The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-14
THE DECISION OF THE FIFTEEN.
Full Report of the Great secret Session.

act force and effect of this decision without
some inside knowledge of how it was
reached, and in order to supply this 1 will
.narrate briefly what passed in the recent
session.
WHAT WAS DONE IN SECRET.
On assembling yesterday there were
some moments of profound silence,
all present seeming to fully realize
the great responsibility OF the occasion.
THE FIRST SPEECH.
The first to speak was Senator Edmunds,
who took the republican ground, maintain
ing the principle that the commission could
not revise what had been done by the state
board. aH-.
THURNAN's SPEECH.
Senator Thurman followed in long dis
cussion of the equity involved, insisting
that the commission had full power to in
.auire whether the results reached were just
flied by the facts.
THEY ALL TAKE HAND.
Speeches we're then made in turn by Sen
ators Morton, Frelinghuysen and Bayard.
The same programme was then gone through
with by representatives Hoar, Hunton,
Payne, Abbott and Garfield, in the order
named, and all as had been expected were
still partisan in complexion.
THE JUSTICES OPINIONS.
Then the justices submitted their views.
Judge Field took the broad ground, in a
briefly written decision, that the evidence of
fraud should certainly be furnished and re-
ceived.
A POLITICAL HARANGUE.
Justice Miller followed in rather more of
political harangue than legal decision.
Justices Strong and Bradley, who had hith-
erto preserved discreet silence, now showed
that they agreed substantially with the ar
guments advanced by Stanley Matthews,
viz. That it was not competent to inquire
beyond what had been performed by the
canvassing board.
TRYING TO TEST THE QUESTION.
This interchange of views being over the
members proceeded at once to attempt some
agreement in order to test the question.
Senator Thurman submitted a resolution
declaring it competent to receive all testi-
mony relating to a fair conduct and accurate
result OF the election. I0lS was defeated Dy
strict partisan vote, Justice Bradley join
ing with the republicans.
JUSTICE NILLER's RESOLUTION.
After some pause Justice Miller then pre-
sented what was acted upon favorably and
has now become definite criterion by which
the tribunal will be governed.
JUDGE BRADLEY's REASONS FOR VOTING.
Before casting his vote Justice Bradley,
feeling that millions of people were entrust-
ing their interest to him, explained that he
must object to the admissibility OF the evil
dence first asked for by the democrats, for
two reasons; first, because 1t was not cOmpe
tent for the commission to go behind the &C
tons of the state authorities and second,
because the canyassing board of Florida had
been vested with judicial power by the leg
islature, and the commission could not re-
wise its acts. The language of his protest is
not generally known yet but it will be OBJ
served that such ruling may possibly, though
not necessarily, result in disastrous parti-
san decisions from him hereafter.
If these reasons are sufficient in law, ac-
cording to his judgment, to stop the COM
mission from inquiring into the correctness
of the canvass made by the returning board
in Florida, why may not the returning
board of Louisiana, with all its infamies
receive similar Endorsement?
TWO SIDES TO THE OUTLOOK.
There are, however, two sides to the out
look and actual present status of things
This ruling admits all three certificates from
Florida On perfect equality, together with
the papers AMI documents accompanying
them, but excludes the protests as formally
presented by both sides in the joint conven-
ton, including the democratic investigating
committed report on that state.
TlIc DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
Hayes's certificates are entirely unsup-
ported. The Tilden certificates are accom-
panied with proceedings in the quo var
rantO records of the decisions and findings
before the Florida supreme court, and full
enumeration of the corrected canvass, with
Tilden results. -si 9
FEELING BETTER
When presented in that light the case APP
pears to somewhat better advantage, and
the democrats are recovering from their
first Indignation. They wanted to go back
to the ballot-box, and can not. ..n ..rt -.
THE RADICALS REJOICING. 'af Ell
The republicans feared they would, and
are rejoicing quite as much on that account
as because they have started out with strict
partisan vote.
THE COUNSEL IN COUNCIL. Fl.
The democratic counsel have been in con-
sultation this afternoon, and are all express
ing themselves tonight as feeling confident
that the decision of the supreme court in
Florida can be shown so perfectly unanswer-
ln..- IL H..