Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-02-14

OfS OH the prescriDeuaUay, are lnad.
Missile for any such PURPOSE .Asto
the objection made TO sthe eligibility
Of Humphreys, the Commission is of
opinion that without reference to the,
question Of the effect Of the vote of an
ineligible clector, the ,evidence does
not show that he; held the: Office of
shipping commissioner on the day
when the electors were appointed.
The Commission also decided that as
a consequence Of the foregoing, and,
upon grounds before stated neither
of the papers purporting to be certif-
icates CT the democratic electoral.
votes Of Florida, are the certificates
of votes provided for by the Consti.
tuition of the United States, and they
ought not to, be counted as such. IN
sa..tlilt4
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.
/ .aaf al u,,! tWAsH1NGTos, Feb, IL. y
,dyuG aa.lja" SENATE. i,in isai7. ~
The session began at 1Owitll h slim.
attendance. 'b7t f''" - 491t''' 10 Tor
President Ferryg said, answering
Davis, ,Fthat,a recess upon any ques-
ton except one raised in joint con-
vention would be- out oforder. Ills
I .:lt''sh1i1 LATER. y ra."1nt"l Ft
The senate without transacting any
business awaited for notification that
the house was ready to resume Joint
session. sysT.4 as - is,fat4l "a, 81 -,
za2" "a" ma STILL LATTER. - 7-ii.eN r..
iHAt 2:20 the clerk Of the house APP
prarcd at the bar Of the senate and
amounted the decision Of the house
that the counting of the vote of F1ori-
da shall not proceed in conformity
with the decision Of the electoral
commission, and also Informing the
senate that the house was now ready
to meet the senate in joint meeting.
The senate then proceeded to the hall
oft house. t,iHa l.dl a:eE pnt s..
ln{ ,ol atie HOUSE. 81 .,g. Il ."
At 10 O'Clock McCrary rose to discuss
the electoral decision. e1Hs ~
Clymcf objected that no quorum
was present and debate was postponed
till 1880 when Field offered the fol-
lowing: s5.i ia ...as.a..sf
IT. Ordered, that the counting of the
electoral vote from, Florida shall not
proceed in; conformity with the iecis-
ion of the electoral, commission, but
that the votes Of Call, Yonge, Hilton
and Bullock be counted as the Yotcs
from Florida. 81 .iu,aa I'll t.,f. y,
| Seelye moved the following amend
mcnt "Ordered that the counting Of
the electoral votes from Florida shall
proceed in conformity with the de-
cision of the electoral commissions. ~
| Knott offered MS substitute an Or
der reciting the language of electoral
act that the commission might in
quire into such petitions, dispositions,
and other papers as shall by the con-
stitution anddnow existing law be
competent, rcciting also the fact that
in the Florida case the commission
had decided and determined that no
evidence would be received or con-
sidered not submittedto the houses
In joint convention by the president
Of the senate. that certificate No. /
contained no evidence whatever,
while certificates Nos. 2 and ) of the
Tflden electors did contain evidence
fun, and specifically showing that Tie
latter had been duly elected and APP
pointed as electors, and therefore or
dering. that the decision of the com
mission and the grounds thereof he
reInanded and recommitted to tic
commission with the rcquest'that the
4 same obe so corrected or explained ;
that the commission be further re-
qucstcd to furnish i'm detail the reasons
of its decision so that the house may
be enlightened as to, the course il
ought to pursue in the discharge .of
its duties, and that in the meantime
the votes of the Hayes electors be not
counted. ' -. =
Hale made a point Of order that un-
der the. electoral commission law il
was the Imperative duty Of the house
after two hours debate, to vote on the
main question, whether the vote
should be counted in conformity with
the decision and nothing in the shape
of delay in whatever way presented,
could arrest the wheels Of its de-
cision. y.,i milton al .,i, i,m
1 Wilson, of iowa, added to IIale''s
point, that the house couldtrefornoth-
ing to the commission; that would
reguire at Toast concnrrent action.
r Wood declared that any intimation
of desire on the part of the demo
cratic side of the house, to intcrpose
any fictitious opposition to any tecis-
ion .oftlIe eleetoriii commission, was
tentirely sratf,ito,ts aud not SUPPORT.
ledb by any thing TINT haa' taken place.
+ Hale-AHss any fling beer isaid this
morning 10 indicat. any Intrigue Iof
that kind, 'iHp Ttfof9 tsstH al bed 8 :
Wood-A'rhe' gentleman has Just
spoken of delay and has intimated
that there isAMinteptional disposition
on the part Of the house to delay &C
ton, ! can assure the gentleman
there, is no, such Intention. While we
are ready in good faith to carry outEiil
all respects the. electoral commission
law and the result that may. be ,reach-
ed in pursuance, Of it, still we demand
the right of free Expression Of opipp.
ion. WA ..rl.:,, ,4.i ,t..',... II y
Knott contested the point of or
der and thought there was nothingIip
the law which prevented the HOUSE
| with the concurrence of the senate
4 from remanding back to the electoral
| commission for their further consider
! alton, the decision which it had mall
in the Florida, case, in order that IL
might have an opportunity to explain
the glazing inconsistencies which OK
listed in that decision lsuBfS tM y
II Banks said that under. the, proyis-
| ions of tho telectQyal act,i the House
was compelled to give an affirmative
or negative, vote, upon the decision.
It would not be respectful, TO- the
Commission to remand the decision.
The SpeakerQyerrulcd Hale's point,
but sustained Wilson's, that there was
nothing in the Electoral Commission
law that authorized a rocpmmittali of
the qgGsii0n back to the Commission,
also ruling that it was not competent
for zone House to-, rcfera bill on any
other matter to an outside commission
The, substitute offered by kndtt
was therefore not, in, ordera The
House thereppQnI proceeded to dis
cuss the objection to the decision of
the Commission. ,Ha gst,it4f,sss I'M /
McCrary supported the report Of
the Commission. He held THAT the
ruling of the Commission was abuh-'
dainty supported by most cogcnt
reasons, and that to have ruled other
wise would have been TO assert juris-'
dictioh to- Inquire into md oyertufn
the action of all States ntiie appoints
ment OF their electors, and TO iHsti1
tutcia proceeding ofiinquiry Of the
action Of quo ,cdyydnta, to try the title
Of every person appointed as such.
The bill of 1900 drafted, reported
and advocated by John Marshall, aft
crwaivis Chief Justice Of the United
States, embodied g The views OF
that great u constitutional law
yer upon this question. After
providing for this grand commission,
III defined their jurisdiction in these
words, sand persons thus chosen shall
form q Joint commission and shall
have power to examine into all dis
liltes relative to the election OF Pfek-
ident asld9Vicci President OF thel
United States, other than such Dis
might relate to the number ofvOtes