Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-03-14

THE SENATE.
A Long and Interesting
Session.

"A AUIS ullU 1IltCTtStlHs
: Session.
Thurman Regrets that Hi
Friend Morton's Memory
II is Failing.
The Senator from Maine Believes
, Louisiana Kellogg Le-
gally Elected,
And Tells the Learned Gentle
men on the Democratic
Side a Few Facts.
SENATE.
, WASHINGTON, March 6.
Mr.. Blaine said he discovered how
unpleasant 1t was to have a record
He welcomed Thurman in coming
over to the right, and begged Nor.
ton not to get wrong.
i Mr.. Morton asked what was the
objection to Kellogg.
| Mr.. Blaine replied he had q rcso.
luton prepared on that su bject, when
this case was disposed of.
Mr.. Morton advised Blaine to look
out for his own record--that would
keep him busy.
i Mr.. Christiancy read from Bout
wells report to show the legality OF
the Mississippi Legislature was un-
questioned, recognized by courts and
the government, and despite some in
timidation majority of the Legisla-
turc were peacefully elected. In the
case of Pinchback the Senate Com
mittee reported there was no legal
Legislature.
Mr.. Thurman regretted his friend
Morton's memory was failing. He
had in every case held where a man
had been elected by a confessed State
Legislature and brought legal Gre
dentials, all prccedents demanded
that he be sworn in, but according to
the report of the senate elections
committee it was not a Legislature
but mob that elected Pinchback !:
therefore, Pinchback's credentials
were refused. H
Mr.. Morton said Pinchback's elec-
tion was certified to by a governor
acknowledged by every department
of the government, and the legisla-
ture which elected him had enacted
hundreds of statutes and was recor-
nized by the State Supreme Court.
He said the election in Mississippi in
1875 was well known to be a scene of
carnage, and it might be shown when
Investigated that the legislature was
not legal body. A republican ma
jority of 10000 was overcome in.
that state by violence. a5
Mr.. Morton cOmbatted these views
and facts.
Mr.. Howe made argument in favor
of Pinchback. There was no claim
ant or remonstrance against Lamar
fled in the Senate. q
Mr. Mcmillan took the same ground
and for the same reasonsihc would
not in voting for Lamar, recognize
the validity of the body which elect
ed him, but would pass on that here
after. s.
Mr.. Morton said that if it was right
to seat Lamar, it was great wrong
not to seat Pinchback.
Mr.. Spencer's motion to refer to
the elections committee the creden-
tials of Lamar was lost, Wadleigh
alone voting for it, and the original
resolution of Wallace agreed to by
the same vote.
Mr.. Lamar was then escorted to the
desk of the president by Davis and
West of Virginia, and the Vice -Presi-
dent administered the oath.
Mr.. Blaine moved the adoption of
a resolution that Kellogg be sworn
in.
Mr.. Bayard asked permission to
have the credentials of Morgan, Sem
atOr elect from Alabama, presented.
His case was the same as Lamar's.
Mr.. Blaine said Kellogg's case came
before either of the others.
Mr.. Bayard then moved that the
credentials of Kellogg be tabled until
they could be referred to the elections
committee.
Mr.. Blaine regretted that it was
necessary to detain the Senate on
Kellogg's case. He had hoped there
would be no objections to his creden-
tials. He believed he was elected le-
gally and represents the legal govern
ment of Louisiana, and he didn't see
how any senator who voted to count
the electoral vote of Louisiana for
Hayes and Wheeler could doubt that
Packard was equally of right the
governor of that state. There might
be some keen logic that would dis
criminatc, but he could not sec how
a man who had nearly one thousand
votes more than the electoral ticket
had was not elected. Nobody in the
senate, especially on the other side,
was permitted to doubt that the clcc-
toral vote of Louisiana had been
properly cast for Hayes and Wheeler
it having been decided by the tribu-
nal created by that side. All of them
but Eaton, who was guiltlcss, of that
tribunal had voted for it. He be-
lieved that high and faultless body
had reached a proper conclusion.
Mr.. Thurman asked if the senate
could not do what the tribunal re-
fused to, namely, look back of the
returning board.
Mr.. Blaine said he would reach
that soon. The tribunal had decided
not to go behind the Returning
Board, which was constitutionally
and legally competent to make the
count and declare the electors.
Mr.. Blaine continued: l stand
here to-day that the honor and credit
and faith of the Republican party, in
SO far as the election of Hayes and
Wheeler is concerned, are as indis-
solnbly united in maintaining the
|rightfulness Of the return of that BODY
as tho illustrious House of Hanover
that sits on the throne of England to-
day is in maintaining the rightful-
ness of the Revolution of 1858. You
discredit Packard and you discredit
Hayes. You hold that Packard is
not the legal Governor of Louisiana
and that President Hayes has no title
to his seat, and the honored Vice
President, who presides over our de-
liberations, has no title to his chair,
l say, therefore, that an action Of the
Returning Board, which the Senator
from Ohio admits was determined by
the Electoral Commission to be a
competent, legal and constitutional
body, vests authority in s. b. Pack
to exercise the Governorship Of that
State, and on the authority of that
Board rests the Legislature of that
State, and by the Legislature of that
State William Pitt Kellogg was duly
elected Senator by the government
Of that State. Thus having been de-
clarcd elected, he comes here COM
missioned as Senator, bearing the
great seal of that State, as maintain
and I do not, unless challenged upon
that point, desire to go into any de-
tails of the election.
Mr.. Thurman-Do I interrupt the
Senator? e
Mr.. Blaine-Not at all.
Mr.. Thurman-Does the Senator
understand thas the Returning Board
counts votes for Governor and de-
clares who is elected Governor?
Mr.. Blaine-The Legislature did
that.
Mr.. Thurman.-Then the Senator
is in great error.
Mr.. Blaine-No, never said any
such thing, but they were based on
- A.