The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-02-14

Comm to the Secretary of War, who shall
make inquiry and report upon the extent, ex.
pediency of and the necessity tor the proposed
improvement, and such report shall be made
part OF the report of the committee OF the Sen
ate. Ordered to be printed.
Mr.. Sargent submitted resolution calling
upon the President to transmit to the Senate if
not incompatible with public interest, report
of the expenses of the Department of State
from 1889 to 1876, also the expenditures on &C.
count of foreign intercourse during the same
period. Agreed to.
Mr.. Anthony submitted a concurrent resolu-
ton to print extra copies of digest of decis-
ions of the Attorney General of the Federal
Courts upon questions of International law and
kindred subjects. Referred to Committee on
Mr.. Mitchell submitted an amendment to the
deficiency appropriation bill approprsting
$25OO0 defray the expenses necessarily incur
red 10y the committee on privileges and cleo
lions in making an investigation as to the
election in various Southern states under the
resolution of Mr.. Edmunds adopted on the 9th
of December Ordered printed.
Mr.. Mitchell called up the resolution for the
arrest of the witness.J ordan, and urged its pas
sage.
Debate ensued in which Cooper, Salisbury,
Herman, Mitchell, Achorn and Kelly took part,
going into the merits Of the Oregon case Fin
ally the resolution as submitted yesterday was
agreed to withous division.
The Pacific Railroad sinking fund bill was
taken up in order that it be the unfinished
business Tomorrow
The Senate then went into executive session
and at 40 took recess till 10 tomorrow.
HOUSE.
House met at 10 a. m. and from that hour till
IL As the Clerk engaged in reading journal of
legislative day of February LIST, which contain
ed up to and including yesterday. By the new
rule adopted yesterday, henceforth each day
will be considered legislative day
Mr.. Hewitt from Com mittee on Foreign AT.
fairs, reported back Senate bill to encourage
and promote Geographic communication be-
tween America and Europe, and the bill pass
ed.
The House as regular order proceeded to the
consideration of the report of the Committee
on Elections in Florida, declaring Tilden cleo.
tors elected in that state.
Mr.: Wilson of Iowa, asked MIR. Hopkins,
who had charge of the matter, what latitude he
was going to allow to debate.
Mr.. Hopkins said he would allow the other
side as much time as it desired.
Mr.. Wilson said he did not want any time,
he did not want to be bothered by this funeral
business.
Mr.. Hopkins said he intended to limit debate
to one hour, but since he had seen the extraor.
binary spectacle of q tribunal refusing to inyes-
tigate the real vote of Florida, since he b ad
seen the report of the minority of the commit
tee containing evidence which had never been
taken and containing reflections upon the ma
10rlty which were utterly unwarranted, he
thought there should be more time for debate.
he then proceeded to argue in support of the
resolution, add declared that as soon as it was
found to be of the utmost importance that Flor
ida should be counted for Hayes, the Republi-
can conspirators had Sent men and money TO
that State to accomplish that object. By this
means the election had been carried by fraud,
and an election thus carried was stab at the
very vitals of the Republic.
Mr.. Dunnell, who had signed the minority
report, spoke in support of that report He
defended the action of the Electoral Commls-
SION In refusing to receive the report of the ma
Jorlty as evidence in the Florida case No tri-
buna iL the world would receive 1t as evidence.
1t was simply an investigation carried on by a
partisan majority, handled for the purpose and
handled solely for the accomplishment of that
purpose.
Mr. Purman Of Florida, (Republican) during
speech, declared amidst much applause from
the Democrats) that the Tlden electors were le-
gally elected 10 Florida, and the action of the
c.nvassing board was INSCRIPTIONS and fraud
ulent
Mr.. Purman toward the close of his speech
in vindication of the Republican party, said /:
Inc Republican party in our state witn all its
dissensIons healed, and with the whole macbiD-
cry of the state government in it's hands went
into the last campaign determined to win if our
own resources and efforts, coupled with the
most heroic devotion on the part of our voters
could achieve such an end. Free speech and
free locomotlon were enjoyed to the fullest ex-
tent by the speakers ard managers of both
sides, and at no time during the campaign or
from any portion of the state came up the cry
OF Intimidation. With one or two minor eX-
ceptions it was without violence, the most peace
iul election ever held in the state, and not a
case OF violence or disturbance on election day
has come to my knowledge. 1t seemed the pc.
culiar privilege of the Republicans to win IN
der all these advantageous circumstances hut
it is fact, sir, which cannot stand upon this
floor and deny, and which every man, woman
and child in my safe knows, that Florida was
lost by the Republican party in the late cleo
ton, and that the Democratic Governor and the
Iilden electors were truly elected. make
this declaration now under the most solemn
sense of duty and from an irresistible feeling
OF obligation to the people of my state, who
have right to expect that however partisan
their representatives may be in his political
faith be should, at least on questions of public
fact, be an honest man.
But, sir, l would not be understood in maxi
ing this declaration to be laying claim to any
unusual amount of honesty or conscience but
[ only assert my knowledge of the facts. ilove
the principles of the Republican party. and for
their sake have been sipged by the fires of mar.
tyadom. and L balieve in the ultimate triumph
OF its regenerating mission, but 1 cannot re-
turn to my state and look my constituents in
the face If. standing upon this floor and in the
presence OF American citizens anxious and en-
titled to know the whole truth concerning this
dangerous Presidential issue, should shrink
from the responsibility of do ng Justice to nv
state and defending her honest political victory
against the wi!fuI perversiOn of bold dishon-
est aud INSCRIPTIONS state canvassng board,
Applause on the Democratic SIDE Should NV
Democratic colleague in this House introduce a
resolution declaring that the St. Johns river
had its rise in the southern portion of our state
flowed northward for hundreds of miles and
emptied its waters into the Atlantic ocean, 1
would De compelled to support the affirmative
OF the resolution for the reason that would
know the statement to be true, being personally
acquainted with the geography of that coun-
try. Therefore, for like reasons am compelIed
to give assent 10 any declarations which have
been or may be made upon this floor that the
Tllden electors were truly elected IN Florida,
and that only by ways that are dark and
tricks that in this case have not pro ed to be
in vain, We're these electors and majority of
the people OF the United States defrauded out
of their fair and lawful victory.
Porman continued at length, giving in some
detail the facts as to all the election canvass
and all subsequent proceedings very similar to
what has already been stated BY the Democrat
ic committee.
Purman continued: Whether Governor
Hayes or Governor Tilden succeed to the Presi-
dency in neither event will the Republican
oioiAiauoo W ou'U W Cldlm t0elr au-
thor.ty whether rightfully entitled or not. The
pressure will be too great, both upon them and
upon the President, and the policy of a Repub-
lican administration necessarily will be to Sc
cure peace and reconciliation at the price of
any concessions involving the rights of South
ern Republicans. But whatever the future
may have in store and however mournful to
view our noble political organizations swal-
lowed up in the vortex of Democracy, think,
however that when the gloom OF our defeat
passes away and the morning sunshine from
the east comes to light upon the fiowery hills
and villages of our state that light and warmth
OF our Republican principles will be mingled
with that sunshine and descend in universal
blessing upon all our people irrespective of
race or condition, whether dwelling amidst
their fragrant orange groves or among the
snowy fields of cotton.
Lawfully and peacefully the defeated Cover
nor handed over the government of our state to
his Democratic successor, who | am conf
dent will never raise ironocastlc hands against
the free and impartial Institutions established
by the Republican party under which our
state has enjoyed an era of progress and deveI.
opment unequalled in annals of the past
Mr.. Purman's speech was listened to with
most marked interest on the part of the Demo-
cratic members particularly, who occupied
every seat and standing place in his Immediate
neghborhood, many of whom complimented
him warmly as he sat down.
Mr. Woodburn, member of the committe,
criticised the gentleman from Forida( Purnam)
for characlerizlng the canvassing board of the
state as bad, INSCRIPTIONS and dishonest set.
The gentlemen comprising that board would
compare favorably with the ger tleman from
Florida or with any member OF the floor, and