National Republican., 1877-01-26

EhHt TT tHIs SOUOn thcfc chnnOt TOund Ten men,
pudated this assertion, particularly when II was
applied to tho Judges OF the Supreme Court OF
account Of old party associations but he rcpudi.
ated the idea that that bias would control their
action. The act we are about to do Will stand as
one Of the grandest in human history. The annals
OF American history are crowded with great and
act we shall stand without al RSv example and and with
out a rival, For Q thousand years our chIidrens
children Will read that, while In a struggle for
executive pewer, other republics have gone down;
that our slip Of state encountered tho storm but
that in the midst Of the storm and the conflict the
august and nwful hgure OF law rose over the
sllr'
Speech of Mr.. Hale.
Mr.. HALE, of Me-, referred to tho fact that Il
had been assorted that all commercial communl.
ties in the cities framed this bill. That may be
so, but he believed that he would be sustained by
the country in his opposition TO It. The bill as.
sumed that Congress had right TO control the
election Of President-an assumption that would
not be sustained by the people. There was not
word in the bill which recognized the nteg gritty Of
the Electoral college. On the contrary, II assals
the authority to throttle tho electoral system, as
was proposed In the act The composition OF tho
tribunal was an assault upon the Supreme Court,
for Il dragged them into the political arena.
| Apply the rule of common sense, and the fact
| tribunal was composed would settle tho PresI.
DENTAL question.
To DESTROY THE EFFECT.
Mr. H0AR here had read q telegrom from Bos.
Ton stating thnttho Massachusetts Legislature
had to-day lndOrsed the bill by vote Of lsD to II.
Speech of Mr.. Hewitt.
Mr.. HEWITT, of N. Y, said that he would
have preferred not to speak on this question, but
he was called upon TO do so because OF the pocu.
liar position he had occupied in tho late cam
After review of the late election Mr.. HEWITT
| said that after the votes had been cast measures
| were completed to count Tilden out and Hayes In,
and among them was one that the President OF
the Senate should count the vote. 1t was then
| PROPOSED President
should surrender hts high ONCE to Hayes and en-.
n Sy iho use Of the army which Os
not have been passive spectator of this pro-
He feared that the result would have been
civil war, the end Of which no man could foroseo
The objects Of the Democracy In the late election
he Ppsssency as to 20 riorm tSe SdmInIstraeiSn OF
the Government by which It's disgraceful per-
sonal sharscter Of past years should cease 70 ex.
quirements Of the Constitution. He was parti.
san, but he could also be patriot, and he would
| labor earnestly for the attainment of an object
to secure the election of the rightful President
| He was, therefore, for the bill, which was more n
not eoDsssred the question S WSetRer Tden or
| Hayes would be elected, but he wanted the right
man inaugurated.
| Speech of Mr.. Monroe.
| Mr.. MONROE, of Ohio, opposed the bill on tho
II deprived tho Vice President Of the performance
| ofa plain and specific duty. II annulled con.
| etNutional power OF the House; was violation OF
State rights, and dragged the Judiciary into
| politics.
| p m.
| Evening Session.
| The galleries were crowded when the House
| was called 10 order after the recess, but on the
floor there were but few members scattered here
and there, not numbering over thirty in ALL
Mr.. HOOPER, Of Miss, occupied tho Chair,
and recognized MIR. CALDWELL, OF Tenn, rs en-.
titled to the floor for the remaining fifteen min.
utes Of the hour belonging to Mr.. HEWITT.
Speech Of Mr.. Caldwell.
Mr.: CALDWE ELL argued that It was not ma.
tcrial who counted the votes, but tho grave
question was who should decide what votes were
be settled by Just such a tribunal as Congress
was, under the Constitution, authorized to create.
yoe mrht be S the VSs
President. Foreseeing tho impossibillty Of the
two Houses agreeing 70 count and the DANCE,
counts the vote, he favored the adoption, be.
fore danger was encountered, of providing q
only reasonable hope to his mind Of q means Of
| ayerting threatened difficulties. As a partisan
ho was willing to submit his case to the tribunal
Speech OF Mr.. Stevenson.
Mr.. STEVENSON, of Ill, had read the reso
p as c hs 1 aa
might be, to The bill lie hailed the MEASURE as .
|
plan could be devised more fair, moro just, than
the ONE Which had been Tss ~ tribunal
all over the country would acquiesce.
Speech of Mr.. CauIHold.
Mr.. CAULFIEI.D, Of ILL.,, said this was not a
partisan question: but legal one, He cared not
the late Struggle. He cared not who how was E declared
legally elected II 4 was done under the Constitu
ton and the law. He desired to address the House
as he would address the supreme Court, If he ap
that the President Of the senate could only pre-
two Houses, and would Il bc said that person
who might be deposed BY the Joint assembly had
CAREFUL study Of the Bill la siSd ' to and IND an objection
that was obnoxious to the Constitution, and h'
believed II the best that could be devised, Al
be willing to accept II as the law for all time
Speech OF Mr.. Springer.
Mr.. SPRINGER, of Ill, referred to the yer,
general prostration Of business interests OF the
ad tnS Of pfSSPPs pSsP wIs sG
as tho beginning of more prosperous days. Ht
tsS Houses myS tSSs
question by the two Houses to q tribunal for q
Rr,ns yaeie case to be made out, and on which
believed the tribunal was one that the people o.
the country would be willing TO trust their prop
submit their lives and propertyto 1t they would
be willing to submit the question Of the Presi
Mr.. WILLARD, Of Mich, said the history o.
large committees was that CONFLICTS would arise
and with every nation peril succeeded peril. The
American nation was no exception, and the pres
ent danger came like rising cloud over the po
lltical horizon. Patriotism and duty enjolnet
such action as would enable the country to meet
the storm and ride It out In safety. Heretofore
there had been no instance In which the closenes:
rens had been called TO preside over the Govern
ment; But in this case the election had scarcely
been held when question arose as to the result
In three Of the States Of the Union. The people
OF the country were not willing TO see any persoI
accept the position that he was not clearly en-
titled TO, or around whom there could be q shadow
OF doubt as to his right. Then came another dan
ger-that Of conflict between the contestinl
parties; and capital, always timid, shrank back
and the country suffered In all Its material inter
ests. Partisan utterances contributed to compll
cate the difncuties and make the danger Of strif
more imminent,
The bill seemed the only safe recourse
against unsafe eNpedents in the future, ever
could present dangers be ayerted. He could no
bring himself to believe that the Constitution
contemplated that the decision should be LEFT Il
a single Individual on the ono hand, or bare ma
jority OF one House on the other. The jurisdic
ton constitutionally resided In both Houses, act
Ing Independently. He advocated the propose,
tribunal as an aid to the two Houses In reaching
Just and righteous conclusion. While the bill
might be admitted as prompted by a pressing ne
eessity, he believed 1t q natural utYrOw tn OF tn
Constitution that would receive the approval 0
all the people OF the country.
Snaa,h nf Mr. A Harm gn,Ifh