Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-02-24
The Commission.
Oregon's Three Votes are
Given to Hayes.
C&0NlN'S VOTE REJECTED,
4 TO II.

WASHINGTON, February %, 2 p. NJ. The )m
mission, "hch met in private session at 10 A. NJ,
to c insider the Oregon case, has sat with closed
doors, aud nothing is known Of Its proceedings,
except from hints dropped by members who have
now and them stepped out of the Supreme Court
room. large and anxious crowd of watchers
have stood around the doors, and every person
VINO has come out of the commission room has
been besieged for news.
1t is known that an animated discussion has
been and Is still going on with reference 10 the
rious points raised, and it has just been stated that
nearly all the Commission agree that the Cronln
vote cannot be counted.
The point on winch the democrats are insisting
IS that only two legal votes were cast, and those
for Hayes-thus making the elect lral college a
tie, and throwing the election INTO tn. House
Ine republican congressional members are in
slstlng that IN Cronns absence IN any point OF
view, there were three legal votes cast for Hayes
and Wheeler
the three votes of Oregon to HAYES. Edmunds
pared of with Thurman. The commission voted
to ii not to receive Cronin's vote.
Senator Thurman being confined to his house
by illness, the rest of the commission proceeded to
his residence and there adopted by a strict party
vote, to 4 resolution offered by Senator Nor
ton declaring that the votes of W. ii. Odell, John
Z. Cartwright and John w. Watts, the Hayes and
Wheeler electors for Oregon, should be counted.
The commission previously voted on the admissa-
mously.
A number of other resolutions embodying the
contrary view of the main question, were offered
by the democratic members, and uniformly re-
Jected by vote OF to 7.
More or less extended Arguments were made by
Justices Miller, Strong, Field aud Bradley, and
representative Hunton. None of the other mem
bers presented any arguments to-day. Justice
Bradley was the last speaker, and the announce
ment OF his views regarding this case was awaited
with intense interest. He argued at some length
to show that there was nothing in the Louisiana
ond Florida decision Inconsistent with the count
ing OF the vote of Watts, together with those of
other republican electors of Oregon.
Although the debate was very earnest, the ut
most courtesy and appar, Mt good feeling was
manifested by all the members of the commission,
throughout the entire discussion
On motion of Mr.. Morton the Injunction of Sc
crecy upon the acts and proceedings of the COM
mission except as regards their report to the joint
session OF Congress was removed, AMI the Com
mission adJournei TO meet In the Supreme Court
room at IL o'clock tomorrow.
The decision holds that though an elector be
inelIg BILE when elect ed il he be eligible when he
meets with the Electoral College, his vote is valid
and must be counted. The Secretary of the Con-
mission will tomorrow morning deliver to the
President pro tempore of the Senate the formal
decision together with all certificates and accom-
panyln papers in the case which were referred to
the Commission, and the secretary will also de
liver 10 the Speaker of the House formal notif-
cation, signed by the president of the sion,
that their decision had been communicated to the
president pro TEN of the Senate.
Upon the reassembing of the two Houses in
Joint session the decision will be read and entered
upon their respective journals, and thereupon in
accordance with the electoral act, the vote of Ore
gon must be Immediately counted for Hayes and
Wheeler, unless the two Houses shall separately
concur in ordering otherwise.