Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-02-07

qualification OF every elector, was startling one,
for II the tribunal could go into one case 1t could
go into all. II the commission went into the in |
qury not upon the credentials presented, but to
undertake to find out how many votes were cast
for each candidate It would he found that neither
Congress nor the tribunal could reach result.
The case ON the other side rested ON the argument
that the people voted for electors at the polls and
to ascertain who had been elected the commission
must determine whom the people had voted for.
lie said the voting at the polls was one Of the
steps the state provided for the mode Of canvass
ing and determining who was elected and third
step was the issuing OF the certificate. All this
the action of the state lie cited the law,
giving discretionary power to the canyassers Of
the state. What law, he asked, was to be looked
a. in determining the powers of the board of can
vassers2 Was it the law in force when they were
appointed, upon law passed after they had
met and performed the functions of this office
The electors had met, had performed their duties,
and had adjourned. Now IL was claimed that the
judgment In the quo warranto proceedings dated
back for nearly two months This he maintained
was not the law. The quo warranto proceedings
did not vitiate any act Of the incumbent of an
office, nor did it Dust him from the office until
judgment was rendered In support Of this
he cited several authorities to show that the
court had refused to issue writ of quo ,odr-
rdnto in cases where the term Of office would ex
pire before a judgment could be rendered In
this (Florda) case, he said the duties had been
performed, and the office had ceased, and the par
ties against whom the proceedings were directed |
were no longer officers. Mr. McCrary then pro-
ceeded to argue that the action Of the Circuit
Court in Florida was void, illegal and unconstitu-
tional. lie concurred with his colleague, Mr..
Kasson that the constitution conferred upon the |
person who counted the vote the merest minis |
terial duty of simply enumerating the votes re- |
turned, simply to cOunt-a much more restricted |
expression than "t to canvass" Referring to the |
quo warranto case, he said he would not under |
take to say what would be the effect of decision
Of the question one way by the tribunal and |
another way by the Supreme Court of Florida |
touching the alleged disqualification Of one of the
electors by his having been United States Ship
ping Commissioner He said he had been in |
formed that II the tribunal went into that ques
ton it would he found that he had resigned that
office before the election. At the conclusion of
the arguments Mr. Field endeavored to introduce
testimony. This was objected to by Senator Ed
munds, who said such a course would consume
too much time, and would ruin the entire object
Of the commission. 1t was finally agreed THAT
such testimony as was agreed upon by both sides
should be presented, printed. Adjourned.
SATURDAY, February 3D.
No business of importance was transacted in
either house, with the exception of the following
message from the President favoring early re-
turn to specie payments
"7o the Senate and House Of Representatives.:
| Nv tba apt ~
1915 to provide for the resumption of specie pay
ments, the LIST of January 1879, is fixed as the
date when such resumption is to begin. 1t may
not be desirable to fix an earlier date when it
shall actually become obligatory upon the govern
ment to redeem its outstanding lega-tender notes
in coin on presentation, but it is most certainly
desirable and will prove most beneficial to every
| pecuniary interest of the country to hasten the
day when the paper circulation of the country and
the gold coin shall have equal values. At a
later day if currency and coin should retain
equal values it might become advisable to author
ize or direct resumption. believe the time has
come, when by simple act of the legislative
branch of the government this most desirable re-
suit can be attained. am strengthened in this
view by the course trade has taken in the last
two years, and by the strength OF the credit Of
the United States at home and abroad. For the
fiscal year, ending June 30th, 1875, the exports of
the United States exceeded the imports by
hundred and twenty million two hundred and
thirteen thousand one hundred and two dollars
but our exports include forty million five hundred
| and sixty nine thousand six hundred and twenty
one dollars of specie and bullion in of the
same commodities For the six months of the
present fiscal year, from July LIST, 1876, to Jan
nary LIST, 1877, the excess Of the exports over the
imports amounted to one hundred and seven mil
lion five hundred and forty-four thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine dollars, and the imports
Of specie and bullion exceeded the exports OF the
precious metals by one hundred and ninety-two
thousand one hundred and forty-nine dollars in
the same time. The actual excess of exports over
imports for the six months, exclusive of specie
and bullion, amounted to one hundred and thir-
teen million seven hundred and thirty-seven thou
sand and forty dollars showing for the time being
the accumulation of specie and bullion in the
country amounting to more than six million dol
lars in addition to the national product Of these
metals for the same period, total increase of gold
and silver for the six months not far short of
sixty million dollars It is very evident that
less this great increase of the precious metals
be utilized at home in such a way as to make
, ii in some manner remunerative to the hold
ers it must seek Il foreign market rs surely
as would any other product Of the soil manu-
facture. Any legislation which will keep coin
and bullion at home WILL in my judgment, soon
bring about practical resumption and will add the
coin of the country to the circulating medium
thus securing healthy "inflation" of sound
currency, to the great advantage of every legit-
mate business interest The act to provide for the
resumption of specie payments authorized the
Secretary of the Treasury to issue bonds of either
Of the descriptions named in the act of Congress
approved July ith, 1870, entitled An act to au-
thorize the refundng of the national debt for not
less than par, in gold, with the present value Of
, the four and one-half per cent bonds in the
markets Of the world They could be exchanged
at par for gold, thus strengtheningthe treasury to
meet final resumption, and to keep the excess of
, coin over the demand, pending its use, circu-
/ lating medium at home All that would further
be required would be to reduce the volume of
legal tender notes in circulation. TO accomplish
this would suggest an act authorizing the Score
tary Of the Treasury to issue four per cent bonds
with forty years to run before maturity, to be ex-
changed for legal tender notes whenever pre-
scented in sums of fifty dollars or any multiple
q thereof, the whole amount of such bonds, how
ever, not to exceed one hundred and fifty million
dollars To increase the home demand for such
bonds | would recommend that they be made
available for deposit in the United States treasury
for banking purposes, under the various pro-
visions of law relating to national banks. would
suggest, further, that the national banks be re-
quired to retain certain per cent Of the coin in
terest received by them from the bonds deposited
with the treasury to secure their circulation
would also recommend the repeal of the third
section of the joint resolution for the issue of silver
coin approved July odd 1876 limiting the sub
sidiary coin and fractional currency To fifty million
e dollars am satisfied that II Congress will enact
/ some such law as will accomplish the end sug-
e gested they will give relief to the country, in
slant in It's effect and for which they will receive
4 the gratitude of the wholepeople. u. S. GRANT
. Executive Mansion, February I'd, 1871"
, The electoral commission heard arguments for
five hours on the question Of its authority to 60
I behind the returns, examine their validity and
, take testimony upon the conduct OF the returning
b boards Merrck aud Judge Black spoke for the
= democrats and Stanley Matthews and Mr.. Slough
= ton for the Republicans, on the question of the
4 power of the commission To take testimony other
n | Al. Al, lnfd Ia, ha