The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-02-12
Send in Their Verdict on the
Florida Case.
Objected to, but Objections
Overruled by Senate.
House Takes a Recess until
To-day.
President Grant Thinks He
Sess It and then Thinks
He Doesn't.
The Electoral Commission.

WAsHINGToN, February l0.-The
Electoral Commission state the grounds
of their decision In the case OF Florida as
follows: Tha: it is not competent under
the Constitution and law rs 1t existed at
the GATE of the passage of the act consti-
tuting the commission to 60 into the
evidence ali,!nde. The papers opened by
the President OF the Senate IN the pres
ence of the two houses to prove that
other persons than those regularly certi-
fed to by the Governor of Florida, accord
ing TO the determination and declara.
tion of their appointment by the board
OF State canvassers prior to the time re-
auired for the performance of their duties,
had been appointed electors or by counter
proof 10 show they had not, and that
all proceedings of the courts or acts of the
the legislature or of the executive Of
Florida, subsequent to the casting OF the
electoral votes on the prescribed day are
inadmlsssble for any such purpose. AS
to the objection made to the eligibility OF
Humphreys, the Commission is OF the
opinion that without reference to the
question of the effect OF the vote OF the
ineligible elector. the evidence does not
show he held the Office of Shipping Com
missioner on the day when the electors
were appointed. The Commission also
decided that as the consequence OF the
foregoing and upon the grounds before
stated, neither of the papers purporting
to be certificates of the electoral
vote of Florida, are the certificates
or votes provided for by
Constitution of the United States,
and they ought not TO he counted as
such. The objections to the decision in
terposed iE the House recite,
Flrst-That the decision determined
that the vote cast by Chss. II. Pearce,
Frederick &. Humphreys, VIM. II. Hol-
den and Thos. w. Long as electors for
President and Vice President of the
United States on behalf of Florida, is the
true and legal electoral vote of the State,
when in truth and in fact the vote cast
by Wilkinson Call, James 4 Young,
Robert Hilton, and Robert Pollock is the
true and lawful vote OF the State.
Second-Tnat the Commission refused
to receive competent and material evil
dence tending TO prove that the irss
named set were not appointed electors
in the manner prescribed by the legisls-
ture of that Stste, but were designated as
electors by the Returning Board OF the
State corruptly and fraudulently in dis
regard of the law. and with the intent to
defeat the will of the people.
Third-That the decision was founded
on the resolution and order of the Com
mission previously made.
Fourth-That the decision excludes
all evidence taken by the two Houses OF
Congress and py the committees OF each
House concerning the frauds, errors and
Irregularities committed by tie persons
whose certificates are taken as proof OF
the due appointment Of the electors.
Fifth-That the decision excludes all
evidence tending to prove that the cert
ficate of Governor Stearns and also OF the
Board Of Stale Canvassers, wree procured
or given in pursuance OF fraudulent and
corrupt conspiracy.
Sixth-That the Commission refused
to recognize the right of the courts Of the
StAIe 70 IcNlcW duu icfS'oO VIZ JUS
meut OF the Returning Board or the
Board of State Csnvassers, rendered
through fraud, without Jurisdiction, and
rejected and refused to consider the sc.
tion OF the courts in the case lawfully
brought before the court which had
jurisdiction.
Seven:h-That the decision excludes
sll evidence tending to prove that Flori-
da, by all the departments of the govern
ment, legislative, executive and Judicial.
had decreed rs trsudu ent all certificates
of Governor Stesrns, as well rs that OF
the State Csnvassers, upon which celtlh-
Gates the Commission has acted, and by
means Of which the true electoral votes
of Florida have been rejected, and false
ones substituted.
Eighth That to count the votes OF
Pearce, Humphreys, Holden and Long
as electors for President and Wee Presi.
dence would be violation of the Con-
stilu,ion OF the United States.
Tue objections are signed by Senators
Jones of Florida, Cooper Bsrnum, ker-
nan, Salisbury and Mcdonald, and by
Representatives Knott, Field, holmsn,
Tucker, Thompson OF Massachusetts,
Jenks, Finley, Ssyler, Ellis, Morrison,
Hewitt of New York, and Springer.