Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-10-19
Congress-.


and proceeded to the business of or
ganization at II o'clock, when clerk
Adams read the Presidents proclaim
alton convening Congress in extra
session, and proceeded at once to call
the roll of members, commencing
with the State of Maine. When the
State of Louisiana was reached, the
clerk explained his reasons for leaV-
inc off the roll the name of George
L. Smith, in the fourth district, and
Charles E. Nash, in the sixth dis
trict, both Republicans, and placing
thereon in their stead the names of
J. B. Elan and E. W. Robertson,
both Democrats. A similar explana-
ton was made when Florida was
reached, in this case the clerk having
acted upon the certificates received
from the present Governor of Flori-
da, and placed Davidson, Democrat,
and Bisbee, Republican, on the roll.
No objections were raised from the
Republican side, it having been de-
termined in caucus to let these two
States pass and make an objection
to the case of Colorado, the Clerk
having refused to recognize the GER
tificate of the Governor of that State
certifying the election of Mr.. .Belford.
From the Third District of Missouri
no certificate of any kind had been
received, and of course the Clerk
could place no name on the roll from
that district.
The House proceeded to the cleo
tion of speaker. The result of the
ballot was-Randall I49 and Gar
field 1872. Mr.. Garfield received six
votes less than the number of Repub-
licans called, while every Democrat,
gave mis- vote for Randall.
The speaker elect was conducted
to the chair by Messrs. Garfield and
Goode, and after some applause from
the floor, proceeded to read, in his
usual nervous, hesitating manner, the
speech which he had previously pre-
pared. The Clerk and other officers
nominated at the Democratic caucus
were then formally elected, when the
members were called up by States
and sworn in. Mr.. Cox objected. to
the oath of Office being administered
to Messers. Rainey and Cain, of
South Carolina, and Darral, of Lou
isiana, Republicans, and Mr.. Frye
objected to Messrs. Elan and Rob
ertson, of Louisiana, Democrats, and
those gentlemen were required to
stand aside. After all the members
had been sworn in, a recess was tax
en- uEtil o'clock, but no business,
other than drawing for seats was
transacted.
Whatever may be said of the ac-
ton of the Clerk of the House in re-
gard to the contested seats in Louis
lana and Florida, his refusal to place
on the roll of membership the name
of Mr.. Belford, the duly-elected Re-
pubublican Representative from Col
orado, involves very dangerous pre-
cedent. He stated simply that Mr..
Belford had been deprived of his
seat because he was elected |
at a time not authorized by |
law, but he made no mention
of the fact that the election referred |
to was held under proclamation
from the Governor, that it resulted |
IN giving Mr.. Belford an undisputed |
majority of more than eight hundred
votes, and that his demand for a seat
was based upon the only evidence of
which the Clerk of the House can le-
gally take cognizance-a certificate
regular in form and duly signed by
the chief magistrate of the State. It
was not Mr.. Adams duty to Judge
of the legality of the Colorado cleo
ton, and in presuming to do SO he
has clearly usurped function which
belonged to the House.