The Osceola times., 1877-03-03
CONGRESSIONAL.
HOUSE.

mittee of the whole, Mr.. Cox IN the chair
on the private calendar The committee
rose and passed the bill supplementary to
the act entitled an act to carry into effect
the convention between the United States
and China, concluded at Shanghi, and TO give
the court of claims jurisdiction in certain
cases. II allows certain American insurance
companies to go before the court Of claims 70
make their case against the China indemni
ty fund. Recess until tomorrow.
In the house on the 18th, the speaker
laid before the house q communities
ton from Judge Clifford, president of the
electoral commission, informing the house
that the commission had arrived at decision
in The Louisiana case, and transmitted their
decision to the president of the senate, Ia
be opened and read in the presence of the
two houses. Mr.. Lamar offered resolution
directing the clerk Of the houee to inform
the senate II would he ready TO receive that
body a, II o'clock Monday next. for the par.
pose of proceeding with counting of the
electoral votes. The resolution was adopted
yeas, l5?, nays, Ill. Among the nays were
the following democrats Anderson, Goodin,
Heyward, Potters, Southard, TarboN, Wall.
ing, Wells, of Missouri, Whitehonse and
Whiting. Mr.. Lamar moved that the house
take recess till Monday at 10 o'clock. Mr..
Lamar's motion was agreed to. Yeas, i49;
nays, i07, and the house took recess.
In the house on the 10th, at 10 o'clock
the house met and took recess till 1850,
the time being occupied in preparing for the
reception Of the senate. The galleries were
crowded, as usual on days when the count
is to proceed. Pl Plesisely at IL o'clock the
senate arrived. The presiding officer said
The joint meeting of congress resumes its
session. The objections presented to the
certificates from the state of Louisiana bay.
ing been submitted to the commission, the
two houses have reconvehed 10 receive and
consider the decision of that tribunal in
writing by majority Of the commissioners.
and signed by majority of the commission.
ers agreeing thereto. 1t In language the same
as the decision given in the case of Florida,
| with the difference that where the latter re.
cites "the commission has decided the
words of the present decision are, "the com.
mission has by majority of votes decided" /"
The official communication continues: "The
brief ground Of this decision is that il ap.
pears upon such evidence as by the consti.
tuition and law named In said act of congress
and the electoral law is component and per.
tinent TO the consideration of the subject
that the aforementioned electors ap.
pear to have been lawfully appointed such
electors of president and vice president of
the United States for the term beginning
November 4, 1877, of the state of Louisiana,
and that they voted as such at the time and
in the manner provided for by the eonstitu.
ton of the United States and the law. and
the commission has by n majority of votes
decidedthatit is not COM mpetent under the con.
stitution and law as il existed at the date OF
the passage of said act TO go into evidence
alirnde of the papers opened by the presi-
dent of the senate in the presence of the
two houses to prove that other persons than
those regularly certified to by the gov.
ernor Of the state, or and according to the
determination of their appointment by the
returning officers for elections in said state
prior to the lime required for the perform.
ance of their duties had been appointed
electors, or by counter proof to show that
they hsd not, that the determination Of said
returning officers was not in accordance with
truth and fact. The commission, by a ma
is not within the jurisdiction Of the houses
Of congress assembled to count the vstes for
president and vice.president, to enter upon
the trial of such question. The commits
sion, by majority of votes, is also of opin-
ion that il is not competent 10 prove that any
such persons appointed as aforsaid, held an
Office Of trust or profit under the United
States at the time when they were appointed,
or that they were ineligible unuer The laws
OF the state, or any other matter offered to
be proved aliunder by said certificates and
papers. The commission is also OF the opin-
ion, by q majority of votes, that the return
ing officers Of the election, who canvassed
the votes of the election for electors in Louis
lana were a lawfully constituted body by
virtue of constitutional law, and that the va
cancy in said body did not vitiate its pro-
ceedings. The commission has also decided
and does hereby decide by a majority of
votes and report as a consequence of the
foregoing and upon the ground before stated
that the paper purporting to be the certif-
cate OF the electoral votes OF said state of
Louisiana, objected to by T o Howe and
others, marked N. c. No. by the commits.
sion and herewith returned, is not the eer-
ti6cate Of votes provided for bv the con.
sttutiou of the United States, and that they
ought not to be counted as such. The sig
II
Joseph P Bradley, George F Edmonds, o p
Morton, Fred L Frelinghuysep, James A
Garfield, George F Hoar. The decision hav.
ing been read, the presiding officer asked
whether there were any objections to
the decision on the ground that
the commission had refused to receive the
evidence which had been offered and had
decided that the votes mentioned in certif.
Gates one and three should be counted for
Hayes and Wheeler, such evidence to the
contrary, NJ twithstanding. The papers re-
cites, at great length, the proceedings OF the
commission, but the point OF 1t il the rejec
ton Of the evidence. II is signed by most
Of the democrats of both houses. The read.
ing of the paper occupied just an hour. II
was the driest OF legal documents repetiii
tions Of various forms in which evidence had
been offered to and refused by the commits
sion. No one, after the frN five minutes,
made the slightest pretence Of listening to or
attempting to understand il. The hum of
conversation prevailed on the floor and in
the crowded galleries to such an extent that
the presiding officer several times appealed
for order and silence. Finally, when the
reading was ended, opportunity was given
members who had not yet signed the paper
10 step to the clerks desk and sffix their
names. This used up more time and added
to the uproar. The senate having withdrawn
Mr.. Wood made motion, but the speaker
interfered, the new legislative day beginning
after prayer and reading Of the journal of
Saturday. Mr.. Wood then moved
that the house take recess till
10 am. to-morrew. Before putting the ques-
tion the speaker desired to present some en-
rolled bills, but Mr.. Conger objected. The
yeas and nays we're called on Mr.. Woods
motion and 1t WAS agreed ,o--yeas, lao; nays,
100. The following democrats voted in the