The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-03-09
Forty Fifth COngress-Extra Session.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, March 8.
Mr.. Edmunds was appointed a director on
the part of the Senate of Columbia Institute
for deaf and dumb under the act of July q,
1863.
The Senate resumed the consideration of the
unfinished business, being the resolution of Mr..
senator-elect from the state of Alabama, be
taken from the table and that he be sworn.
Mr.. Spencer moved to amend the resolution
so as to refer the credentials of Morgan to the
committee on privileges and elections and sup
ported the motion by speech.
Mr.. Morton said he would not vote to refer
the credentials of Morgan because he was en-
titled to be sworn in on his credentials. He
believed he had a pri'na fdcie case equal to that
OF Pinch6ack or Kellogg, not whit better.
calling attention to the late election in Ala
bama. The report of the subcommittee of the
committee on privileges and elections submit
ted to the Senate few days ago by the sena-
tor from Wisconsin (Cameron) showed the
election in Alabama in August last was fraud
ulent. lie argued that if the election in Ala
bama had been fair there would have been
Republican majority in the state, both houses
of the Legislature would have been Republican
and the result would have been quite different.
Thousands of Republicans in the state were
prevented from voting and the Republican
party lost at least 10000 votes on account of
the Democrats refusing to open the polls in
some OF the precincts. Some $4,000 to 10000
votes given for the Republicans had been
counted for the Democrats. While he called
attention to the frauds in Alabama he could
not satisfy his own record by voting to refer
the credentials. he believed Morgan should
take bis seat and if any investigation should be
made it must take place afterwards. He
Democratic friends thought differently.
Mr.. Blaine explained his remarks Of yester-
day in regard to the Senator from Delaware
(Bayard) having in nearly every instance voted
against majority of the judges and said that
the record showed that he was correct. In the
same connection he quoted from the remarks
of Mr.. Key while in the Senate dominated
yesterday for Postmaster General) in regard to
the case of the Oregon election, to the effect
that he regarded tae action of :he Governor of
oregon as wrong, but it was not more repre-.
hensible than the action of the Returning
Boards of Louisiana and Florida. Resuming
his remarks Mr.. Blaine said: Mr.. Key then
went on to say that he supported Tilden and
Hendricks and believed them to have been hon
estly elected. (SeDsati0n.)
The amendment of Mr.. Spencer to refer the
credentials of Morgan to the Committee on
Privileges and Elections was unanimously re-
jected without division.
The original resolution that Morgan be sworn
was unanimously agreed to without division.
He was then escorted to the desk of the pre-
siding officer by Mr.. Gordon and the oath ad-
ministered by Vice President Wheeler
Mr.. Sargent moved the Senate go into exec
utlVo SesSlon, Out at the request OF Mr.. Wal.
lace he withdrew the motion and Wallace
moved that the credentials of L. f. Grover,
Senator from Oregon, be taken from the table
and he be sworn.
Mr.. Sargent submitted the following as a
substitute:
Whereas under the constitution and laws and
practice of the Senate, Lafayette Grover claim
ing to be the Senator from Oregon, his creden-
tials being regular and in due form and there
being no contestant for his seat, is entitled to
admission to seat in this body on the prma
iacie case presented by such credentials not
outstanding the objections in the petition of
the citizens of the state of Oregon against bis
admission; therefore,
Resolved, That the credentials of Lafayette
Grover be taken from the table and the oath of
office be now administered to him.
Resolved, That the petition of the citizens of
oregon containing charges against Lafayette
Grover be laid on the table till the Committee
on Privileges and Elections is organized, when
they shall be referred to such committee togetb-
er with the credentials with instructions to in
vestigate such charges and report as to their
truth or falsity.
Mr. Wallace accepted the substitute
Mr.. Conkling moved to amend by inserting
in the preamble after the words ono contestant
for the seat" as follows: "And there being in
the state but one body claiming to be the legis-
lature aud but one person claiming to be Gov |
ernor and there beng no doubt or dispute as to
the existance and legal rghtful state govern
ment.''
The amendment was accepted by Mr. Sar-
gent. |
Mr.. C0nkling said that he had heard it af-
hrmed that the same reason which entitled Mr..