Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-01-26
FORTY.FOURTH CONGRESS.
Second Session.
SENATE.

The debate in the Senate on the bill reporte d
BY the select committee in regard to counting the
electoral vote, was continued all last night.
Morton continued his argument and claimed the
Wee President was not bound to open any Fl aud
uent certificates from State. If there SHOULD
be half dozen packages from State in his pos
session he is not required to open them all, but
only that package which came from the electors.
As an officer of the Utiled States he was bound
to take notice as to who have been elected elect
ors by the States, aud act upon his intelligence
just as other public officers do.
There were two certificates from Louisiana in
the hands of the Vice President. He was not re-
CURED to open them both. If he refused to ope
and present the second return, how was it to be
got out of his possession If he refused TO open
such return was that o cause of revolutioni Did
he understand that the democratic party threat
ened violence or revolution If the president Of the
Senate withheld bogus certifcatef
The bill, (said Mr.. MortoD), conferred upon the
tribunal 1t created power to legslate, unless its
action should be overturned by the action of the
two Houses of Congress. This commission coul
not carry out the bill without going behind the
returns from state. Ii WAS sprinkled all over
with very white, pretty meal, but The democratic
cat was beneath it. He argued it was unconsti-
tutional.
The Senator from Ohio (Sherman) had argued
that the democratic party was descended from the
republican party Of 1890. lie (Morton) did not
think the democratic party Of today descended from
he OeueVeu IL 10 De Tor tue best In
erests OF all parties and all men that the republic
can party should rule this country. After the
| case had been made up he did not believe in
adopting new plan which would throw away
one-halt OF the chance Of the republicans.
That he had been Inconsistent on some mat
tiers was entirely probable He did not believe
there were any people in this Senate who we're
lniallible. He accorded TO every other senator
conscientious motives, and he Grained for HIM
self the same consideration.
Mr.. Blaine said he had, he trusted, az great an
appreciation as any Senator on this floor, Of the
gravity OF the situation. He had supported the
Senator from Vermont (Edmunds) in December
in his constitutional amendment. TO leave this
whole question of counting the electoral votes to
the Supreme Court.
He had favored placing this power of counting
the votes in the Supreme Court by Just and
competent amendment to the constitution, but
that proposition did not commend itself to the IA
| vor of the Senate, amt was defeated by a large
vote.
So far as he was personally concerned, he was
not welded to any particular theory as TO count
ing the votes. He desired simply to adhere to the
Co stitution, and like many gentlemen here, he
was free from any embarrassing record ON this
que stion. He was opposed to giving the power
TO count votes 10 fourteen gentlemen, four of
whom were to complete the number by selecting
the fifteenth. and thus by lot or chance filing
that coy and bashful blank, as MIR. Benton would
have termed IL, on which the attention Of the
country is so generally fixed.
1t was proposed to give these fifteen gentlemen
or possibly the fifteenth gentleman, more power
over the electoral vote than congress possessed,
and be did not believe this could be done by a
simple enactment. Nothing less than constitu-
tional anne ndment could confer on fifteen me
such tremendous power over the electoral votes Of
the states.
He did not believe it 10 be warranted by the
constitution which he had sworn to support, and
though had did not pretend to be that was tcrm-
ed q constitutional lawyer, query senator Oh his
oath must vote on his own consc entious belief Of
what the constitution is, and wbst it allows.
He had dessed earnestly TO support this bill, if
he could do it consistently. The arguments ad-
duced in its favor had persuaded him of its un-
eonstitutionality, and he felt himself compelled to
record his vote against the measure.
In conclusion Mr.. Blaine begged the judiciary
committee, now the public mind was so strongly
directed to this question, to frame un amendment
to the constitution which would. if possible, avert
In future all danger OF renewal of those troubles.
and which are now causing in the public mind,
Mr. Blaine was followed by Howe of Wiscop-
sin, Eaton of Connecticut, Whyte of MARYLAND
Thurman of Ohio, Merrman of North Carolip a
and Burnside Of Rhode Island, who spoke for or
against the bill.
The senate at 10 this morning, then proceed
ed to vote and passed the bill reported by the
special committee in regard to counting the cleo
toral vote, without amendment. ..r
Various amendments were submitted, but all
voted down.
The vote on the passage was yeas A. nays IL.
Mr.. Eaton was the only democrat who voted
against it.
The vote in detail on the passage CT the COM
promise bill was Us follows: "a
Yeas-Messrs. Alcorn, Allison, Barnum, Bay