Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-02-23
The Electoral COMMUNICATIONS Iana
Counted for Hayes.

When we went 10 press last week, the
Commission was engaged in the considers-
ton OF the Louisiana case. The arguments
Of counsel on both sides having been heard
on Wednesday and Thursday, the Com
missoners went into secret session for
consultation on Friday at 10 o'clock, and
made long days work Of il, not adjourn.
ing ill o'clock in the evening. They
made final disposition Of the Louisiana
case, first deciding against the Democratic
claim OF receiving evidence, and then de-
Gliding to count the electoral vote Of the
State for Hayes aud Wheeler In the open
sessions on the preceding days, Judge
Trumbull, Matt Carpenter and Ex-Judge
Campbell made the arguments for the
Democratic side before the Commission,
and Messrs. Shellabargcr, Stoughton and
Evarts represented the Republicans.
The first order submitted in the Com
mission Friday, while the question of the
admissbility of evidence was being con-
sldered, was by Representative IIoar of
Massachusetts, as follows: "Ordered, that
the evidence be not received" Represen-
tative Abbott of Massachusetts offered as a
ShbohAhANf iSSOlNtu, ludl tNlutEft ne
received to show that 50 much Of the act of
Louisiana establishing the returning board
for that State is unconstitutional aud the
acts of said returning board are void"
This was rejected-yeas, Messrs. Abbott,
Bayard, Clifford. Field, Hunton, Payne
and Thurman, I nays, Messrs. Bradley,
Edmunds, Frelinghuysen, Garfield, Hoar,
Miller, Morton and Strong, s. Mr.. Abbott
then offered four more substitutes, one that
evidence would he received regarding the
Illegally of the returning board, another
in regard TO frauds, the third concerning
the returning boards jurisdiction over the
electoral votes, and the fourth in regard TO
false and fraudulent alfidavils concerning
intimidation and fraud. These were all
rejected by party vote, The seven Demo-
Gratis voting for them and the eight Re-
publicans against them. Other efforts of a
similar character were made by the Demo-
Gratis 10 carry their point, but without avail,
and the final result was that Mr.. Hoar's
order that evidence be not received was
adopted by strict party vote of to-.
The doors were then opened and the
counsel given a chance to make further ar
guments, but it appearing that they had
nothing further TO offer, the doors were
again closed and Senator Morton offered a
resolution that the persons named as cleo
tors in certificate No. /, the regular
certificate Of the returning board, were the
lawful electors of the State of Louisiana,
and that their votes are the votes provided
by the Constitution of the United States,
and should be counted for President and
Vice President. This resolution was also
adopted by vote of s TO Z, and Justices
Miller and Bradley and Representative
Hoar were then appointed committee to
draft report of the decision, with brief
statement Of the reasons thereof, to be sign
ed by the members agreeing therein, aud
to be transmitted to the joint session of the
two houses, as required by the electoral
act.
On Saturday both houses of Congress
were notified by Judge Clifford of the de-
clsion of the Commission in the Louisiana
case, and, after a somewhat savage attack
on the Commission, and against Judge
Bradley in particular, by Mr.. Bogy of Mis-
souri,, il was voted by the Senate 10 inform