The daily gazette., 1877-10-15

WASHINGTON.
THE S STRUGGLE OVER CONTEST
EDI6TATES IN.THESENATE
isd land HOUSE. -,t-..
WASHINGTON, Oct. IA.


ThE CONTESTED SEATS IN TIE sENAiE
AND HoUsE-REsPEcT1VE STRENGTH
OF THETwo ARTaRs. @C@
The first question to come uptin the
meeting to-morfeMiwill be the sdmis-
sion of Senators. Two Louisiana. de.
lmocrats- -Messrs. Eustis and and Spot
ford-claim seats. .Eustis, ,as against
Pinchback, and Spofford against Kel-
logg. From South CarolinaS Mr.. Buts
Ter claims his seat, bsineO opposed BY
Mr.. 0orhin.A The Senstetwills be, very
nearly tied y in; y meeting 1t stands,
when fully thirty-nina republicans to
thirty-three democrats, with ,seastor-
Davis, Of Illinois, regarded as an in!
depeL dent.- But the seats of Senators
Morton, Jones, of Nevada, Sharon and
Spencerw will be empty. This will leave
the sots thirty y-iverepuhlicans, thirty
three, democrats and Judg Q Davis. 1t
Is believed that the latter will vote to
admit Messrs, Sp6fford, Eustis and
Butler 1.-The does, and IL all the re-
pubiicans vote solid, the vote will
stand Thirty -four for the admission Of
the three democratic Senators aud
thirty-five agaiDst. But there Is some
reason 70 believe ~thatias to cthe two
Louieiana democrats at least several
|republicans1MiH vote for admission.
Some persons pretended that Senator
/ |CCnover, of Florida, will pUte with the
democrats on all three Of these contes-
ted. cases, = II he. does the Senate will
be lie, and the Vice President would
have to make the decision. He would
probably yote with his party, SO far, at
least as to keep out the democrats. -.
Il would not be surprising. however,
IL the great battle between administers
'tton and Observation-Disclosures republicans
should begin over these contested seats,
Not that the administration is supposed
to desire the admission of either demo-
Gratis or republicans, but because the
ghost of the Southern question stalks
forth into broad daylight when these
cases come up, and because some OF, the
ti-administration leaders may believe
that they can affect the November elec>
tions in New York, Pennsylvania and
New Jersey by lively discussion in the
Senate, in which case they willnaturally
be in haste to begin. The leading re>
pu bllcan Senators are very close mouths
as to their plsns, and keep themselves
as much as possible out of the public
sight, and, whatever their projects may
be, nothing is certainly known 80 far.
Senator Spencer arrived this evening,
which gives the republicans thirty-six,
A meeting of the democratic Senators
was held yesterday for the purpose of
hearing Mr.. Spoford's statements of his
claim to toimmediate recognition as SenaS
tor from Louisiana There were present
Senators Bayard. Barngm, Randolph,
Mcpherson, Wallace, Ransom, Davis, Of
West Virginia; Mcdonald, Hill and sew
eral others. Mr.. Spofford brought his
credentials, showing D prima facie ciaiui
to the seat, both upon the certificate Of
Governor Nichols, the GoyerRor recog-
aized by the President, and upon the
strength of the returns, made to the Sec-'
retary of State As-to the eligibility Of
the members Of the Legislature (which
choseNMr. Spoford. The Senators pres
ent agreed that Mr.. Spofold was entitled
iogg' 8 Credentials now before the Cons
mittee on Privileges and Elections.
L If, however, the Presidents friends
should not insist on q reference. j Itlis
likely that the democrats will oppose
and press the Question Of his admission
to a vote, and in that case there'w be a
prolonged debate. It is reported that
Senator'S ConeveF and PATTERSON will vote
for the admission of all three of the demo-
cratic Senator'S ~ is believed that
Senators Mathews, Booth and Chris
| tiancy mag also vote as supporters of the
Southern policy to admit them. If this
shall turn out to be, the case there wi !
be no reference. '' ID.