The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-03-07
UNITED STATES CONGRESS-.
Senate.

SENATE.
Mr.. Sargent (Rcp.), of California, submitted
a bill providing that the whole number of pas
sengers of Asiatic birth or descent received on
board the steamers of the Pacific mail company,
to be loaded at any place in America, shall at
no time exceed one passenger for every fifteen
rcgist cred tons, and Oh any violation of this
provision, payment from this appropriation
shall cease. Ordered to be printed
The Senate considered the Indian apprOpria-
ton bill, and various amendments reported by
the committee OIL appropriations were agreed
t.. The bill having been considered i'll COM
mittee Of the whole, was reported to the Senate,
and the amendments made in commi tee werg
sconcurrcd in. The bill was read a third time
and passed.
Mr.. Dawes (Rep.), of Massachusetts, intro
duced a bill to authorize and equip an expedi-
ton to the Arctic seas, according to the plan of
Capt. Howgate, of the signal service. Referred
to the committee on naval affairs.
The bill to encourage q new cable telegraph
line between America and Europe was passed.
Mr.. Adams. clerk of the House of Rerrcsen-
~tativcs, appeared at the bar Of the Senate and
announced that the House would be prepared
proceed with the further count Of the vote for
President and Vice-President.
The Senate returned to its chamber after the
visit to the House, and the president pro ten.
announced that he having submitted to the two
houses Of Congress in joint meeting the de-
cision of the Electoral commission in regard to
the vote of Florida, n member from New York
objected thereto, which objection would be
read.
The secretary then read the objection SUBJ
mitted in the House by Mr.. Field.
The Senate, by a strict party vote of A to &c,
refused 10 adjourn.
Mr.. Whytc (Dem.). of Maryland, submitted
the following: Ordered, That the Senate do
MT concur in the decision made by the commits
sion created under the act approved January
%. 1877, but that the votes cast by Wilkinson
Call, Robert Bullock, J. E. Young and R. B.
Hilton as electors of the State of Florida, are
the true and lawful votes for President and
Vice-Presidcnt of that State, and should be
counted as the electoral vote of the State OF
Florida.
A number of amendments were presented,
and finally Mr.. Hamlin (Rep.). of Maine, sub
mittcd the following:
Resolred, That the vote of the State Of Flori-
da should be counted for r. B. Hayes for
President, and William A. Wheeler for Vice
President, as determined by the Electoral COM
mission.
At the request of Mr.. Mcrrimon the decision
of the Electoral commission submitted to the
Joint convention was read. The question being
on the order submitted by Mr.. Whytc, it was re-
jccted-ycas, &c :; nays, As: n strict party vote.
The question was then taken on the resolu-
ton of Mr.. Hamlin, and it was agreed to-,ycas,
i3; nays, rs a strict party vote.
After some further discussion Mr.. Sherman
Osep.). of Ohio, said he did not like the resolu-
ton offered by the senator from Maine, and
lust adopted, because it contained the names of
the persons voted for. He hoped the vote by
which that resolution was agreed to would be
rcconsidered, and one submitted by himself
would be adopted i'll place thereof. Mr.. Shcr-
mans resolution was as follows:
Resolved, That the decision of the commission
upon the electoral votes of the State of Florida
stand as the Judgment of the Senate, the objec-
tons made thereto to the contrary notwith-
standing. The resolution Of Mr.. Sherman was
then agreed to-yeas. A nays, % a strict
party vote.
Mi. Patterson [Rep. !, of South Carolina. pre-
scented the credentials of David I. COrbin,
claiming to have been elected United States
Senator from the State of South Carolina for
six years from March 4. 1877. The credentials
were signed by D.. H. Chamberlain, as COVER
nor of South Carolina and after being read
they were placed on file, no objection being
made thereto.
Mr.. Mitchell [Rep.l, of Oregon, called up
the resolution providing for the issue of all
attachment for Conrad n. Jordan, cashier of
the Third National bank of New York, he hay
ing failed to appear before the committee on
privileges and elections to testify as to the ac-
counts of Samuel J. Tildcn, Vim. T. Pclton and
\ S. Hewitt in that bank. After discussion
the resolution was agreed to.
Mr.. ingalls, (Rep.(, of Kansas, from the COM
mittce on pensions. reported favorably on the
amendments of the House to the bill increasing
the pensions of those who have lost both nh arm
and a foot from :24 to $36 per month. He said
the Senate passed Il bill to increase such pen
sions to $37 4 month, but the House reduced it
to s36. and as there were only sixteen persons
OH the pension roll affected by it, the commit
tee thought it best to have the Senate concur.
The amendments were cOncurred III and the bill
passed.
After discussion Mr.. Booths amendment to
the Pacific railroad bill to create a sinking fund
for the liquidation of the,indebtcdness due the
government by the Pacific railroad companies,
providing hat the $3.50, 600 to be paid by the
companies to the credit of the sinking fund
shall he in addition to other payments, instead
of in lieu of other payments or requirements,
was agreed to-yeas, % nays, 20.
The Printing Appropriation bill passed by the
Senate provides that from and after the pres
ent session of Congress the Congressional prin-
ter shall not pay a price exceeding fifty cents
per thousand ems for composition, and forty
cents an hour for time work in binding, etc.
House.
Mr.. Hale Qiep.), of Maine, rose to a privi-
legged question and read n letter which had been
addressed to him from j. Madison Wells and
Thomas c. Anderson, stating that they were
confined in a damp, dark dungeon in the cellar
of the Capitol that, by order of the Speaker,
they had been transferred to a much better
room, and that they had been brought back to
the cell by order of the sergeant-at-arms, and
that on account Of the bad air in the cell one
of them GOV. Wells was now on his sickbed.
Mr.. Hale said his attention had been called by
this letter to the matter. He had gone to the
cell in which the prisoners were confined. and
had found it n damp, dark room into which a
CLEAN of sunlight could never penetrate, and
which had to be Illuminated by gas. The air
was poisonous, and one of the prisoners, an old
man over seventy years of age, lay on his bed
of sickness. 1t was inhnman to keep them in
such room. AMI he therefore offered q reSolu-
ton directing the scrgcant-at-arms to remove
the prisoners to n well lighted and well vcnti-
lated room. where their health may not be
endangered.
Mr.. Cox moved to refer the resolution to the
special committee on the election in Louisiana,
with instructions TO report speedily to the
House whether such u state of affairs does cX-
list as is stated III the communication of j.
NldulSull NCllS tllu loIlIt W.. AiluSlooi, aiiu IL
was so referred.
Mr.. Morrison dem J. of Illinois, chairman of
the special committee OF Louisiana affairs, sub.
mitted the report of that committee, which COIL
cludes with a resolution declaring that the
Democratic electors received n majority Of the
votes in the State of Louisiana that the pre-
tended canvass and compilation of the vote for
electors by the board of returning officers was
witho 1t authority Of law, fraudulent and void,
and that the vote Of that State cannot be count
ed for Hayes and Wheeler without confirming
and approving the illegal and fraudulent action
of the said returning board.
Mr.. Townsend QRcp.G, of Pennsylvania, sub
mitted q minority report recommending the
adoption of u resolution declaring that the
Republican electors have been elected in Louisi-
ana. and that the election was examined into,
determined, declared and promulgated by the
proper authorities Of said State, under all the
forms of law and in compliance with the Con-
~stitution of the United States.
Both reports were ordered to be printed and
recommittcd.
The Speaker laid before the House 4 CON
munication from Justice Clifford. the presid-
ing officer of the Electoral commission, stating
that he was directed by the commission to
inform the House of Representatives that it
has considered and decided on the matters
submitted to it touching the Electoral vote of
Florida and has transmitted said decision to