Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-01-22

Nr Edmunds on the ssF'Ian,"

Mr.. Edmunds OH the ''Plan.'
In the u. S. Senate 90 Saturday Mr.. Ed |
muuds proceeded 10 address tire Senate On the
electoral count bill.
De asked that the bill aud the twelfth
amendment 10 the Constitution be read, and
then said that teo millions, 10 round numbers,
had cast their votes for some person as Prcs!-
dent of the United States each believing that
they had elected the man Of their choice, and
yet difficulties bad arisen about which one it
was that had been elected.
If the Constitution had not clearly defined
the say for determining who 1t was, then they
wanted to devise some way for doing it which
such method as would meet all the difficulties
| which might arise The committee had labor
cd hard to devise some method and had with
great unanimitY adopted the bill now before
| them.
The first part OF the bill relates mainly to
matter Of form of doing the work. The second
section provides Tor action upon double returns
| from one or more of the States, and provides
| how it shall be decided which is the true re-
| turn.
He then gave the comp position Of the commits
sion and the method iu which it was formed by
the committee. They did not wish to uamc
the Judges Ly name lest some one might say
there was reason for so doing, but they had
adopted rule which no one could object to,
and this gave them Judges from various sec
tons of the country, and With diversified and dill
lcrcnt opinions political and otherwise. They
had at first thought OF conGnlng the number OF
Senators and Representatives to three each,
but had finally decided upon five Of each
making fifteen in ali in the commissioning
number so large as TO include every variety OF
opinion, and so large Gs to prevent any OF the
influences which sometimes will affect members
OF 4 committee or commission 10 reaching
conclusion from being brought to bear upon
this commission.
They had thus constituted the commission,
aud if they could now get over the constitution
al objection which some Of these newspaper
writer's and others had discussed, they could
probably reach a satisfactory conc usion in the
matter. They had then fixed form Of oath,
which was solemn oath to say what had actu.
ally and truly taken place, DOT what ought to
have taken place, not what they wanted to take
place, but what had really taken place, and
they We're to arrive at such conclusion as they
would be ansWerabe for only 10 the Great
Judge at last Having fixed the court, then
what was this court or commission 10 do? 10
fud out and determine who had been elected
| Where there were two sets Of votes they were
to determine which OF the two did represent the
views of the people Of the State from which
the two sets Of votes had come. Was not that
precisely what they ought to 10 and what the
Constitution asked them to do?
There were many partisans, five millions OF
the voters, who would wish to have this com
mission descend below or behind the action Of
the States The other five millions did rot
wish that done, and each side thinks his man
would he elected if such course was pursued.
The election took place 10 November, and the
electoral votes were cast 10 December, and some
person was elected by those votes, and what
they were charged TO do was to ascertain who
that person was. 1t would be strange if they
could make law that would deprive man
who was elected Of his rights, and should declare
that he Was not elected.
If the two Houses had the power on the day
the electoral votes were cast to decide who was
elected they had the power 10 day, and this
commission would have the same power. Ii
they did not, then this commission did not.
| Who is 10 decide what actually took place on
| the day the votes were cast ? That is, what
is the constitutional vote OF the States? The
two Houses Of Congress: must decide, aud that
is precisely what is done by this bl-by com.
hitting TO this tribunal, which the Two Houses
create, the power that IS vested in the two
Houses Large bodies Of meu depart from in
diridual responsibility 10 proportion as the size
Of the body increases, and, BY committing this
power to IL small number, they would come
uearcr to a correct solution of the question.
Ii the prcteusion that the Constitution has
conferred this power upon the President Of the
Senate be true, then they could not wish for any
better person than the present incumbent, but II
that power was not reposcd 10 that Chair, then
some means should be provided for settling the
questions that may arise.
Mr. Edmunds read the Constitution on that
point, and said if the Constitution had intend
| ed to confer such power upon the President Of
the Senate, then the trainers Of it had been
most unfortunate that they did not more fully
deGue it, as they did all other matters connect
ed with the duties of Senators. II the Consti-
tuition had designed to turn the President OF
the Senate into judge in this case, then it
staggcrs belief that they did rot say SO.
He would admit that if the power to open
| The returos implied the power TO determine up
| on them, then the President of the Senate had
| that power. If the Constitution had meant to
say, so it would have done it 10 two words. The
| language does not say that be shall have the
| power to couot, even much less to decide.
Mr. Edmunds continued that the power TO
count and decide rcpose 10 both Houses Of Con-
gress, and they could delegate it to this com
| mission. lie contendcd that as a matter Of
fact, from the time OF } ohm Layton to Schuyl-
or Collax, the President Of the Senate had not
| counted the votes once.
Color IN MASONRY-The whole OF the fore
noon, and q portion Of the afternoon Of the
! Grand Lodge meeting was devoted to the dis.
cusson of what s cslod tho AFRICAN Lodge"
Tho question Of recognizing the cclored lodges
has long been discussed by the Masonic frater-