The Portland daily press., 1877-02-20
The Electoral Count.
THE LOUISIANA DECISION an
NOUNCED IN JOINT CON-
VENTION.
But Further Count
Postponed Till To-
Day.

dOuSb WbIt CTOWutu luis LlOTuluS. IF6ClStly
at IL o'clock the arrival of the Senate was an
nounced and the Senators entered the hail, the
members of the House rising to receive them.
The presiding officer then said: ''The joint
meeting of Congress resumes his session. The
objection presented to the certificates from
the state of Louisiana having been submitted to
the commission, the two Houses have recon-
vened to receive and consider the decision OF
that tribunal. 1t will now be read by the Sec
rotary of the Senate.
ELECTORAL COMMISSION,
Washington, d, c., Feb 16, A. d. 1877.
To the President of the Senate Of the United
States, presiding in the meeting Of the taCo
Houses Of Congress:
The Electoral Commission, having received
certain certificates and papers purportiDg to bs
certificates, and papers accompanying the same
of the electoral vote from the state OF Louisiana,
and objections thereto. submitted to 1t, now re-
ports that it has duly considered the same and
has by maj orty of votes decided and does
hereby decide, that the votes of w. P. Kellogg,
j. Henry Birch, Peter Joseph, l.. A. Sheldon,
Morris Mark, Aaron B. Levisse, Orlando ID.
Brewster and Oscar Jefferson, named in the
certificate of William P. Kellogg. Governor Of
said state, which votes are certified by said per-
sous as appears by the certificates submitted to
the commission as aforesaid, marked numbers
one and three by said commission, and herewith
returned, are the votes provided for by the
Constitution of the United States, and tn at the
tified namely eight votes for Rutherford B.
Hayes of the state of Ohio for President and
eight votes for William A. Wheeler of the state
of New York, for Vice President.
decided and does hereby decide and report,
that the eight persons first before named were
duly appointed electors in and by the said state
of Louisiana The brief ground of this decis-
ion is, that it appears upon such evidence as
by the constitution and the law is competent
nd IN ba onneidpratiOn Of tho suh-
ject, that the before mentioned electors appear
to have been lawfully appointed such electors
of President and Vice President of the United
States for the term beginning March 4th, 1877,
of the state of Louisiana, and that they voted
as such at the time and in the manner pr0vid-
ed for by the Constitution of the United States
and the law; and the commission has by ma
jority of votes decided that it is not competent
under the constitution and the law, as it exist.
ed at the date of the passage of said act, to go
into the evidence Gliunde the papers opened by
the President of the Senate in the presence of
the two houses, to prove that other persons
than those regularly certified to by the govern
or of state, according to the determination of
the appointed returning officers for elections in
said state, prior to the time required for the
performance of their duties, had been appoint
ed electors, or by counter proof to show that
they had not. or that the determination of said
returning officers was not 10 accordance with
the truth and fact, the commission by major
within the jurisdiction of the two houses of
Congress, assembled to count the votes for
President and Vice President, to enter upon a
trial of such question.
The commission, by majority of votes, is
also of opinion that it is not competent to prove
that any of said persons, SO appointed electors
aforesaid, held an office of profit or trust I'M
der the United States at the time when they
were appointed, or that they were ineligible I'M
der the laws of the state, or any other matter
offered to be proved aliunde said certificates and
papers. The commission is also OF opinion by
majority of votes that the returning officers
of elections who canvassed the votes at the
election for electors in Louisiana were law
fully constituted body, by virtue Of a constitu-
tional law, and that vacancy in said body did
not yisiate its proceedings.
The commission has also decided and does
hereby decide, by majority of votes, and re-
port as consequence OF the foregoing and upon
the ground before stated. that the paper pur-
porting to be certificate of the electoral votes
of said state of Louisiana objected to by T. o.
Howe and others, marked N G. No. 2, by the
commission, and herewith returned, is not the
certificate of the votes provided for by the con-
stitution of the United States, and that they
ought not to be counted as such.
Done at Washington the day and year first
above written.
SAMUEL F. MILLER,
w STRONG,
JOSEPH P BRADLEY,
GEoUGE F EDMUNDs,
o. p. MORTON,
FREDERICK F. FRELINGHUI SEN,
JAMES A. GARFIELD
GEORGE r. HOAR.
Tho decision having been read, the presiding
officer asked whether there were any objections
to the decision.
Mr.. Gibson of Louisiana, thereupon rose and
presented objections to the decision on the
ground that the commission had refused to re-
ceve evidence which had been offered and had
decided that the votes mentioned in certificates
Nos. / and should be counted for Hayes and
Wheeler, such evidence to the contrary not
withstanding. The paper recites at great length
point of it is the rejection of the evidence. 1t
is signed by most of the Democrats of both
Houses. The reading of the paper Occup led
just an hour. 1t was the driest of legal docu-
ments. Conversation prevailed on the floor and
in the galleries to such an extent that the pre-
siding officer had several times to appeal for Or
der and silence
At IL 45 the joint convention was again call
ed to order and the presiding officer asked
whether there were any further objections to
the decision.
Senator Wallace rose and presented objec-
lions, to the effect that the decision is in viola
ton of the electoral act.
No further objections being presented, the
presiding officers announced that the Senate
would withdraw to its chamber, SO that the two
Houses might separately consider and decide
upon the objections.
The Senate having accordingly withdrawn,
on motion of Mr. Wood of New York, the
House took recess till tomorrow morning
yeas 40, nays 100.
Prominent Democratic members of the House
say the purpose of the majority in ordering
recess till tomorrow, is to allow time for the
preparation Of objections to the vote of Watts,
the Oregon Republican elector.