The New York herald., 1877-01-10
Progress Toward a Settlement of the
Electoral Question.
ACTION OF THE TWO COMMITTEES,
Patriotism and Craftsmanship Rising
Above Partisanship.
EXTREME. VIEWS IN PUBLIC DEBATE
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

WASHINGTON, JAM Q, 1871
COUNTING THE ELECTORAL voTE--PRoGREss OF
THE COMMITTEES IN THEIR woEK-Pnos.
PEcTs OF AN EARLY AGREEMENT--IHE VICE
PRESIDENTS POWER DISPOSED oF-ANxIETY
OF THE PEOPLE FOR A SETTLEMENT.
There reason believe that the important work of
the session, the labor OF tho mm,ttecs count
ing the electoral votes, gets on very well The
Senate committee, consisting OF Messrs. Edmunds
Morton, Conkling, Frclnghuyscn, Thurman, Bay
ard and Ransom, have been very closely engaged
for several days and far advanced with their
preliminary work that they will be ready Tomorrow
TO ask for q conference with the House committee
The latter, consisting OF Messrs Payne Hunton,
Hewitt Springer. McCrary, Hoar and willard has not
held many meetings yet, but the members
have appointed sub committee 10 collect
oil the precedcnts the subject OF tho
electoral count this work has done with sur.
prising rapidity and completeness and already out
OF the printers hands. 1t will be carefully studied,
not only by the members OF the two mmtces, but
by all who wish to inform themselves the subject,
The discussions and conclusions IN tho Two COM
mntees are kept very private. but II is be.
lievcd that amicabe spirit prevails In the
Senate committee and that the whole question Will be
fairly and fully considered by the members as an i'm.
porant constitutional question and without reference
to what the immediate political consequences OF
their nnal conclusion may be. The House
committee on the privileges. powers and
duties OF the House In counting the eicc.
tora voto is ready TO report and may do
so tomorrow. This is not OF the JOINT committees
but special body, consisting Of Messrs Proctor Knott
SparKs Randolph Tucker, Marsh. Burchard and
Sceyc The report will be moderate In tone, but Will
maintain by precedents and authorities, by the
declarations OF the eminent statesmen from early
sho md hv IN MIR
ticc, that the House has the right, duty
and privilege OF taking a part IN tie
electoral count In the words Of Henry Clay in ls2l
..the two houses called on cnumeratc the votes
for President and Vice Prcsident of they are
called on to decide what are votes And IN Of
disagreement between the houses, Mr.. Clay
added, ''One house would say tho votes ought
TO be counted, the other that they ought
not nd then the would be lost altogether" The
republican members OF the committee have studied
the question closely; their conclusion is known,
but they both solid and honorable men, dcsirous
a air and constitutional decision OF the question
There IS doubt Iliat the moro the question is
studied by tho members oil both houses the
more the opinion gains ground that there Is no
solid foundation Tor the claim that the Vice President
has the constitutional power to count the vote Mean
time every day two produces some new plan for
cvadng tho difficulty Some Of these require tho
Supreme Court to nrbtratc one, Senator
wrght's proposed cum5rous Court OF Ap-
peal, consisting Of body OF Circuit
Judges And n to-day demands that
tho two houses shall vote disputed Joint
meeting ono BODY. This plan has occurred TO many
persons; has but one objection, thcro
authority in tho constitution fog such acton and
1t has, several previous occasions, been
nounccd on tho ground that the Two
,1u boco fb,v
would be only mob great many plans ana propo-
si,ions have referred tho committees, who
will give them such attention they merit. But tho
conclusion gains ground among thoughtful
and far minded Of both parties that tho
constitution interpreted according to constant usage
and precedent, covers every possible phase OF tho
present difficulty, and TINT This 's not proper timc
attompt to frame new constitutional provision such
as everybody needed for the future. strong
desire felt by the best OF bott parties that the
whole question: in every detail, shall be decided by
the two houses before the day whcr. ~ law they
scmbls to couat tho This has been tho general
though the universal, practice, and every.
body sees that II would not only prevent
much possible difficulty the JOINT meeting,
but would also relieve the public apprchesons OF
trouble and thus set business cong again Congress-
men from all parts OF the constantly
numerous letters IRON their constituents complaining
OF the abso.ute s;agnaon Of bushes ands industry,
protesting against the plans for new election as sure
10 increase tho general distress aud urging speedy
settlement Of the dispute Such communications have
a good effect they show tie country Is wcaricd
out political dispute and will frvor any
plans which look to lis needless lrooDgation.
A DEBATE IN The sEN1TE on THE PRESIDEN-
TIAL SENATORS sHEEMAN AND
BOUTWELL, VERY BITTER AND VERY PAR
TfsAN.
There was a lively debate in the Senate to-day, Mr.
Sherman making n ncrce Louisiana outrage speech and
Mr.. Boutwell, equally fierce one on Mississippi, Mr.
I,ogys reply being sandwchcd between tho two
Mcssrs Sherman and Boutwell, dcnouuccd the dem
ocratc party, North and South. and II remarked
by republican who heard them, that they seem to
be trying carry the electoral count by attempt
prove that the republican party Is moro deserving of
success than the democratic. "But," remarked this
republican, .'thc question docs not lie there; you
ght well argue that Governor Hayes ought TO bc
declared elected bccausc re has heavier beard
than Mr. Tildcn. The question is. Who has got tho
votes? aud whoever has mGs: be resident; that
question remains to bc decided. Both houses have
sent committees to tho disputed States find out
about It anu defamation against the party
is of no lmportancc. Let Who
was fairly cicc;cd, and whether II
HAYES or 1ildcn lie ought to be put
in rhs kind OF talk IS frequently heard In pri-
va'c among republican, than 1t was some weeks ago.
and speeches evidently intended to sir up excitement
In tho country gain followers here. Senator
wrignt's speech the other day Is regretted by tho
greater number of republicans In both houses
called aud unwisc and this may be regarded
of ihc signs OF public opinion here
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