The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-02-03
THE ARBITRATION BILL.


The "Arbiration BILL" electoral BILL
or whatever name may ultimately be settled
upon to designate the bill which we stated in
our last had passed the senate to provide
commission to decide certain questions likely
t. arise between the two houses of congress
in counting the electoral vote, passed the
house last Friday evening, after sharp de-
bate Of ten or twelve hours the members
generally being limited to ten minutes
speeches. The vote stood 191 yeas to Sc nays
OF the 19l votes for the bill, lj4 were demo-
cratic votes and 81 republican. OF those vot-
Ing against it, II only were democrats, while
% were republicans. All of the carpet-bag'
gers and colored members voted against the
bill.
On Saturday the bill was duly enrolled and
ready for presentation to the President for
his signature, but the President had gone to
Baltimore, and his action upon it was delayed
until Monday. However, it was well under
stood that he would sign it, and when con-
gress met on Monday it was found that he had
even done more. He accompanied its approy
al with short message, IN which he took
special occasion to express his "great salts
faction at the adoption of a measure that af-
fords the means of happy escape from the
great dangers that seemed to threaten the re-
public.
The next question to be decided was, who
should compose the commission? The re-
publlcans of the senate held a caucus on
Monday evening and selected as republican
senators Edmunds, Morton and Frelinghuy-
sen, and the democrats added Thurman and
Bayard. The house republican caucus on the
same subject was stormy, but finally agreed
upon Garfield and Hoar, while the democrats
selected Payne, Hunton and Abbott. OF the
supreme judges four-two democrats and
two republcans-are named IN the bill, to wit
Clifford, Strong, Miller and Field-and
these four have selected Judge Bradley, OF
New Jersey, as final umpire. They first Sc
lected Judge Davis, but on account Of his re-
cent election to the senate by the democrats
OF Illinois, he premptorily declined.
In addition to the members of the commiss
ion thus named, each party has named GER
tam attorneys to watch its case before the
commission. The democrats are said to have
selected Trumbull, Jere Black, Ashbel Green
and Matt Carpenter, while the republicans
have selected w. NJ. Evarts, L. w. Stoughton,
Stanley Matthews and S. S. Shellabarger.
The members of the commission held meet
ing on Wednesday in the supreme court room,
and after being duly sworn 10, proceeded to
adopt rules for their government. The rules
are not made public, but are SAID to be quite
numerous, infinitely describing the methods
of procedure to be followed by the commlss.
ion. A fixed time is allowed the counsel on
each side to argue any disputed question, and
the argument will be open, provision being
made for the accommodation of representa-
tives of the press. All deliberations aside
from these discussions will be conducted in
secret, until the decision arrived at is formal
ly communicated to congress.
Of course the first question that will come
up 10 the commission will be, whether twill
go behind the official returns or governors
certificate of any state. Here doubtless the
republicans will make their big fight and if
beaten, they may as well concede at once that
Tilden is elected.