The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-02-28
it for four months. or four days even. laugh

1t tor TOUR months, or four days even. laugh
ter and applause.)
Mr. Seelye of Massachusetts, opposed the
BILL Much greater evils, he said, came from
hasty legislation than from no legislation, Still
he supposed there would be unanimous assent
to the pending measure II the clause to which
the gentleman from Iowa (Kasson) had,obiecte1
was omitted. That clause offered premium
to Congress for not doing its duty and it offered
accessibility to the Senate to secure as Presi-
dent of the United States its own presiding
officer contrary to the will of the peonle'
These two objections, it seemed to him, were
fatal to the measure.
Mr.. Banks of Massachusetts opposed the bill
on the ground that it was unnecessary, and no
condition of things could arise in which the
Presidential vote could not be counted. Wher-
ever there was government, whether in peace
or war, the President Of the Senate had the
constitutional power to count the vote. This
bill made refusal or neglect to count the vote a
constitutional procedure. 1t was in direct
opposition to the declaration OF the trainers of
the constitution, acted under for nearly one
hundred years, that Congress should have
nothing whatever to do with the election of
President
Mr. Field replied to the various objections to
the bill, and asserted as proof of its necessity
that If it had not been for the electoral bill the
vote of the last Presidential electors could
never have been counted and declared. His
friend from Massachusetts, (Banks) was in part
responsible for this omission from the laws. for
many years and had not provided any bill
for this purpose
Mr. Banks-Thero never was any necessity
for it.
Mr. FieldmNow we have an emergency we
know the difficulty. Let us act like men and
provide for it, Iappeal to my friends on the
other side to come forward, not in the spirit of
partlsans, but in the spirit of statesmen. to
provide for it. Do not tell US that it applies to
tnls election. 1t does apply to that and to all
elections as it should apply.
The bill was then ordered read the third time
and having been SO read, was passed-yeas 1873.
nays Ivy, party vote, except that one Repub-
!lcan tPurman of Florida) voted for it, and the
IoiloWing named democrats against it: Buck
ner OF Missouri, Goodin of Kansas, Hancock
OF Texas, Knott of Kentucky, Neal of Ohio,
Potter OF Michigan, Savage of Ohio, Stevenson
OF Illinois, Tarbox Of Massachusetts, Thomas
of Maryland, Warren of Massachusetts,, White
house of New York, and Williams OF Della
ware.
MIR. Schleicher moved to suspend the rules
and adopt resolution that Congress recognize
| the Hampton and Nichols state governments.
| 1t was rejected-yeas 156, nays 93-not two.
| thirds in the affirmative
Mr.. Watterson of Kentucky, moved to sIs-
| pend the rules and adopt resolution recitng
the text OF telegram sent yesterday to Gov.
Nichols of Louisiana, by authority of the Pres
ident, to the effect that the Nichols govern
| ment should be sustained as representing the
best elements of the state, and declaring that
the opinions expressed by the President were
| sound, and are the sentiments of large major
ity OF the American people.
| Calls were made on the Republican side of
the House for the author of the telegram, but
his name was not given.
| 10 remark made by the Speaker to Mr..
Conger of Michigan, that the Chair was right
in not allowing any suggestions to bs made af-
ter the yeas and nays were ordered, Mr.. Cong
ger retorted in his usual sarcastic Tone that the
Speaker might be right by mere chance. Laugh.
| ter.)
The motion to suspend the rules and adopt
the resolution was defeated, yeas 127, nays IS,
not twO-thirds in the affirmative,
The conference report on the Indian appro-
priation bill was agreed to.
Mr.. Cox of New York, moved recess till 10
tomorrow.
The vote was very close, many of the moder-
ate Democrats voting with the Republicans
against a recess, in order that the Electoral
Commission might have an opportunity of re-
porting this evening. 1t was, however, carried
by majority of 1, whereat there was consider
able hand.clapping on the Democratic side of
I the chamber.
House accordingly at o'clock took a recess
| till tomorrow morning.