oldest member in consecutive SER
vice to administer the oath of office.
The Speaker on taking the chair said:
Gentlemen of the House of Representatives
Elevated for the second time by your generosi-
ty to the exalted dignity of Speaker of this
House, thank you with grateful heart. l
shall endeavor with even temper, but with rigid
irmness to perform the duties of the Office and
to respond adequately to the confidence reDosed
in me by conforming my action to the clearly
expressed will of the House.
The oath was then administered nv Mr. Kal-
ley of Pennsylvania, and then administered by
the Speaker to members. Most of the mem
bers from the Southern states took what is
known as tue iron-clad oath.
Objection was made by Mr.. Cox to the swear
ing in of Cain and Rainey of South Carolina,
and of Darrell of Louisiana; by Mr.. Frye of
Maine, to the swearing ia of Elan and Robert
son of Louisiana, and by Mr.. Springer Of Illi-
nois, to swearing in of Pacheco of California.
and those members We're requested to stand
aside. The delegates from the territories were
all sworn in without objection.
Mr.. Clymer then offered a resolution electing
as Clerk George M. Adams of Kentucky, as
Sergeant-at-Arms, John G. Thompson of Ohio,
as Doorkeeper, John W. Polk of Missouri; as
Postmaster, James M. Stewart of Virginia, as
Chaplain, Rev DIR. John Poisil of Maryland.
Mr.. Hale offered an amendment substituting
for these names those of jeremiah Rusk of
Wisconsin; N. G. Ordway of New Hampshire
Horace 81. Harrison of Tennessee; Henry 81.
Sherman of Michigan; Rev. j. G. Butler of
Washington.
The amendment was rejected and the reso-
luton adopted without division.
Oath of Office was then administered to those
officers, Messrs. Polk and Stewart taking the
modified oath.
Committees were then appointed to inform
the Senate of the organization of the House,
and to inform the President that Congress was
ready to receive any communication he may de-
sire to make.
The drawing of seats was then fixed to take
place at o'clock today.
The House then, at 3.15, took recess till
o'clock.
After the selection of seats the House ad-
journed at $50 o'clock, questions as to swearing
IN members objected to having been put off till
tomorrow.
APPROPRIATION ESTIMATES.