Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1877-02-26

electoral vote or the State OF Oregon
stands as the judgment OF the Senate
the objection made thereto to the con
trary Notwithstanding.
Dsbats was opened BY Kelly. Wit
denied that Watts was eligible as
Presidential Elsctor.
Morton said : I believe Il was not ar
gusd by anybody upon the commission
that Cronin was elected. that Tilden hat
a vote in Oregon ; but tho minority o.
the commission took the ground tina
there were but two electors chosen il
Oregon, and that Hayes had but two
votes in that State. Watts was post
master at Lafayette on tho 7th Of No
vember. II was argued. therefore, tina
he was not elected that tho election
was 4 failure. 30 far a. no was con
ceined. and that but two were elected
On the 18th OF November Watts re-
signed. Oh the 18th his resignation wal
accepted. and on the same day the ofic'
was transferred TO another and another
building. When the electors met on thu
9th Of December. Watts handed in hi
resignation as an e~leetor. and Wal after
ward chosen to All the vacancy, and cas-
his vote. Although Watts was not post
master or mn Office holder on the 9Th q
December. when tbs electors voted. Il
was argued that there was NO such VA
cancy in the college Of electors as thal
college had q right to oil. and therefor,
that the election by the college was I
nullity. On the other hand, Watts,
Odcll aud Cartwright received MAORI
ties Of the peoples votes. ranging over
1000 above their highest competitors,
The Secretary Of State canvasssd III,
vote OH the ith OF December. aud made
his certificate Of the result, showing the
election OF Odsll, Cartwright aud
Watts. which he fled In the Office
Of tho Secretary Of State. The
Secretary Of State was the canvass.
ing or returning officer for Oregon.
Morton read from the Oregon statutes
as to the duty Of the Secretary, and 70.
Stunning. said: Now. in regard to the
officers named. including Members Of
Congress, II is declared that the Secrs-
tary Of State shall canvass the votes ana
tho Governor issue certificates to the
persons having the highest number Of
votes. He Is not n c~anvassing officer
lis duty is simply ministerial, and II il
made his pcrsmptory duty to issue cor.
tiicates 10 the persons having the high.
est number Of votes. The law declared
that the person having the highest mum.
Der Of votes Ia elected. aud Il requires a
declaration upon the part OF any officer
Of that result. Then. ! return to the
Electoral Law Of Oregon. I first read
the 10th section : 1.-THE votes for Elsc-
tors shall be given. received. returned
and %canvassed. as they ars given. re-
turned and canvasssd for Members OF
Congress-" That brings It directly un-
der the law that I have read. The Sec.
Rotary Of State is. in tho cass OF mem.
bers OF Congress. to be tho Returning
Officer. and the Secretary Of State Is TO
return ~ Elector the person having the
highest number Of votes. and. In case OF
members OF Congress, tho duty OF the
Governor Is imperative to sign The Lat
which is made out by the Secretary Of
State. who is, In cas- Of Congress. made
~Canvassing aud Returning Officer. The
Governor. as part Of the Returning
Board. has nothing to do with Tho can
wasting Of the votes. but 10 absolutely re-
quired to sign the list made out by the
Secretary Of State.
It was contsndsd by a majority Of the
Commission that the law authorized the
majority Of the electors to all a vacancy
arising from any cause. It was the pur.
pose to give the College Of Electors III,
right to Ill any vacancy. 40 that Oregon
should be fully represented in the Else'
toral' College; and the College Of Eloc'
tors exercised this unquestioued right.
Watts on the 9Th Of December was no,
a Federal ofice.holder. He was as com
plstely qualified as any citizen In Ore
CON. We hold that II was wholly Inn
material whether he was Postmaster or
tho It'll Of November or not, because Il
he was not q Federal ofice-holder on
tho 9Th Of December. II he Was ther
qualified so that IL brought him within
the meaning Of the Constitution. hi
election was not invalidaisd any more
than the election Of q Senator would b.
who was elected before he was thirty
years Of age. but was thirty years old
when he took his seat. But that quss'
ton became immaterial. because he 70
signed the Office Of Postmaster. Before
the 9th OF December he was completely
qualified, aud then the College Of Elso'
tors had a right to elect him 10 all thu
vacancy. To remove any doubts. h'
himself resigned the office OF s%lector,
30 as 10 make q vacancy.
Conkling said: Mr.. President. Ore
Ron meant to appoint Republican Prssi
Dental Electors. The people Of Ore
gon. by n plain. undeuisd majority,
honestly, intentionally voted for Re
publican Electors. Two certificates
having been received from Oregon,
the question Of the count OF her votes
has been examined by the Electoral
Commission. The majority Of thu
Commissioner have sent up two things
First. a decision that the vote ought "a
be counted as the people declared a
the ballot box 1t should b counted
second. = statement Of the reasons b,