The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-03-08
FORTYFOURTH CONGRESS.


In the Senate, February 26, most of the u u
day was consumed in awaiting the readiness
of the House to receive it in Joint Conyen- It
ton, and it was not until o'clock that .
legislative business was resumed. Several Z
conference committees on the Appropria-
ton Bills were appointed, and other minor :,
business transacted, and the Senate ad-
iourned..... the House no legislative =,
business was transacted, the time being con- y
sumed in discussing the Electoral vote of =
Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
In the Senate, February 81, bill was
passed authorizing homestead and pre- !. .
emption settlers whose crops were destroyed
! by the grasshoppers in 1876 to leave and
| be absent from their lands until 1878.
| The report of the Committee on Chinese !
Immigration was presented, signed by MIR.
! Sargent, of California. Mr.. Morton was
| given leave to file a report that he will make
at the close of the session......In the House,
| the sundry civil appropriation bill was con-
sidered and several amendments made to 1t,
among which was an appropriation OF $780,
600 for the payment to nail contractors Tor
mail service performed in certain Southern
States in '59'60'61, before the
States engaged in rebellion. A bill pre-
sented by Dudley Field, of New York, was
passed, providing that, in case of failure
to elect a President and Vice-President, the
President of the Senate, or in case of
vacancy in that Office, then the Speaker of
the House, or in case of there being no
Speaker, then the Secretary of State shall |
assume the Office of President until Presi-
dent has been elected. A resolution recog- |
nizing the Hampton Government in South |
Carolina, and the Nichols Government in |
Louisiana, was defeated, less than two |
thirds voting in the affirmative. The con-
r ference report on the Indian appropriation
). bill was agreed to. By majority of one
s the House voted to take recess until ten
, | tomorrow.
In the Senate, February %, no legisla-
,. tive business was transacted. The decision
Il of the Electoral Commission in the case of
r South Carolina was adopted as the decision
of the Senate, by party vote. The vote of
=. Sollace, the Vermont Elector, objected to in
- the Joint Convention, was, by unanimous
v vote, counted for Hayes and Wheeler. Ad-
D. iourned In the House, the flibusters
ss made gallent fight, and it was not until six
IN O'Clock that the joint session took place.
Immediately after it was over the House ad-
d, journed
IN In the House, on March /, after many
RS dilatory motions, quorum was announced,
" and the Electoral vote Of Vermont, which
ID had been objected to in the Joint Session,
was brought up for consideration. Mr..
Vi PoppIeton obtained the floor and presented
er aresoiution objecting to the vote of Vermont,
81 which was read by the Clerk. 1t recites in
n- the form of a preamble, that a sealed pack.
n. age, addressed to the President of the Senate,
purportiDg to contain the Electoral vote OF
or President of the Senate by Mr.. Hewitt; that
of it appears by telegram from the Clerk Of
,n. the United States District Court of Vermont
or that duplicate of such return was deposited
in that Office the 18th of December, 1876
Vi that such package had been made part of tn,
objection to the certificate of Vermont, an(
ted still remained unopened, and that objection
by can not be considered until such package i
of opened according to law that such Packag
w. is retained by the President or Secretary o
Inc the Senate, and therefore resolving that tn
Dst refusal of the President of the Senate t
,ler open such package in the presence of tn
of two houses was violation of the law an
hat of the privileges of the House, and unit
20 such package shall be opened, the countin
GU of the vote can not proceed further, accOrt
clal ing to the Constitution and law, and the
ons the Senate be requested to meet the Hous
nIy in joint session, so that such packag
,ra. may be opened, and the proceet
ings had thereon according to Law
The resolution created great deal of excit
srs. ment, and was debated amidst great col
the fusion, many members being on the floor
the once, and some standing on their sea
;,s demanding the attention of the Speake
.a~ who found it difficult to restore order.
ass' The debate being closed, and the questic
the being on the resolution offered by Mr.. Po
ex- pleton, Mr.. Knott moved the followil
tion amendment:
dos- "Re8olued, That this House requires tn
e the package rendered by the member fro
VI New York Mr.. Hewitt to the President
ould the Senate in the presence of the two hous,
yesterday, and purporting to be a certfcs
IS on of the Electoral vote for President and vi
urn kaesluens rom H sne Stase Oh serment, sn
and tbe nrasenoeo Of The t~o bnnses and IL fo,,
call to be such. a Certificate of the same shall
i'm submitted, together with the certihci
read in the presence of the two houses,
the Electoral Commission, for its iudgme
-, and decision, and that the Senate be
W est quested to make like order requiring
bout President of the Senate to open su
fire package in the presence of the two hous
Sbo and that until such order be made
House will not be ready to meet the Sen
an and proceed with the count of the Electo
rself. votes"
same AS the vote progressed on this resoluti
and as there was an apparent prospect of
on to having a majority in its favor,
most intense excitement prevail
s. Oh Finally the vote was announced as---y
roces 116, nays 148. A vote, at length be
State taken on a resolution that the electoral v
ng of OF Mr.. Soilaee, OF Vermont, be not count
were it was carried, which brought the quest
" w to close.
1ios- Joint Ssssion.--At IL o'clock the Senat
hayes entered the hall, and the action of e,
The house on the objection having been re
It day the presiding ot1eer announced that "
two houses not concurring otherwise "
Electoral votes of Vermont would
'rA ol counted, and they were, therefore, decla
" the as five for Hayes and Wheeler. Then
!, shot certificate of Virginia was read, and
fpast votes OF that state were announced as eie
9 ,soi- for Tilden and Hendricks. The votes
West Virginia were next announced
oerty' five for Tllden and Hendricks Then ca
nd the the last Stale, the State of Wisconsin, "
r and ten votes for Hayes and Wheeler.
of in- The certlhcate OF wisconsin having b
as the tea", Mr. Lyhug PIe.en'eu o9Jectlou' s1g
Cooper, aud Johnston, and Representa-
nown Lynde, Burchard, Phillips, Tucker, Spr
Of the er, Rice, Vance, Young, and Moley
matt counting the vote of Daniel W. Dow
truck one 11. OIL lne Electors lGl 1ne oIa.e a
uo"n' Penson Surgeon and Examining Surgeon
is legs the Pension Office prior to November 7, 1
which the day of the Presidential election, anC
about the 9th of December, 1876, on which day
were sa sssune9 70 eass ms uo1s as on niectoi
'eFen and trust, and that said Downs CO
lie de- NOT. therefore. he constitutionaIlv
RS old, pointed an Elector for the State
Wisconsin, or vote as such under the
Tover stitution of the United States; that
- Downs was not therefore duly appointed
> anu Eiector for said State and that his vote
laugu- not be constitutionally counted. The Sci
at 11:25 retired to its chamber, so that
I'd two houses might separately consider and d,
n con- mine the objections.
+ and NJ Mi. ,o.o ~ nmost;or rrin;iane
sent up a resolution to be read. This re:
Id son ton contained a preamble stating that
gricul- Governors OF the States OF Louisiana
tely at Ftorlua tsl Islsely anu lLauoulen'ly gave
iser Electors at the ballot box, and that
]. No Tripartite Commission refused to inyesti
the question as to who were the true Co
o from tutionai Electors, chosen by the qual
'olima, voters oi tai4 pa es, aHo2 theIlofe,
y. lco an proceed mediately, in obedience to
Diaz as Constitution, to choose President from
return persons having the highest number of "
( Mex notexceeding three, on the list of those
Presi. ior as ffeslaent Mr.. lyme was recngn
IL 70 nf1ar oII,tiSr thD