The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-02-11
JOINT SESSION.
Text OF the Dccision Of the Comm's-
sion, ana he Obj eciion InterpOsea la
Joint session Ny the Democrats

MtOhs ana hbN'tPNN'N hhs
Joint session W the Democrats
The joint session of the House and
Senate convened at 1880 this morning,
when the president OF the Senate or
dered the following read:
Ell IcToRAL CoMMRsIoN,
W sHINeToH, \ bIuaiy ', 1877.
To the Presidenr Of the Senate OF the Untod
Ga es, presiding In meeting OF ihelwo
houses OF Congress, under an act OF Con
Rress entitled "An act TO provide for md
IeguI to the counting OF the votes Dr
President an Vice resident, and the do
cision of questions arising thu reon, for the
term commencing March 4, A. ID, 1871"
appro I'd January ~, A. ID MT
The Electoral Commission men
toned IN said act having received GEL
tain rtidcates and papers lurportinG
TO be q titicates aud papers accom-
panying the same, OF the electoral
vote of the State OF Fiorida, and OBJ
iections thereto, submitted TO 10 under
said act, now report: Ii has duly
considered the testimony, pursuant to
said act, and has decided and does
hereby decide the votes of Frederic @.
Humphreys, Charles II. Peace, William
II. Holden and Thomas w. Long,
named In the certificate OF w. L.
Stearns, governor Of said State, which
votes are certified by sale persons, as
appears by the certificate admitted to
the Com mission aforesaid, and marked
mo. ~ by said Commiasbn and here
with returned, are the vdes provided
for by the constitution Il the United
States, and that the ssmeare lawful to
be counted rs therein celtiied, nnme-
ly: four votes fo- II. b. Hayes, Of the
State OF Ohio, for president, and four
votes for William A. Wheeler, OF the
State of New York, for vice president.
The Commission also has decided and
hereby decides aud reports that the
four persons first before named were
duly appointed electors b. said State
of Florida.
The ground Of this decision, stated
briefly as required by the act, Is as fol-
lows: That il Is not competent under
the constitution and the law, as II ex.
listed at the date OF the passage OF said
acts, to go into evidence d'iuadij the
papers opened by the President OF the
Senate, with the presence OF the two
houses, to provide that other persons
than those regularly certified to 10y the
Governor Of the State OF Florida, In
and according to the determination
and declaration OF their appointment
by the Board Of State Canvassers oi
said State, prior to the time required
for the performance Of their duties
had been appointed electors, h. only
counter proof to show that they had,
aud that all proceedings of the courts
and the nets OF the Legislature or the
executive Of Florida subsequent to the
cast OF the votss OF the electors on the
prescribed day, are inadmissible for
any such purpose.
As to the objection made to the
eligibility Of Mr.. Humphreys,
the Commission Is OF the Opin.
ion that, without reference to
the question OF the effect OF the vote
Of sn ineligible electer, the evidence
does not show that he held the office
of shipping commissioner on the day
the electors were appointed.
The commission has also decided,
and does hereby decide and repor,
that, 10 consequence OF the forego'
ing, and upon the grounds stated,
neither of the papers purporting to be
certificates OF electoral votes OF said
State OF Florida, numbered two and
three by the Commission. and here
with submitted, are the certificates NJ
the United States, and they ought MOI
to be counted rs such.
Done at Washington, the day and
wear first above written
Signed: Samuel f. Miller, w. Strorg
Joseph Bradley. q. II. Elmunds. 0 p
Morton, Fred. Frelinghuysen, Jgmei
A. Garfield, Joseph Black. Copmls'
slops"'