Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-02-15
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.

A decision on the Florida question was
reached last Friday by the Electoral Commis-
sion giving the vote of that State to Hayes
and Wheeler, by vote of to Z. A final
report was signed by Bradley, Edmunds,
Frelinghuysen, Garfield Hoar, Miller, Nor
ton and Strong Each of the fifteen men,
bers made elaborate statements of their views
of the case, and the following resolution was
adopted:
Resolvsd, That the four persons, to-wit {:
Frederick C. Humphreys, Chas. W. Pearce,
VIM. H. Holden and Thos W. Long, are du'
" appointed electors of President and Vice
President for the State of Florida, and that
the votes cast by the aforesaid four persons
are the votes provided for by the Constitution
of the United States.
The vote in debate on this resolution was
as follows: Yeas-Bradley, Edmunds, FIRE.
linghuysen, Garfield, Hoar, Miller, Morton
and Strong. Nays-Abbot, Bayard, Clifford,
Field, Hunton, Payne and Thurman.
In the case of Humphreys, Judge Clifford
was of the opinion that holding the office Of
Shipping Commissioner would have rendered
him ineligible, but that his resignation OF the
office before the election was valid, and in this
view of the case action on the objection to his
vote. made by Senator Jones, of Florida, was
abandoned.
In the formal report to the joint session, the
Commission assign the following reasons for
their decision:
First. The Commission, exercising the pow.
ers of both Houses under the law, and hav.
ing examined all the certificates and papers
referred to them, find that they have no au.
thority to hear evidence aliunde, or, in other
words, to hear evidence outside of the certiti-
Gates of the Governor of the State of Florida,
founded upon the determination of the Can
vassing Board as to its vote. Second. The
Commission could not consider, as evidence,
any act of the Legislature or Courts in deter
mining whom theState had appointed as elec-
tors after the day the said electors gave their
votes Third. In regard to the alleged in
eligibility of F. G. Humphreys, there was not
sufficient proof that he held Office on the 7th
Of November.
In the joint session of the two Houses on the
10th, after the reading of the report object:
ion was interposed by Senators Jones, Cooper,
Barnum, Herman, Salisbury and MacDon'
aid, and Representatives Knott, Field, Hol-
man, Tucker, Thompson, jerks, Finley, Say
ler, Ellis, Morrison, Hewitt and Springer, all
Democrats, on the following groundsi
That the Commission refused to receive
competent and material evidence tending to
prove that G. H. Pearce, F. c. Humphreys,
w. H. Holden and T. W. Long were not ap-
pointed electors in the manner prescribed by
the Legislature of the State Of Florida, but
were designated as Electors by the Returning
Board of said State corruptly and fraudulent
ly in disregard of law, and with the intent to
defraud the will Of the people, expressed in
the choice of Wilkinson Call, j. G. Young,
R. E. Hilton and Robert Bullock, who were
legally and regularly appointed Electors by
the State of Florida in the manner prescribed
by the Legislature thereof:
That the decision aforesaid, was founded