National Republican., 1877-01-23
FOKTY-FOURTH CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
senate.

MonpAY, January -, 1877.
The Senate was called to order at u m. BY
Pre- Hdtnt pro fe-porc fgnRr, and prayer was
Offered ny the ChspIain.
BnIs, petitions, &C., were offered and referred
us follows
Tho CHAIR laid before the Senate comnuni
cation nom the Secretary Of War, inciosing tho
report OF Gen. q, 4. Gilmore In relation to 3
vstet iibo between rivers In Georgia, through the
Ckefcnokee swamp to tide.watcr In the tuit OF
Mexico. Laid on the tshlc.
SENATOR rott'-s crgprY-'.ts.
Also, the certificate Uf election from the Gcv.
crnor Of New Hampshire Of 4. u. Ro;!ins.
Also, q memorial from tho Board Of Trade Of
Chicago heartily approving Of the report OF the
Special Committee on the Electoral Count Laid
hIo,a memorial Of the General Assembly Of
pH1aso nsn1g r ,wnSSn rsna snl,b from IN wGe h
state. Referred to tho Committee on Public
.Mr. WINDOW presented a petition to amend
Nj. ALLISON and others presented similar
petitions; which were laid on the table, the com.
mittee having already reported q bill on the
Msssfs, WRIGHT, CHAFFEE CHRIS.
atesnh @ % to female 81 SUI
Hiss. MI; kiEEfRSHk introduced a petition from = a
the Geneva award. Judiciary,
Mr.. COCKRELL introduced a bill granting q
IeI sion TO Mrs. A. r. Blair, widow Of Gen. I. p.
nv. CAMERON, Of Pa, introduced a petition
In relation to the distribution Of the award ma ie
by the Mexican commission on claims between
II Q United States and Mexico. Judiciary.
Mr.. WINDOW presented a bill for the relief
o. n: 5. Nickebough. Referred to Committee on
A SO, a bill providing for furnishing copies of
papers now on iie in the Interior Department and
Committee on Appropriations.
STANDING COMMISSION TO rAxs TESTIMONY.
for Q commission for taking testimony and nJor-
nation required by the Senate, outside Of the reg.
usF n sna tS., the custom of send
Ing out committees all over the country to take
evidence and investigate matters. He said II
the Senate. Senators, after being absent awhile
on committee work. came back here and found
GsS ss
again so as to be useful on the regular committee
work, and he thought IL would be wise to correct
providing that II shall not DO any part Of the duty
Of regular committees to do outside work, and
sOmmss: shall mot not have aT,hor nth to SnaIse
Mr.. CAMER0N, Of wis, Introduced bill for
Mr.. MORRILL, introduced resolution provid-
ing that all that part Of tho Presidents message
referring to the permanent building for the Gen:
on Public Buildings and Grounds, with authority
to report by bill or otherwise. SO ordered.
viding for printing one thousand extra copies Of
the report Of the Board Of Health Of the District
Of Columbia, Printing.
teiesraphy. Post omces and Post Roads 'p
Mr.. CRAGIN introduced a petition Of Caroline
for sixteenth amendment ' to the 5onstitution il
relation to female suffrage. Privileges and Elec-
Mr.. WRIGHT called up the bill to amend the
act Of May r. 1894, for grant Of land to aid in
the construction Of the McGregor Western rail.
NJ Sf w eaed up the bill for
the relief Of John Z. Catlett, Of Missouri; which
W" Nj. BODY introduced bill to organize the
Territory Of oklohama. Referred to the Commit.
MT. INGALLS, called up tho following bills
granting pension to Albert T. Bli; a bill grant.
Ing pension to Amasa J. Finch; a bill granting
pension 70 Thos q. kinsleyi BILL granting u
MI, CAMERON: Of wis, called up the hill to
pay the claim q benjamin FentOn and d. W.
ARRANGING FOR COUNTING TIE ELEcroRAL VOTE.
The CHAIR announced the expiration Of the
morning hour. and laid before the Senate the bill
for counting the electoral vote, as the unfinished
business on which Mr.. fRELIE0HuYsEN was en-.
titled to the floor, but not being present,
not able to speak this morning; but as the bill
had come to rs passage he would attempt to give
his views on the Dill
He said this bill was the product OF the Missis.
sippi plan. The shadow of Intimidation had en-.
tered this Chamber, and Senators were acting
ensue II they did not Yield to compromise. A
member OF Congress had recently said In this city
that one hundred Thousand men would be here on
the day tho electoral vote should be counted, and
while this might have been an exaRgeration, yet
Il had had the effect to intimldate and staftie
he had no fear Of any revolution or difnouity.
stroyed. He believed that r. b. Hayes had been
people and ought to be counted in. He believed
that he should be counted In Just the same as
n and that was perfectly cons IN ethod.
He differed with the Senator from Vermont, who
denied the right Of the President Of the Senate to
count the votes and also that It did not confer II
upon tho two Houses, but the two Houses could
confer 1t upon commission.
Of counting the votes, then they could not deis. dele
ssissd ssat duty then t's was Ot msRnfssy
sumption Of the senator from Vermont was true,
then for eghty-four years there had been no Presi
(MR. HoRfosj believed that, In Ire absence OF Of
dent offhe Senate had the authority and must
seventy two years, rom the time of Wa:hins ton S
down TO the time when the twenty second Joint rule
sad had NO; s' then
years were Illegally elected and unlawfaliy held
their ofices, and II We should now fail to pass
bill providing how II shall be DONE then the
President Of the Senate must count the votes
He again asserted that he believed that Mr..
elected BY the votes and elected IN the hearts OF
the people, and must be counted in unless some
bill like this was passed to count him out He
was anxious to agree upon some plan. He tried
to agree with tho committee on this bill, but he
could not. fthere was any reference Of this kind
to be made, he was In favor Of taking the whole
Of the Supreme Court and not part Of II. It Is
true that he voted against the bill introduced
early in the session to refer the case to the Su.
bill re-enAoted the Electoral College and the
election Of a President BY II. to which he was
opposed. He opposed tho present bill on account
OF Its unconstitutional nature, and to adopt 1t
will be to peryert the Constitution, and will pro.
duce revolution.
The bill provides that this commission may and
whether the electors are eligible or not and there
Is no time or place mentioned In the Constitution
for trying or determining this question, and that
Is the real question that must be decided at this
time. The electors have the right to make up
their votes, and they must be counted. There Is
but one thing to do on the l4th OF February, and
that Is to count the votes There is no provision
for determining whether the electors are duly ap-
pointed In the Constitution, and this bill, In pro.
viding for that, is unconstitutional.
He did his Democratic friends no injustice, he
at all II Il did not empower this commission to go
behind the returns OF a State for, by so doing,
that was the only chance there was for Mr.. Tllden
to be counted In as President.
He deferred more extended remarks till an.
other time. While he favored some plan for
counting the electoral vote he did not believe In
doing Il after case was all made up and ready to
h.a NJ II. l. -