The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-27
THE DEB.fTE
Members or the House OF Representatives
Gcneral,N ENpresslmg their XIeM..

WASHINGTON, Jan 2G-The House was
called to order at 10 A. NJ. and was addressed
ly Mr.. Hooker (Dcm.. Mass.l. who argued
against the power of the President of the SEN
ntc to count the electoral votes. The present
hill did not. n the gentleman from Ohio tMr.
Garflcld) had said. destroy the Electoral Col
lego; on the contrary. it provided that the de-
cision OF the commission might bc reviewed by
either House. There was no surrender of the
powers Of either House.
Mr.. Hartridge Dcm. Ga.l said that he had
stornly investigated his own mind before com
ing to a conclusion on the subject. and he WIS
conscientious when hc declared that he believed
the bill was perfectly constitutional and safe.
and hc thought was fair to both parties. The
proposition that the Nicc-Prcsidcnt could count
the votes was utterly absurd but the doctrine
held by many Of his own party that the House
could east out the vote of any State WIS opposed
10y the strictcst construtionists of the Constitu-
ton. who held to the doctrine SGT forth 10y the
bill that II required "a concurrent proceeding to
reject a vote. In closing. he said | stand
almost directly under the coat of arms of nay
stat. cnihlaaGuDd ON tho roof of The Capitol
There IL the arch uf the Constitution. sup
ported boy three pillars in which arr the words:
WI isdoin. justice nodrration. II thur" three
words could hr the tai~man- la control our ar-
tiou-. wisdom in the concert of measures. JUS
tlrc IN executing them. moderation in The cNcr-
rl-f al power. We Will do surn ala at ana So
conduct ours Ives that We Will hand down and
perpetual. the errat prin'irlc OF constitutional
MIR. Tclton lDcm. Ga followed in favor Of
- Mr. Mills Dem, Texas opposed The lin The
carry on the country Tor hundred years. and
they were still sufficient. There were sOmc
good things in the bin; AMONG them that il
silcnccd the pretcncc that the Nicc-President Of
the Senate had the power tg count the vote and
established the principle that no vote could be
counted until ii received the concurrence of
both Houses; hut he claimed that each House
had Il right 10 exclude the vote Of a STATE with
out roncurrcnt acton. He also opposed the bill
because il provided Tor IN unholy alliance be-
tween the legislative and Judicial departments
OF tho Government. AMI that alliance whenever
II took place WAS the absolute prostraticn of all
evil ill.,, rty Those departments must retain
their indcI ndcncc OF each other or clNil liberty
Mr. Lamar Dem. Miss. argued in favor of
The cnnsttutionality of the bill. and coutcndcd
that It was not IT. egn,r of legislative authority.
genius NJ the Constitution. II ii did not pgss.
the next President would have to be inaul,uratcd
hy a method Which WAS exclusively advocated
and pressed hy one party alone and with
view to "a single ohleHt-a method advocated 10y
on'-hnli of the country against the wish Of the
other hali-anu thr result would be looked upon
H. tho result of fraud and force. There would
hay. 10 bee either submission or res distance Ia it
ly the people. There was no uso in tryin.. To-
dr-Ii~cd ih, rlDnu"c % civil war WIS % man
tors in all Euyrrumrnts that was tn" content.
tie SAil~ih't 20. the rgiuSr OF the so'lctS for
which lac had i.s- -la'rd. and he hnd 90, 30 learn
the very iir-t lesson ia the elementary book OF
practical legislation.
At this point tAc O.islatiVc session of ycstor-
day closed with "a formal adjournment and i'm
mrdiatrly theroupon the House was called to
order. and to-day : Legislative session was
opened wlth lrayor 10y the chapiain
Mr.. Lamar then resumed the floor. md said
that th' Till clminuicd the sword from tn" con-
troycrsy and sent II To tribunal whose charar-
ter guaranteed Justice. right. and truth in its
IL
atmosphere of constitutional right and justice.
aud gaNc PROMISE oi an era Of justice, equality.
ana right III the settlement ut all public qucs-
Mr. Bnkor E.p Ind.l could not see tho no.
Constitution and foreign To- the Institutions Of
the Gnyrrnmcnt. Neither did he think it was
constitutional ior Congress to delegate its
Nj Waiter n Dem. KY said That it might
not h, tru" ihat the country stood on the brink
ni ciVil war. but II was true that gray" danger
threatened every public interest. lie wished To-
inycigh against no man or party hut that a well
organized cons prney to place in tn" prcsdcn-
t.al office "A man who had not been clected rX-
i-to,l ho most run-crntluus!y believed. Ii Tia"
tNo House, iiilrl To- nA,r.e ON some ulnu 10 tide
oyer the grt'nt emergency IN" country would
sec Srnata declare Hayes elected. and II would
Soc the rr -idrut of the United States. sup
b6m in % ar"yr o rhs 4Ma IHfSg HSsp pf'r w@n 5Gn i,
G,roc""d To- rlc,t President and then
era civil war. hui in either event there would
u. conmoiiou and discomfort. II the decision
Of the Scnat wt- peacefully aIuiosrrd IN he
year. honro there would lca change oi parties
by sNoh overwhelming mHlorlticS n would l"Hyr
no room Tor fraud or conspiracy. Four years
Of plotting and planning would leave the kr-
pi'li zen party better organized and more prrJu-
diced and the South d"-pairing, d-organizrd
amt d"mprulilri. IT. would adopt and accept
the views of the f riher- Of the joint Commits
sion without r.~. .nHiiln. He would support
them, coil, 'iuil- iNut th" nction Of the commits
sion might ir.n- lrer disappointment 70 him,
but u II did be- would be- satisfied that he had
dom hi- duty III striving 70 prrscrVc the peace
Mr.. iIurbqn Rep, Ill., opposed the bill on
con-i4tuilruh grounds.
Mr. HI - 'm., Ga supported the bill first.
hc'Hu-", IN hi- Judgment. it was con-ttu-
tlOnHl. in character wholly 50. second. be-
cau-r IN hi Judgment II was wise in it,
cN"rS provision remarkably 50; ana third De-
nenlly 50. H. rroli''tod that thc decision Of tho
suHnittrI 10 il would bc Unanimous. and that
lt- decisions would b. received 10y both Houses
Of Congress, and would give peace to the coun-
try and -atl7h ti9n t. the people. He thrre-
fore gave iu the bill not his constrained support
bnt M hearty ana warm approval. Speaking
OF the south he said:
Iha,c been Witnc,- OF the sorrow. of that people
ami wiliius 'har Of nl th'ir -uicrings May there
uon of ii nou-c and The counlr, 10 the spirit which
mir ma ON & ts, ana.r % s sS' 'S.y ar.a5es iea
u,rr ~ .,ho.i u,ir gn,h/aunn u,ir humanity rom
vn- uu-ti-n,i,r,. NJ thc iurthcr answer h. iouui
Have '' hiiid.df dnrinn h' ME y XIV Sar' GaI
There 4 ,,ni,ch q, /. ,, man IN ihai country %lo
AMI whs doo, sh.lc thSi ali That ihcy have remain
s Of Prgfg Il rie Of 'ufg ; asPIpa' s v qpGn I'm il
tr"sersA ,al 1t win pride amt pl. sun, The south pa,
i,icuann. d" kindness. and Of iSirnrss win the
ch1ms ~ il' u-uiIer SUI on her limb. WIN the
golfers, vitn uc army. ol the Tinted stai', now
for s'IS' e Iroed @aG 'o9'6n her I91 4S 1'"' l i
a ssgta "tr g. ,, Yhg ha,e nrsn her de,p9I,!'
.n, one N"' r lh'i Au'e =, f.tt lracr clNl war re-