The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1877-02-23
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
A Peep at the Joint Convention to Count the
Electoral Vote. 80 49, .
EDIroH New NoErH-WEsr-

EDITOR New NORTH WEST -~e
s. ~ 4'-'--7 WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 1877.
The first half of the first year of the SCI
- and century of the Republic has ushered til
ship of state upon new and untried water
!. and now after after the great gale of NJ
Vember last has partially spent it's fore
and allowed us to get upon the keel, SO t
I speak, we can catch our breath and loo
around for the next squall. For the secon
q time we came too close to the rock of
!, contested Presidential election and now W
record the first scene of the lastact of th
v drama to change from the sea to the stage
/ The second Wednesday in February ha
has been heretofore the day set apart 70
COUNTING THE ELECTORAL VOTE
, But under the new law both Houses
Congress met in joint convention on thu
first Thursday. To prevent jam Of peo
pie in the wing Of the Capitol set apart fo1
the House Of Representatives, only those
having tickets of admission were allowed
: to enter the doors. An extra guard of one
hundred men were distributed in squads
by every entrance, and the g great un-
washed = for once had to stand back and
look at the outside of the building. The
hall OF the House was all fixed for the oc-
caslon, that it is was swept out and had a
row oflarge square green chairs put around
the inner semi-circle of seats in front of
the Speakers desk. Two extra reporters
l. -E.a Z =
tables were added and sixty-eight seats of
the members were vacated for the use of
the Senators. Although tickets were issued
the galleries began to be filed two hours
and half prior to the hour of assembling
fixed by the law. .sa...~ "a .g.ra-.1oGa
f. 5sTj1 PRELIMINARY NOTES. Ell ID
! In lieu of the free and easy freedmen
who usually fill large proportion of the
seats in the gentlemen's gallery, these four
hundred places presented the unusual sight
q fiuttering fans, bright shawls and white
shirt fronts. The rest of the galleries we're
also filed in the same way, SO that by noon
there was not place vacant in the whole
House. The floor below was quite
ascene itself The Southern members were
II good humor, gathered in groups chatting
and telling stories; John Young Brown,
Hunton, Harris, Goode and Williams.
made Cabcll, Of Virginia, laugh for at least
eght minutes. Tarbox was very busy in
tie outside row, probably writing his fare
we'll address to the present Congress, While
tie Republicans improved their minds by |
reading the newspapers. By the preced-
ing debates they had washed their hands of T
tip responsibility and in an hour or two the
ddy shirked by both Houses was to be
duly saddled upon the Commission and the
sirche of public opinion drawn tight. |
DEsULToRY PROCEEDINGS. a,..5
at the hour of noon the .gavel Of the
Speaker called the House to order and the
preacher read selections from the Episcopal
.sl4sn.oers stood up, ana David Dudley Field
game in and bowed his head reverently ON
his desk, DeBolt read the record and the
othsr seventy-three per cent. either sat up
rigH or shaded their eyes. After prayers
the had the journal read in full, resolu-
tioE, names of members in the numerous
rollcalls of the day before, which was a
de4ce of the minority to spend the hour in
doing nothing 80 as to prevent the majority
from passing a resolution declaring that
the vote Of Florida shall be counted for
Tilen and Hendricks. This made the
proceedings somewhat tedious during the
irsthalf hour. Then ensued a motion to
adjnrn by the Republicans upon which
thei designed calling the ayes and nays,
butafter a little skirmish it was decided to
tax, a recess until five minutes before one,
thehour for the assembling of -
=" THE JOINT CONVENTION. 80 !
" Tie hour soon came and with it the pro-
cesson Of Senators headed by the Secretary
beaing in either hand a mahogany box,
in which were the duplicate returns Of the
vote of the electoral colleges as delivered
by messengers and as received by mail.
Themembers were all seated, and, besides,
o,ha distinguished persons occupied seats
upon the floor. The venerable George
Bancroft, with snowy head and beard, /
Charles O'Conor, VIM. M. Eyarts, and
Others were attentive listeners. y If Mr..
Bancroft does not make haste he will leave
thisscene undescribed in his great history.
Then the tellers, two Democrats of the
House and two Republicans of the Senate,
opened the returns and read them as fol-
lows: First Alabama, Arkansas, Califor-
mia, C dorado, Connecticut, Delaware, and
then Florida. During the long readings
Justices Miller and Field played nervously
with their hats. David Dudley Field with
]. Randolph Tucker and g. A. jerks we're
fixing the Florida case for presentment.
D. D. Field had his points Of objection in
writing, while the others had before them
the evidence in the case in two large pack
ages Of manuscript, one large printed vol
urne Of say 7Oo pages, and a large roll of
papers, in all about forty pounds weight,
which appeared to tickle jerks very much,
as he laughed over them several times,
thinking whata job of reading they had
fixed upon tie Commission Sargent, Of f
California, consulted with Evarts, as he
prepared objections to the two extra sets of
returns from Florida. nanoroft, Hale, of
Maine, Clayton and Jere. Black showed
cayernous mouths as they yawned while an
unusual quiet prevailed in the great assem-
bly,. When the objections 10 Florida were
called for David D. Field arose and pre-
sented his tall, lank form high above his
desk. like alightning rod and sent his OBJ
iectiens to tho desk by q page: while Two
otherIpages presented the evidence at the
sight ofswhich Judge Miller put on his
sPectaeless examined the top Of EiRs hat
as atestsef theiF; being in good |
tasleE, Isapposes and then nnt them in his
pocket evidently ready for use, Sargent
.tileu Objected to the sspsptsoa of the. CON
testing certificate as not being duly verified |