The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-02-10
The Electoral Count.
Florida Settled for Hayes
and Wheeler.
A Long Debate in
Secret Session.
The Vote the Same as on the Pre-.
liminary Question.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-The electoral COM
mission were in secret session from 10 a. m. till
s 30 this evening, continuously, with the excep-
ton OF two short recesses. Almost the entire
time till nearly the closing of the session was
occupied with debate in which every one of the
fifteen members of the commission, by turns,
participated.
Two or thee of the justices and several of the
senatorial members read deliberately prepared
opinions upon the main points at Issue, and the
discussion is understood to have been, from its
commencement to its c.ose, of extraordinary
power and ability.
The question OF eligibility of T. G. Humph-
reys was not made subject of much discourse,
nor was any vote taken concerning it, AT one
stage of the proceedings however, Senator
Thurman offered resolution declaring there
was no sufficient evidence offered that HumDh-
reys was not a shipping commissioner on the
9th of November. This resolution was CRITICS
ed by several Republican members on tie
ground that it might carry an implication that,
if Humphreys had been such commissioner on
the 9TH of November his vote would have been
invalid and the resolution was not urged, there
seeming to be practically unamnity of opin-
ion that Humphreys resignation was legally
etfectual, being rendered and accepted before
the election.
About o'clock p. NJ, the debate being end
ed, Senator Edmunds submitted a reso,ut ion
declaring in substance that the four Republican
electoral votes of Florida should be cou nted
| anu eulUOuyiUS diSO NdrlOuS IcdSOuS IUE SuCu
declaration. Representative Hunton offered
the following as substitute:
Resolved, That the electors named in certifi.
cate No. 2, to wit, Williamson Call, J. E.
Yonge, Robert Balock and Robert B, Hilton
are the four persons who were duly ap-
on the 9TH day of November, and that their
votes as certified by such certificate are the
votes provided for by the Constitution OF the
| United States.
This substitute was rejected by the following
| vote:
Yeas-Messrs Abbott, Bayard, Clifford,
Field, Hunton. Payne and Thurman-7.
Nays-Messrs. Bradley, Edmunds, Freling
huysen, Garfield, Hoar, Miller, Morton and
Strong-8
Mr.. Edmunds then withdrew his resolution
and Mr.. Garfield offered the following which
was adopted:
RESOLVED. That the four persons, to wit
Frederick G. Humphreys, Charles w. Pearce
William H. Holden and Thomas w. Long
were duly appointed electors of President and
that the votes cast by the aforesaid four per
| sons are the votes provided for by the Constitu-
| ton of the United States
Yeas-Messrs. Bradley, Edmunds, Freling
! huysen, Garfield, Hoar, Miller, Morton and
| Strong.
Nays-Messrs. Abbott, Bayard, Clifford
| Field, Hunton, Payne and Thurman.
On motion OF Mr.. Garfield Messrs Edmunds
Bradley and Miller were appointed commit
| tee to draft report of the decision of the CIm
mission with brief statement of the reasons
| therefor, to be signed by the members agreeing
therein and to be transmitted to the JOINT SEES
sion of the two Houses, as required by electoral
vote. The argumentative resolution previously
offered and withdrawn by Mr.. Edmunds, was
adopted by a committee of three with few
verbal changes as to their report, and about S
O'Clock this evening it was signed by eight MI M
bers of the Commission WIN had voted for the
adoption of Garfeld's resolution. The formal
decision or report to Congress is very brief, but
| its complete phraseology is Withheld from pub
Lefty tonight from Considerations of etiquette
| as it is to be transmitted tomorrow morning tC
| the President of the Senate under seal, and tc
be Immediately LAID before the joint session OF
| the Two Houses.
Its points, however, can be accurately stated
as follows:
1st The Commission, exercising the powers
of both Houses under the law, and having ex.
amined all the certificates and papers referred
| to them, find that they have no authority to
hear evidence aliunde, or 10 other words, to
hear evidence outside of the Governor of the
state OF Florida, founded upon the determine.
| ton of the canvassing board of the state as to
| its vote,
I'd The Commission could not consider az
evidence any act of the legislature or courts in
determining whom the state had appointed as
electors after the day the said electors gave
their vote.
Sd. In regard to the alleged ineligibiIty OF
f. G. Humphreys, there was not sufficient
proof that he held office on the 9TH of Novem.
Der.
The Secretary of the Commission will to-
morrow morning deliver to the President, PIC
tenn, of the Senate the formal decision above
described. together with all the certificates and
accompanying papers in the Florida case, which
were referred to the Commission, and the
Secretary will also deliver to the Speaker of the
House a formal notification, signed BY
the President of the Commission, that theil
decision has been communicated to the Presi.
| dent pro tenn of the Senate. Thereupon, in
| compliance with the electoral act, the two
Houses will again meet and the decision will
be read and entered in the journsl of each
House, and the vote of Florida will immediate
ly be counted for Hayes and Wheeler unless
upon objection being made in writing by al
least five Senators and five members of the
House of Representatives, the two Houses
shall separately concur in ordering otherwise.
1t being known that the two Houses will not SC
| concur, it is not thought likely that any objec.
| ton will be made to the immediate counting Of
| the Florida Republican votes, as this would be
| an unnecessary waste of time.