Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-03-01
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.

FEB. 16.-The Electoral Commission was
in secret session until O'Clock, during which
time nine different votes were taken upon vari-
Gus motions to admit testimony in the Louisiana
case, each of which was rejected by the strict
party vote of to I. The original motion of Mr.
Hoar was then passed, by a vote of to :. as fol-
lows: "a OrGered, That the evidence offered be
not received" At the conclusion of the voting
counsel were admitted. and after some discus
sion regarding further arguments in the Gaze
the Commission again went into secret session.
Mr.. Morton then offered the following resolution
which was adopted-S to !:
ResOIred That the persons named as Electors
in certificate number one were lawful Electors
OF the State of Louisiana, and that their votes
are the votes provided by the Constitution OF the
United States, and should be counted for Presi-
dent and Vice President
The ground of the decision. as stated in the
report signed by the majority, is substantially
as follows: That it is not competent to go into
evidence 0aunde as to papers opened by the
President of the Senate in the presence of the
two Houses, to prove the election of other per-
sons than those regularly certified to by the
Governor of the State of louisiana, and accord
ing to the determination and declaration of
their appointment-in other words, to go behind
the certificate of the Governor so far as it is
founded upon the action of the Returning Board.
The report VIII also state that the Commission
could not receive any evidence to show that any
Elector was eligible on the 7th of November
The day OF the election, on the ground that il
was not essential to show that Elector was
eligible on that day, SO long as he was eligible
when he cast his vote in the Electoral College.
and the fact appears that the alleged ineligible
Electors, brewster and Levisse, were chosen to
fill vacancies by their own absence from the Col
lege, and there was no allegation Of ineiligi-
bility at the time they cast their vote.
FEB. 2l.--The Electoral Commission met
at l O'Clock. all the members present. The
President laid the papers received from the two
houses before the Commission. senator Kelly
announced that himself and Mr.. jerks would
appear as objec:ors to certificate No. /, and
Senator announced that
ell and Mr. Lawrence would appear as object
ors to certificate No. 2. After short recess,
Senator Kelly proceeded to submit his objections
to certificate No. ], which were briefly as fol-
lows Z That w ats being Postmaster at the time
of the election, was ineligible; that by the Con-
stitution and laws of Oregon the person receiv.
ing the next highest number of votes was en-
titled to be declared elected; and that
the Governors certificate to Cronin is
prinad fdcie evidence of his election Represent
ative jerks followed onsthe same side. making
the following propositions. /. That the only evil
dence before the Tribunal which conforms to the
law of the land is evidence as required by the
law of Oregon and the law of the United States,
viz. that which is certified to by the Governor
of the State of Oregon. q That the certificate of
that Governor is conclusive sI upon this Tribunal
elected. even he had a majority of votes.
4. That votes being cast for one who could not be
aPpointed cronln; the e next highest. was % elect
there was no vacancy, and there being no va
cancy there could be 40 filling by any college
whatever. Senator Mitchell presented Objec-
items on behalf of the Republi-
cans, and in his argument said: ''In
Oregon there is no law authorizing the
Governor to certify minority candidate elected.
The Legislature of Oregon might have provided
that Electors should be appointed by the Gov
ernor, the Supreme Court or Secretary of State,
but it did not but did direct that the people, the
qualified electors, shall, by plurality of the
votes to be cast in the different precincts, choose
Electors The decision of the State through it's
,anvassing officer, being final and conclusive.
0iell and cartwright, being majority of The
Electors constituting the Electoral College in