Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-10-16
A resolution that the senate committee be re-
vised, was laid over till tomorrow, that vacancies
might be filed. -. "a -t.stf.a


A resolution that the senate committee be re-
vised, was laid over till tomorrow, that vacancies
might be filed. -fagt ltH
..a HOUSE. ll e .1tl 93f .
The opening Of the House was witnessed by
very large assembly. The galleries were crowd :
hours. d'D1
The previous clerk, Adams, called the house to
| order, read the Presidents message couyening
Congress, and proceeded to call the roll Of mem
bers by states, beginning with Name. AK.
When Louisiana was reached, the clerk made
the following statement:
! There were received from the state Of I.ouisi-
| ana three different sets of credentials; Que set
| signed by John McEBery as Governor, bearing
date the 18th of December, 1876, declaring certain
persons elected from the lst 4th aud 9th districts
but silent as to other districts. lnasmuch, howev-
er, as John McEnery was never de facto Governor
OF Louisiana, and never exercised or performed
the functions OF that office, it is not deemed neces-
| sary TO make here any statement concerning the
| regularity Of the credentials coming from that
| source. h3e 14'Ni
| Another set was signed by VIM. Pitt Kellogg,
as Governor of Louisiana, with the seal Of the
state attached all bearing different dates and all
| OF which reached the hands OF the clerk through
different channels. declaring the persons elected
| from each of the districts except the I'd, as to
| which district no certificate seems to have been
| issued by Gov. Kellogg to any one These Gre
| dentals signed by Gov. Kellogg, in no sense
IN compliance with the requirements Of the law of
Louisiana. They do not even purport to be cop
les of certificates, but are simply declarations of
| Gov. Kellogg that certain persons were elected.
| and no more constitute credentials within the
meaning Of the law of Louisiana than similar
statement from the treasurer or other state official
would do. They cannot, therefore, be registered
| by the clerk.
| The other set of credentials is signed by Gov.
| Nichols and Secretary of State Arroy, with the
seal of the State attached. They declare the per-
sons elected in each of the districts of Louisiana,
and conflict with the certificates signed by Gov.
Kellogg in reference to two districts only. These
credentials comply with the law of Louisiana in
| every respect, and the clerk has accordingly
placed on the roll the names OF the persons con-
tanned in them.
When Missouri was reached the clerk stated no
certificate was received from the Sd district.
As to the state of Florida, he had received the
certificate of Gov. Stearns TO the election OF VIM.
J. Pufman in the lst and Horatio Bsoee, jr., in
the "a district but he had subsequently received
| two certificates from Gov. Drew. One stated
| that the canvass which showed the election OF
Purman, had been by the supreme conrt Of Flo.i-
| da declared illegal, and further canvass had
| been made which showed the election of Robert
>. Nj. Davidson from the lst district. nder such
| circumstances the clerk had placed the name of
| Davidson on the roll. The other certificate of
| Gov. Dew declared as to the I'd district that by
counting the votes in certain precincts In Clay
| county, (Which the board of state canvassers re-
jeced and the supreme court said could not be to-
tally cOunted), j. j. Fnlay would be elected. The
clerk could see nothing in this to invalidate the
previous certificate in favor of Bisbee, and be had
therefore placed the name Of Bisbee on the roll
In regard to Colorado, the clerk said the certif
cate presented by Jas. Is. Bedford, showed that he
was elected the third OF October 1876, at a time
not authorized by the law of the United States, or
the State Of Colorado. While the papers present.
ed by his competitor Patterson, were merely Ger.
titled copies of the abstract OF votes in the several
counties, which votes had never been canvassed
by any board OF canvassers. The clerk had there
fore declined to place either name on the roll but
left the matter to the house, after its organisa-
ton, to determine.
called the question of the highest privilege Of the
right of member to his seat, and at the same mo-
ment Mr.. Wood of New York arose to what he
asserted to be the question of the highest privi-
Reorganization OF the house by the election OF
Speaker.
Alter some contest on the question of preceden-
cy, the clerk ruled that the representatives elect
could mol before the organization of the house,
| take out of his hands duty imposed upon him by
law, by directing him either to insert or omit
name, and that the motion of Mr.. Wood to pro-
coed to the election of Speaker must be put.
The clerk then announced that 2S7 members
| had answered to their names.
Mr.. Woods motion agreed to, l49 to l2S.
| and the clerk then stated that nominations for
| Speaker were in order. Na Ia W.
| Mr.. Clymer of Pa nominated Samuel j. Ran
dali Of Pa and Mr.. Hale of Me, nominated Jas.
| A. Garfield of Ohio
Messis. Clymer, Bennington and Foster were
| appointed as tellers.
| The result was announced by Mr.. Clymer as fol-
lows: For Samuel j. Randall, l49; for James A.
| Garfield, 1872.
| The clerk thereupon declared Mr.. Randall duly
| elected Speaker for the forty fifth Congress- and
deputed Messrs. Garfield and Goode to conduct
the Speaker to the chair and requested MIR. KEEL
ley, as the Oldest member in consecutive service,
| to administer the oath of office.
The Speaker on taking the chair said: Gentle
| men of the House of Representatives: Elevated
for the second time by your generosity to theAex-
| allied dignity of Speaker of this House, Il thank
you with grateful heart. shall endeavor With
| even temper, bnt with rigid frmness, to perform
the duties of the office, and to respond adequately
| to the confidence reposed in me, by conforming
my action to the already expressed will of the
| House.
The oath was then administered by Mr.. Kelley
OF Pa, and then administered by the Speaker to
members. Most of the members from the South
ern States took what is known as the ron-clad
| oath.
| Objection was made by Mr.. Cox to the swearing
in OF Cain and Ramey Of South Carolina, and Of
barrels of La. BY Mr.. Frye of Me. to swearing
| in Of Elan and Robertson of La, and by Mr..
| Springer of Ill., to the swearing in of Pacheco of
California, and those members were requested to
/ stand aside.
| The delegates from the territories were all
sworn in without objection.
Mr. Cymer then offered resolution electng as
clerk George NJ. Adams Of Ky; as Sergesnt-at-
Arms, John G. Thompson of o.; as Door keeps
John W. Polk of No.; as Postmaster, James Nj.
Stewart OF Va; as Chaplain, Rev. DR.. John Poi
| sill of Md.
Mr.. Hale offered an amendment substituting
| for these names those of jeremiah Nj. Rusk of
Wis.,, n. G. Ordway of N. Ii Horace ii. Harri-
son of Tenn, Henry Sherwood eff Mich, and Rev.
| j. G. Butler of Washing ton. Ho.'.
The amendment was rejected and the resolution
adopted without division. The oath of Office was
then administered to those officers. Messrs. Polk
and Stewar. taking the modified oath.
| Committees were then appointed to inform the
Senate of the organization of the House, and TO
inform the President that Congress ready to
| receive any communication he may desire to
make.
The drawing of seats was then fixed to take
| place at o'clock.
The house then at 3.l5 took recess till four
o'clock.
| After the selection of seats, House adjourned
at 5.3O questions as TO swearing in members OBJ
Jected to having been put off TIL tomorrow.
| STATE NEWS.