Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-03-02

The Electoral ommissiun rendered its
decision in the Oregon case last Friday af-
ternoon, giving the vote of the State TO
Hayes-the decision on this question being
the same rs in the Florida aud Louisiana
cases-S to Z. On vote, however, to rec
ognize Crouin as an elector the decision
was unanimously in the negative. Senator
Thurman OF the Commits sion being sick
and confined to his house, when the final
vote was taken, the Commission LEFT
the court room and went TO his bed
side, where his vote was taken and
recorded. With this decision in the Ore
gon case the last hope of the Democrats
vanished, and the feeling on the part Of the
obstructionisis in the House was naturally
one Of bitter rage and disappointment. As
soon as the nature Of the decision became
known, a motion for a recess in the House
was carried, and the Democratic members
OF that body went into caucus. The North
ern Democrats manifested a very earnest
desire to have the majority agree to adopt a
fillbustering policy to defeat the further
count Of the Presidential votes. 1t was
significant circumstance that the only adj
vocates OF this line of policy were from the
North and West. The Southern members,
for the most part, resOlutely adhered to the
position which they had previously takeu,
and absolutely declined TO become parties
to any such revolutionary proceeding. The
discussion developed great diversity of
opinion, but notwithstanding the conciia-
tory speeches., there was manifested dis
position 10 use all possible means TO pre-
vent the count Of the votes of The Oregon
and South Carolina electors; and the final
decision was, not to allow the joint couven-
| ton TO assemble until Monday and leaving
| it optional with the members whether the
debate should then be allowed to proceed
without another recess. This Caucus action
was a forbidding one and gave rise to no
little anxiety on the part of the Republic
cans aud all friends Of law and order Wi
ser counsels seem to have prevailed among
| the Democrats over night, however, for
when the House met, Saturday morning,
and resolution was offered to notify the
Senate that the House would be ready to
| go into joint convention at o'clock, Mr..
Wilson of Iewa offered a substitute pro-
posing immediate action, which was agreed
fore, resumed about noon, the Commits
sion's decision read, and objections Of the
familiar character submitted by the Demo-
Gratis, and the two branches then separated.
The Senate Immediately began debate,
which ended in the decision being suslain-
ed by strict party vote OF 40 to a. Tho
obstructi onists in the House attempted to
secure a recess till Monday, but were over
ruled, ljS to ll2, and an effort to fiibuster
was blocked by Speaker Randall, who
seemed suddenly TO have awuhe 10 a sense
of the position in which he was placing
himself before the country by encouraging
dilstory motions as he had done on pre-
vious occasions. a two bours debate fol-
lowed, which ended in the adoption OF a
resolution declaring that Waits, the alleged
ineligible Oregon elector, was not entitled
to cast his vote for Hayes. The joint con-
ventiOn was then resumed, when The three
vStes of Oregon were duly announced to
have been cast for Hayes, the two branches
not having agreed to reverse the Commits
sion's decision. Pennsylvania was The next
State in order, and objection was made by
the Democrats TO counting the vote cast by
llGll ~. u l1H~. W 10 WAS tnbStn 10 I'LL tle
vacancy in the electoral college caused by
tue absence Of Daniel j. Morrill,, who was a
centennial commissioner and therefore,
ineligible when elected. The Senate, after
debate, decided To count the vote, but the
House tcrk recess ill Monday morning.
On Monday attempts at filibustering were
renewed in the House, out the obstruction.
lists were finally defeated, and the debate
on Pennsylvania was begun. At IFS close
the vote on declaring that tho vote OF the
alleged ineligible eleclor from Pennsylva-
mia should not be counted, was 1876 ayes to
10 nays. Tue joint convention then re-
assembled at $40, aud Pennsylvania was
counted for Hayes. The vote Of Baker,
one of the electors Of Rhode Island, was
objected TO, and the two houses separated
at $3.50. The result, Of course, was that
when the joint convention ie.assembled at
6 O'Clock, Rhode Island vas put in the
Hayes column, aud the count proceeded TO
South Carolina. The duplicate certificates
from this State were read, the usual objec-
tions were presented, aud then the papers
were referred TO the Commission, after
which both houses took recess 10 Tues
day.
1t was at first understood that, as the
Democrats felt that they had no case in the
Democratic certificates from South CARROLL
ma, no arguments would he made before
the Commission by counsel ON either side.
When the Commission met ON Tuesday,
however, Judge Black and Montgomery
Blair appeared and made short arguments
in support of the Democratic claim. The
Republican counsel declined TO make anv
arguments and submitted the case at one
O'clock. The Commission went into secret
session at once, and their final decision
was in favor of the Hayes electors, by the
old vote of to-.