The Portland daily press., 1877-02-02
The Electoral Count.
The Work of President
Making Begun.
Certificates Opened in Joint Conven-
ton,
The First Fight Over
Florida.
The Commission at Work On that
State.
Proceedings i'm Joint Convention.

House were crowded, more than half of the
occupants being ladies. A large number of
distinguished persons were on the floor of the
House. AS the hour of one approached the
Speaker exerted himself to enforce order.
judges Miller and Field of the Supreme
Court were the first of the judges who present
ed themselves. They entered without formali-
ty and took seats in the area to the left of the
main aisle.
At two minutes past one the Speaker an
nounced the arrival of the Senate. The Presi-
dent of the Senate took the chair, having the
Speaker on his right and then when the sena-
tors and members were all seated, the Presi-
dent of the Senate rose and said: SIN obedience
to the Constitution the Senate and House of
Representatives have met to be present at the
opening of the certificates and the counting
and declaring of the result of the electoral
votes for the offices of President and Vice
President Of the United States for the term of
four years, commencing on the 4th day of
March next. In compliance with the law the
| President of the Senate will now proceed in
the presence of the two House to open all of
| alphabetical order, beginning with Alabama"
The President of the Senate opened the box
and taking from it the certificates from the
| state of Alabama handed it to the telers, who
| were seated just below him at the clerks desk
| and Senator Allson,ion Of the teers, proceed
| ed to read the document in extenso the result
| of it all being that Samuel j. Tilden and
| Thomas A. Hendricks had received the ten
electoral votes of Alabama. 1t was decided to
| omit the reading in extenso of the duplicate
| certificates. The presiding officer said: Are
there any objections to the certificate from the
state Of Alabama? latter pause.) The
chair hears none The result was announced
by Mr.. Cook of Georgia. The same ceremony
| was observed in reference to the next state,
| Arkansas, and the result announced that the
| six votes of that state were given for Tilden
l and Hendricks.
The next state was California and the result
Il -aI ,.xr e. TT
Wheeler. Then followed Colorado with three
votes for Hayes and Wheeler, Connecticut
with six votes for Tilden and Hendricks.
Then Florida was reached, and Mr.. Stone,
the teller, proceeded to read the certificates
| which showed the four votes for Florida for
Hayes and Wheeler. Then the presiding Off FL
| Ger handed the teller another certificate receiv-
ed from the same state, which on being also
read by Mr.. Stone showed the four votes of
Florida for Tilden and Hendricks. The form
Gov. Stearns, the latter by Attorney General
| Cooke.
Then the presiding officer handed down to
the tellers still another certificate from the
state of Florida, received through the messen-
| ger on the 31st OF January, and correspond
ing one received by mail on the 30th of Janua-
| ry. The third is an Authorization OF the act of
the electors who voted for Tilden and Hen
bricks and is made by the present Governor
| Drew. After some halt hour had been spent
| in reading the papers accompanying the third
certificate, Senator Conkling proposed that the
reading be regarded as completed and that the
| result be announced as under the late act of
Congress all the papers would be referred to the
provisional tribunal raised to examine such
questions There being no objection it was or
| dered.
The presiding officer asked whether there
| were objections to counting the votes of the
| state of Florida.
Mr.. Field rose and sent to the clerks desk
written objection to the first certificate for
| Hayes and Wheeler, signed by Senator Jones
of Florida, Cooper and Mcdonald of Indiana
| and by Representatives Field, Tucker of Vir-
| guia. jerks of Pennsylvania and Springer of
| Illinois.
Adams. clerk of the House, proceeded to
| read the paper. 1t asserts that those persons
Pierce, Humphreys, Holden and Young-as-
Stunning to act as Presidential electors, never
| were duly appointed by the state of Florida or
| in any manner whatever; that the other four
| persons had been elected and had an irrevoca-
BILE title of the office; that the certificate of the
| trst four persons was untruly and corruptly
| procured and made in pursuance of conspra-
| cy between them and NJ. L. Stearns, late gov
| ernor; that they were usurpers and that their
| votes are illegal, null and void. Further OBJ
| Jections being called for Senator Sargent sent
| up to the clerks desk on behalf of himself and
| Senators Conover. Sherman and Teller and of
Representatives Woodburn, Dnnnell, Kasson
| and McGrary three sets of objections to the
votes cast by Messrs. Call. HentoD, Bullock
and Youge, tthe Democratic electors). on the
| ground that the papers are not authenticated
| as required by the constitution and rules Sen.
| ator Jones of Florida made objections special
ly to Humphreys as holding an Office of trust
and profit under the United States. Mr.. Kas-
| son of Iowa made additional objections to the
| third set of certificates because they were not
| authenticated by the person who held the Of
flee of governor at the time the functions of the
electors were exercised.
The presiding oficer-Are there further
nbIpotinnq n pr ba upta NJ fho ,fa Of
Florida? latter pause) If there be none
| the certificates and papers together with the
other papers accompanying thu same, as well as
the objections presented, will now be trans
| judgment and decision. The Senate will now
withdraw to its chamber so that the House NAV
separately determine the objections, Ia buz of
dissent as to the closing part of the sentence
prevailed the chamber, but the presiding
officer made no change)
Senate retired. and after order was restored
the House then at 3.15, resumed its legislative
business.
A Troublesome Clause in the Electoral
Act.
The clause in the electoral bill which prohib-
its the dissolution Of the john meeting till all
the electoral votes are counted, is likely to en-
barrass legislation very seriously, and an effort
will be made to repeal it tomorrow President
Ferry and Speaker Randall and several Sena.
tors held conferences on the subject today.
proceedings OF tine Comm lssIOn.
The Electoral Commission appointed to hear
and decide all matters in dispute affecting the
vote for President and Vice President, met at
o'clock today in the room of the Supreme Court
at the capitol. A communication from the two
Houses of Congress in joint session was pre-
sented by Mr. Gorham, Secretary of the SEN
ate, and read as follows:
HALL OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, !
February l, 1877.
To the President of the Commission:
more IMAM one return or paper purporting to
be- return or certificate of the electoral votes
OF the state of Florida, having been received
aud this day opened in the presence of the two
Houses of Congress- and objections thereto hav-
ing been made, the said returns, with all &C.
companying papers, and also the objections
thereto are herewith submitted to the judgment
and decision of the Commission, as provided by
law,
(signed) T.W. FERRY.
President of the Senate
The Presiding Justice-It is suggested land L
think very property that the doors may now be
opened and the proper persons be admitted
Mr.. Justice Bradey-T understand there ara
three certificates from the state of Florida that
have been sent to US. / should think that the
proper course would be to have those three GER
tihcates lead, and then as each is read let the
parties be called upon to state whether they are
objected to and who are the directors. Until we
read those certificates or hear them read, we do
not know what we have before us. After that,
IL Will be time to take such other order in re-
gard to the proceedings as may be necessary.
After some discussion of the subject the read
ing was dispensed with and it was decided to
have the papers printed at once.
The presiding justice then inquired if there
were cousel present who would take part after
the managers or DIRECTORS had stated the case
on one side or the other.
Mr.. Sargent said the DIRECTORS whose names
are signed to the papers are Senators Conoyer
Sargent and Sherman. and Messrs McCrary.
Kasson, WOODBURY. and Dunneli, members of
the House. There has been no opportunity up
to this moment Of consulting with these gen
tlemen to ascertain which of them will state to
the Commission their objections
The Presiding Justee-Two directors NAV
represent the case in this tribunal
Senator Sargent-So we understand by the
rules.
Presiding Justice-Who are the two?
SargeEt-There has been no opportunity for
consultation to ascertain which of the directors
would present the matter to the court.
Mr.. Abbott moved that all papers sent, with |
the objections, be printed.
After some discussion of the subject he with !
drew the motion, intimatiDg he would make it |
again some other time.
Presiding Justlce-I am requested now to call |
Ill.,. Il