New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-09
THE NEW CONGRESS.
HOW FIVE HAS BEEN MADE TWELVE.


TIE ROLL OF THE NEXT HOUSE OF REPRESENTA-
rIyEs AS MANIPULATED BY TIE INGENIOUS
CLERK.
WASHINGTON, April s-The extraordinary secrecy
respectng the roll of the next House of Representa-
tives cannot longer be maintained. The Clerk OF
the House is required to prepare payroll of those
persons whose credentials in due form Of law have
been duly filed" with him. and their monthly pay IS
forwarded accordingly. This payroll was made on
the Sd of this month, and its mode Of preparation
settles the action of the Clerk to certain contested
seats at the opening of Congress.
On full House. if all were seated who were en-
titled p,imd Jacie to be certified and seated, the
parties would stand Republicans, IA; DEMOCRATS,
49, or Democratic majority of 8. But the Re
publicans, up to this time, lose one in Missouri,
where in the Hid District, mutiation OF return
while in the Clerks office in ST. Louis was made IN
order to defeat Metcalfe. who was elected on the
face of the returns, and to elect Frost, Democrat.
The is now in the courts The Republicans also
lose another in the WITH District of California, where
Pacheco Republican, had the face of the returns
majority of ono vote; but Wigginton Democrat,
instituted proceedings which have delayed the
declaration of result In one or both these
cases certificates may be issued before the time
of meeting In neither case is there any prob
ability that the Democratic claimant will secure 1t.
These losses make the Democratic majority seven AS
to the three disputed States" the facts stand: In
South Carolina the five members elect are enrolled
three Republicans and two Democrats In Louis
Iana the Clerk has placed upon the payroll Mcssrs
Ellis aud Gibson, Democrats, and Darrall and
Leonard Republicans they having certificates OF
election from both Nichols and Packard. No names
are enrolled for the WITH and With Districts, where
Nichols and Packard certified the election of differ
,,.1D ,1..
son elected tie latter declaring Smith and Nash.
This non-enrollment costs the Republicans two more
In Florida, where Stearnsi declared Pur-
man in Ist District and Bisbee in lid
elected, both Republicans and Drew declared
Davidson in Ist and it is believed Finley in Id both
Democrats. the Clerk has enrolled Davidson in the
lst and left the Id District blank. In this case
the rule of the Clerk, applied in Louisiana, of ac-
cepting name when certified by both Governors
and rejecting q when the certificates conflict,
appears TO be changed. For although the two Gov
errors differed as to both districts the Clerk of the
House decides between them to one district and
declines TO do so rs to the other In the first count
Of the Returning Board IN Florida, Purman was de-
clared elected in the Ist District by 29i majority,
and Bsbee in the Hid by 142. In the next count,
then claimed by the Democrats as the true count III
accordance with the opinion of the Supreme Court,
District and Bisbee. Republican, Is in the Id
The significant thing about this dscrlmlna-
ton between certificates is that the Clerk has
apparently Disseminated in favor of the Democrat
who is alleged to have been counted ont by the
Returning Board, and against the Republican who
still remained elected notwithstanding the correc-
tons ordered by the court Both Purman aud Blsbee
were declared elected by the Returning Board, and
were commissioned by the then Governor III pIrsl-
anc of the law Of the state. These changes cost tine
Rcpuhl;cans thrce-two by substituting a Democrat
fora Republican in the Isl District, and one by ig-
uoring The election of Republican in the lid Dis
tri,tmaking loss Of five in the two States OF Lou-
i,iaua and Florida, and bringing the Democratic
minority mp to -. IT. before the meeting OF Con-
crcss the Clerk should find in changed condition
Of things in Louisiana ground for accepting the
Nichols certificates ~ TO the VITA and With Dis
tricts. the Democratic majority on his roll can be i'll
creased 10 II.
But the most extraordinary thing done by the
Clerk il his action as to Colorado. At the election in
October last the people voted under district proc
| lamation for Representative for the uneXpired
term of the XIIVth Congress and the full term OF
! III, XIVth Congress, with this result:
| yyyI1b (ORgYrSs. HLIlH COndTeSs