The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-01

rest are burned, charred, and blackened
| beyond recognition. The dead-list can
only be ascertained when 1t becomes grad
ually apparent that those who were known
to have been passengers on this Inflated
train do not make their appearance.
81. FROM WASHINGTON.
HOW THE DEMOCRATS PROPOSE TO GET EVEN
WITH Observation-Disclosures.
The Democrats Of the House are already
fixing up the programme Of what they
would like TO have done in the event OF Mr.
Tilden's inauguration, and among their
plans is one to give prominent place to
Ex-Governor Austin Blair, of Michigan, as
a recognition OF the Liberals" or rather
renegade Republicans, who went over to
the Democracy in the last campaign. AS
Austin Blair was and is one OF Secretary
Chandler's most implacable political foes,
they think it would be measure OF poetic
Justice to let him succeed Chandler as Sec
rotary Of the Interior. They pretend to be-
lieve that there are some things in the In
terror Department which ought to be thor
oughly investigated and ventilated, and
they know Of no one who would take more
pleasure or show more zeal in such an in
Yestigation and ventilation than Chandeliers
old foe-SpeciaL to Baltimore American. /.
., WAR CLAIMS. 49,.
People who are interested in the payment
OF claims growing out OF the war may as
we'll make up their minds to look to another
Congress for relief. The Committee on War
Claims has not had meeting this session.
II they were disposed to report any bills
they would all be forced on the private cal
endar, and that is already so large thnt there
ia not the most remote possibility of dis.
posing of the business on it ut this session.
ID. .', 'a-
READING-CLERK BOUNCED.
It is understood that Clerk Adams, OF the
House, has requested the resignation OF
Neal Brown, the reading-clerk OF the House,
for reasons best known to himself. No suc-
cessor has yet been determined upon.-lb.
MR.. Combines STATE.
Senator Conkling's appointment by Pre-
sident pro tenn. Ferry as a member OF the
committee on counting the electoral votes
uice General Logan, resigned, has the some
what curious result OF giyiag direct repre-
sentatlon on that committee for each State
which furnished 4 presidential or vice
presidential candidate in the late elections.
Thus New York, the home OF Messrs. Til
den, Wheeler, and Cooper, is represented
on the committee by Mr.. Conkling; Gov
ernor Hayes and General Cary's State is re-
presented by Judge Thurman !; and Gov
ernor Hendricks, being citizen Of Indiana,
is in o certain sense represented on the
committee by Senator Morton.
THE SENATE BRANCH OF THE JOINT CoMMITTEE
- LOOKING UP PRECEDENTS.
The Senate branch Of the joint committee
on counting the electoral vote held long
sessions again this morning and afternoon.
All the sessions thus far have been devoted
to the preliminary work OF examining and
discussing the historical records bearing
on the general subject, and no proposition
has yet been formally presented to the COM
mittee by any of its members. One OF them
says the indications are that no conclusion
on any point can possibly be reached by the
Senate branch of the committee for several
days at least, and that the matters now be-
fore them are in such an uncertain condi-
ton rs to preclude any reasonable con!ec-
ture as to the result Of their deliberations.
THE COMMITTEE ON COUNTING THE ELECTORAL
VOTE.
Senator Morton is reported as saying that
the Joint committee to devise q plan for
counting the electoral vote could accomp-
lish nothing, as the House portion was ex-
pressly organized to bring about disa-
greement. AS the chairman OF the House
committee is absent, and no meeting has
been held as yet, and will not be until JAM
uary Sd, Mr.. Morton is plainly assuming a
good deal. The Senate portion Of the COM
mittee was in session for several hours yes
terday, but is understood not to have taken
any important or decided action. The sub
stitution OF Mr.. Conkling for Mr.. Logan on
this committee is n decided change for the
better. Senator Logan is in Illinois endea-
voring to arrange for his reelection to the
Senate Washington Union.-
COUNTING THE VOTE.
The president OF the Senate will not, Of
his own motion, assume the responsibility
| of deciding in regard to the validity of the
returns-and, il the attempt be made to in
struct him to do so, the proposition will be
voted down by the Republican senator's.
| The votes will not be counted by the Presi-
dent of the Senate, because oil the WELL
established precedents are against any such
action. The Senate is governed by
presidents much more than the other
house. The next House will not
elect the President. No President can
be chosen by the House of Representa-
tives unless it is done before the 4th
of March. The vote Of no State will be re-
jected without the concurrence Of both
houses. The genuine official returns OF the
three contested southern States may be re-
ceiyed as prina facie evidence OF how the
votes of these States ought to be counted,
but they will not be considered as final
proof. No question Of either law or fact
will be submitted to the Supreme Court for
its decision. The electoral vote Of Oregon
will be one short-neither Cronin's nor
Watts's vote will be allowed to be counted.
The House of Representatives will do no
thing that is revolutionary, or even impoli-
tic. The Constitution will not be violated
Special to New York. Tribune.
THE IMPORTANCE OF LOUISIANA.
WASHINGTON, December 29.-An impress
sion seems to be gaining ground here that
ultimately the question OF the presidency
may hinge upon the disputed vote of Lou
isiana alone. 1t has all along been the
opinion of many Democrats that their
strongest point was in holding on to Lou
isiana, and not to make much OF contest
over the electoral vote Of either Florida OF
South Carolina In both South Carolina
and Florida it was an undoubted fact that
the Democratic State ticket received con-
siderably more votes than the Democratic
national ticket. 1t is and has always
been the opinion OF fair-mInded men
that in both Of those States the Democratic
State ticket was elected, although it ID &C
knowledged that the malorlties were COM
paratiyely small. This being the case, the
question has been whether the scratching
| d; IN