Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-15
NIuttcriilSS.

Hon. William Beach Lawrence, Of Newport,
whose cmincncc as 4 iurist, ard his reputation
both in This country aud Europe rs wrltor on
public law give lis opinions claim to atten-
tioD, in recent interview with a correspond
cnt of the New York Herald said:
IF VIC understand the decisions which have
reached US not only is the Florida case disposed
Of but also that of Louisiana, while it is said
that in deciding on the question OF the dlsqual-
fcatious of Florida eIector it has been at
tempted 10 anticipate the case oil the Oregon
cIec;or the principle of which can 10 no posi-
bic way be distinguished from the one in Rhode
Island, as to which the Governor OF this State
acted in accordance w,ih the opinion OF the
Supreme Court, given under the constitution
Of the State.
"For the last four years Louisiana cannot be
| said to have had republican government. An
| irresponsible body, with power OF perpetual,
| ing themselves, has had an absolute control
over the sutfrages, as affecting az we'll elections
| in which the nation is concerned as ier State
| officers. The diSgrgceul nature OF the proceed
jnrs before the Canvassing Board of Louislaua,
whicl, hawked about the votes oil the State,
Offering !hem first TO one party then TO the
other Tor = pccuniary consideration, as well as
the pcrurg and forgery by which Nlr. llIdcn
was deprived oil ma jorlty oil 5000 or lO,OoO
yo!es and Hayes electors chosen by 1000, Is
not only known 10 the world at large, but re-
| corded 10 almost every page OF the Congress,
sional proceedings; yet il the course pursued
| in tho case Of Florida be carried out the eyes
| of the Commissioners will be closed to them
aud the certificates Of Wells and Anderson and
| their negro associates be made conclusive Tor
the election OF the next President OIL the United
States.
us there any remedy? Are those membcrs
| OF the commission who constitute the minority,
but whose sanction, at least, 10 moral sense,
would BE- necessary to the completion oil TINS
slupcndous fraud, 10 bc obliged to give their
tacit assent by their presence 10 the elevation
10 power of one who had conlessedly 3OO' OOU
votes below his competitor in the popular can
vass, and the validity oil whose electoral votes
is by the action Of the commission conesscdIy
incapable CT sustaining any scrutiny
The disposition Of the commission, whose
consttutonality is we'll questioned, could have
no other practical effect thao TO leave to the
House the election OF the President and to thu
Senate that Of Vice President.
MIR Lawrence frankly admitted that Nlr:
Ti!den'5 chances at present looked very blue,
and he was convinced that the commission
would decide Louisiana, and possibly Oregon,
in addition to Florida, Tor Hayes and Wheeler.
He thinks Tiidcn has, however, good case If
Oregon.
II wish ii distinctly understood that place
the proposed withdrawal oil the democratic
members from the commission apart from any
question of consti,utionaIty, Oh the ground
that the refusal CT the majority to 90 into any
scrutiny of the validity OF the votes given fol
the electors Was virtual abdication OF their
functions, which were to ascertain from tht
papers before Congress, or otherwise, who were
The legally chosen electors. 10 their report OF
the Florida case the commission only has done
what it was proposed by The republicans that
the President OF the Senate should do, and tC
prevent which the commission was instituted.
Nor is the case different in its results II we are
to regard the commission not 10 its constltu
tiooal or legal aspect. but as a matter oil arbl
lration. That even an arbitration between IA
lions is not binding unless the award ip'l0w
> the submission was fully shown in the case 0
the reference of the northeastern boundary u
the United States to the King of the Neither.
' lands who, instead Of deciding what were tht
mountains Of the treaty, made the bOundarIe
between the United States and Nova Scotia il
the middle ola river. The decision was
once rcpuliatcd by the United States, ant
England admitted that it was uot binding OF
IL. Had the commission gone into tue c1aml
nation OF the testimony on which the rights u
The respective claimants depended, Congress
might hav. been, at least, morally bound By 1t
Whatever the decision. As it Is there cln b.
no protext that the report Ut the commls>lo
, has any force