The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1877-01-25
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uncertainty and doubt have sur
rounded the al|-ilnportnnt and
momcntous question as to hcmanncr
in which n satisfactory and peaceful
solution Of the complications grow
ms out Of the Presidential election
would be reached. The suspense
to the country at large was bccon. -
ing moro painful ovnry day, and our
material interests wcro suffering to
II very considerable extent A crisis
seemed imminent, and rumors of an
impending conflict wcro obtaining
currency. In fact, tho situation had
become serious, and those who loved
peace moro than war recognized the
necessity Of dovising speedy meas
urcs to settle differences that
actually jcopartlizcd the life of the
Republic. In so grave an cmcr-
gcncy both houses of Congress, as
our renders will remember, appoint
ed committees from their respective
bodies to confer together with n
Wow of agreeing, if possible, upon Il
plan for terminating tho disputes
that had sprung from tho trans
mission to the President of tic
Senate of two sets of Electoral re
turns from tho States of South
Carolina, Louisiana, Florida and
Oregon. Extreme Republicans had
taken tho position that the Prcsi-
dent of tho Senate was the sole
Judge OF the correctness and legality
of tho returns, and that he alone
was empowered and vested with
authority to count tho Electoral
votes. This was regarded by all
fnir-mindcd mon as a monstroua
proposition, and wholly unsupport,
cd by precedent. Democratic
leaders, both in and out of Congress.
claimed that tho House had equal
privileges and concurrent iuris
diction with the Senate in deter
mining who had been elected
President. This view having bccn
endorsed by several prominent Re,
pnblcans, and sustained by the
independent press, tho proposition
previously referred to, concoding
tho power to count to tho President
OF the Senate, was finally abandoned,
and all tho questions involved in tho
controversy were referred to the
committees of tho two houses.
These committees entered at once
upon tho work assigned to them,
and for time acted separately, but
n joint meeting was at last arranged
and their labors were prosecuted
conformity. Having before them the
attainment Of ono and the same
object, and being impressed with
tho gravity Of their surroundings, as
we naturally supposed they were, it
is not matter Of very surprise that
their efforts were eventual y crowned
with success, and that they were
able to franc report to Congress
to which wero attached tho sigma
lures of all the members of both
committees, with one notable OK
ception, that exception being Sena.
tor Morton. Accompanying the
report, which was made on tho 18th
instant, is bill which is recon-
mended to Congress for adoption,
and the provisions of which are
substantially as follows No
electoral vote from q State sending
up only ono set of returns can be
rejected except by the affirmative
action of both houses in case two
sets of returns arc presented from q
single State, objection to either can
be made in writing, and such obiec-
tion, together with tho reasons there
for, and oil papers, depositions, and
the returns themselves, arc referred
for determination to q tripartitc
commission, composed of five Rep
resentatives, five Ser;t If, aud fivo