Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-02-24

| THO uouht w tuc cnu VI tIe TWO IOuVh utnhIc,
to vote OH tho main question, which was whether
tho votes should be counted IN conformity with
the decision and that nothing In the shape OF
delay, IN whatever form presented, could now
arrest the wheels Of its decision.
The debate closed after many exciting
speeches on both sides, and the House proceed
cd TO vote on the question. The amendment
offered by Mr. Hale was rejectcd--.ycas, p7 P;
nays, l67--and tho original resolution offered
by Mr.. Field was adopted by yeas, 1863 /; nays
100 party vote, except that Mr. WhitehouSe
OF New York, voted with the Republicans. 1t
was then ordered, on motion Of Mr.. Field, that
the clerk inform the Senate OF the action Of the
House, and also that the House is now ready TO
meet the Senate in the hall of the House.
Mr.. Seeley Qiep), OF Massachusetts,, from
amending the act authorizing the Seneca nation
OF Indians Of New York to lease lands within
the Cattaraugus and Allegheny reservations.
Passed
The House proceeded to the consideration OF
the report Of the committee on the election IN
Florida, declaring that the Tiden electors had
been elected in that State. Wilson QRep.), of
Iowa, said he did not want to be bothered with
any such funeral business. Hopkins Dem.)
OF Pennsylvania, in presenting the report, spoke
upon it, and Dunncll (Rep), OF Minnesota, who
made minority report, spoke in favor Of that.
He defended the action Of the Electoral COM
mission in refusing to receive the report Of the
majority az evidence in the Florida case. No
tribunal in the world, he said, wonld receive il
as evidence 1t was simply an investigation car
riod on by a partisan majority, handled for
purpose, and handled solely for the accomplish
ment OF that purpose.
Mr.. Purman (Repo. of Florida, rose to de-
bate the report Of the Florida committee. Up
to that time no interest whatever had been
taken in the debate, the other speakers having
principally addressed vacant benches. When
he began his speech. however, and il became
evident TINT he favored the resolution of the
majority, declaring the Tilden electors duly
elected, the Democratic members gathered
around him, and frequently interrupted his
speech by applause. He said il was, without
exception, the most peaceful election ever held
in the state; and not one case Of violence
or disturbance on election day has come to my
knowledge. 1t seemed the peculiar privilege
Of the Republicans to win under all these adj
vantageous circumstances but il is fact,
sir, which l cannot stand upon this floor and
deny. and every man, woman and child in my
State knows that Florida was lost by the Re-
publican party in the late election, and that
the Democratic governor and the Tilden
electors were truly elected. l make this
declaration now under the most solemn sense
OF public duty, and from an irresistible feeling
OF obligation to the people Of my State who
have right to expect that, however partisan
their representative may be in his political
faith, he should at least, OH questions of public
fact, be an honest man. From the face of all
|
for Tilden electors "a, 439, and for Hayes cleo
tors "a, 3l9 giving Tilden a majority of ninety.
He explained how the changes in the votes were
made.
| After further discussion the ma jority resou-
ton declaring the Tilden eectors.as duly elect
ed in Florida was then adopted-yeas, 142
nays 50 {; party vote, with the exception of
Mr.. Pnr1nan (Rep.), of Florida, who voted in
the affirmative.
THE JOINT CONVENTION
! Mr.. Adams, clerk of the House of Represent
tatives, appeared at the bar of the Senate, and
announced the decision Of tho House that the
counting of the vote of Florida shall not pro-
coed in conformity with the decision of the
Electoral commission, and also notified the
Senate that the House was now ready to meet
the Senate in joint meeting. The senators
then proceeded to the hall of the House. and
took their places. As soon as order was re-
stored, the presiding officer, Mr.. Ferry, arose
and said:
The joint meeting of Congress resumes its
session. The two houses separately have
considered and determined the objection sub
mitted by a member Of the House to the de-
cision of the commission on tho certificates
from the State Of Florida. The clerk of the
Senate will now read the decision of the Sen
ate
The decision of the Senate having been read
by its clerk, and that of the House by its clerk
the presiding officer said:
" The two houses not concurrng in ordering
otherwise the decision of the commission will
stand umeversed. The counting will now
proceed in conformity with the decision of the
commission. The tellers will announce the |
vote of Florida
Senator Allison, one of the tellcrs. there
upon announced that the State of Florida had |
given four votes for r. B. Hayes. of Ohio as
President, and four votes for William A.
Wheeler. of New York, as cc-president
The Vice-President then proceeded to open
the certificates and announce the votes. |
Georgia, eleven votes for ridden; Illinois, |
twenty-one votes for Hayes Indiana, fifteen |
votes for 1flden Iowa, eleven votes for Hayes;
Kansas, five votes for Hayes; and Kentucky, ,
twelve votes for Iilden.
Then came the certificate from the State of /
Louisiana, showing eight votes for Hayes and
Wheeler, the presiding officer announcing that
the certificate had been received by mail, and
that no corresponding one had been received |
by messenger. The messenger appointed for
that purpose was Thomas G. Anderson, of the
returning board. This was authenticated by
Kellogg as governor he being himself one of
the electers
The certificate having been read, the presid-
ing officer handed to the telers another certif-
cate from the same State, with n corresponding
one received by mail, showing eight votes for
Tilden and Hendricks. Thiswas authenticated
by hlcEnery as governor of the State. Still Il
third certificate was opened and read, CORE
spending onehaving been received by mail with
votes for Hayes and Wheeler, authenticated by
Deslonde, secretary of State
Another certificate burlesque, every name
in it being that of John Smith, was read, crea-
ting comment and indignation.
Senator Mcdonald Dem.) of Indiana, rose
and submitted an objection to the Hayes and
Wheeler certificates. The objection was based
on the ground that the Hayes electors had not
been duly elected, and that their election had
been certified by William p Kellogg, who
claimed to be, but in fact was not governor of
the State of louisiana that the returning
board of said State was without jurisdiction,
for the reason that the laws of Louisiana con-
ferred no power on said board to canvass or
compile the votes for eectors that the said
board constituted but four Of the five persons
required by law; that those four were of the
same political party, and that there was
cancy i'll said board which the four members
had refused to fill that the four members of
the returning board had full knowledge that
true compilation of the votes would have
shown that the Tiden electors had been duly
elected: that said board had offered for money
to sell the vote of louisiana and that A. Il.
Levi,ee and O. II. Brewster of the Republican
electors Ii d held Offices of trust under the
government Of the United States at the time
of their appointment as electors.
The objection is signed by Senators Melon
aid Ind. }, Stevenson (ky.). salisbury (Del,,),
aud Bogy CMo), and Representatives Jerks
Pa.), Gibson Q.a.), Tucker (va.), Levy I.a.),
Ellis U.a.) and Morrison Oll.)
Mr. Gibson dem Of Louisiana, also sen;
up objections to the Hayes and Wheeler certiti-
Gates because: First, the government OF
Louisiana was not republican in form; second.
no canvass was made on which the certificates
of election were issued; third any alleged
canvass of the votes was an act of usllrpation.
fraudulent and void fourth some of the cleo
tors We're ineligible by the laws of Louisiana.
and were disqualified from being electors as
holding State Offices, Kellogg being acting de
.fdcto governor; Jeffrion. supervisor of regis
tration for the parish of Point Coupee 1; Marks,
district attorney: and Burch, n member of the
State Senate; a member of the board of con- |
troll of the State penitentiary an administrator
of the deaf and dumb asylum and treasurer of '
the school board of East Baton Rouge; fifth {
because Jeffrion was specially disqualified by {
the thirteenth section Of the act of the Iegisla-
ture, passed July "a, 1874. which provides that :
no supervisor Of registration shall be eligible
to any Office at that election and because JEFF
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