The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-01-26
HOUSE.

Eriuay al NOON.
HOUSE.
Mr.. o Brien offered resolution direct
ing the Secretary OF the Treasury to re-
port rs to the sdvisability OF providing
that the system of weights and measures
known as the metric systsm be exclu-
sively used in the assessment of duties
for the customs service. Adopted.
Mr.. Whiting presented resolution of
the Peoria Board of Trade, in favor of
the bill of the joint Committee.
Mr.. Payne moved to go to the business
on the Speakers table, in order to re-
fer the bill of the joint committee, which
had come from the Senate, TO the Com.
mittee on Counting the Electra! Vote.
MIR. Payne, in answer TO a question,
stated taat the committee had decided to
report back the bill Immediately, and to
let the debate run all day to-day with
night session; that the House would then
adjourn till ii o'clock tomorrow, and
that he would cali the previous question
at 2 o'clock tomorrow.
Mr.. Frye suggested that during the
last four hours of the debate, speeches
should be limited to ten minutes, So that
the members should have an opportunity
TO explain their votes.
Mr.. Payne said he would modify his
request so as to have to-morrow's session
commence at 10 o'clock, and the last four
hours of the debate to be consumed
in ten minute speeches, and the
members to have the right 10 enlarge
their speeches for the Record. This was
agreed TO by unanimous consent.
The bill was then referred to the Com
mittee on Electoral Votes, and was i'm
mediately reported back by Mr.. Payne.
chairman of the committee, and the
Clerk proceeded 10 read to read the bill
in eXtenso.
Alter the reading of the bill, Mr..
Payne stated that the bill as passed oy
the Senate was precisely the bill rs re
ported from the committee in the first
place. He entered motion to recon-
nit the bill in order to prevent amend
ments being offered to the bill.
Mr.. McCrary, a member of the joint
committee, opened the debate.
He said that after a thorough, earnest
and anxious consideration Of the ques-
ton, he in common with other members
of the committee, lad reached the con-
clusion that the bill ought to pass. The
country was in the presence OF very
great and very dangerous emergency.
The present was a crisis in national sf-
fairs which the fathers of the republic
had foreseen in 1900, and which at
vsrols periods in the nations history
grca. states men had foreseen and had
dec4ud The country on sew
eral occasions had reached the point
wher. the votes for President were
to b, counted, where disputes had exist
ed rs 10 the legality OF some OF these
votes In all these occasions where dis.
putes had arisen, statesmen had com
mented on the danger which would
threaten the very existence of the gov
ernment, if an occasion should arise in
which the disputed votes would be deci.
sive of the result. This bad been regard
ed as one of the greatest dangers to
which the country could be subjected.
The country was confronted not
only with great and wide
spread difference of opinion on
the merits of the question, but it was
confronted by what was thousand fold
more perilous, with the fact that the
American people, the American states
mea, the American lawyers and jurlsts
were almost equally divided, no, only as
to the merits Of the questions. but as TO
the authorities 20 be cited. He submit
ted that that statesman WAS false TO his
duty: that that man did not come up -
the exigencIes OF the csse who would
stop short in his most earnest
endesvors to provide some lawful
method for the decision OF the
q..estion by tribunal whose
authority nobody could question snd in
whose decision all would scquieSce.
There could be no greater danger thsn
that which grew out Of fac: like this.
On one side of the question there were
some twenty millions OF people who
honestly believed that Governor Hayes
mad been elected and who honestly be-
lleyed that IN the absence OF any legIs-
ton on the subject il is the duty OF the
Vice Pr-siden: ~ count the votes on the
other side there were soma twenty NIL
lions of people who a. honestly believed
,bst Governor Tilden had been elected
and that the President Of the Senate hsd
no power TO count the votes, and that
no vote could he counted except
with the consent OF the two houses OF Con-
gress. II Congress failed 70 pass the bull
and provide tribunal - settle the dii-
ferenc. OF opin.c- Ct the country ;
sovereignty. the ship o. stste might
be broken TO pieces. IL Nigh! be that II
the bill were defeated and Congress fall
ed 10 pass any measures on the subject,
one or the other Of the parties would
peacefully not submit 70 cecisloh
which taey believed 70 be without law
or without authority.
Mr.. Goode said the members OF the
COMMITTEES which reported this bill were
emlnen,ly entitled 70 the ihan x OF Con-
rrsss for their patient, seli-sscnfcing
aid patriotic lsbors, and he hsd no
/ hssitsncy in declaring that he Was pre-
p.,ed % sccep; . share Of the responsi-
hili.y aud 70 accord 10 the plan proposed
his earnest and cordial support DE
enumerated circumstances, including
( Pres,dcrt Grants assertion on the SD OF
! November tha, Hayes Sss elected, the
.,s,ioains OF troops in the south the m.'
nipuia.,on of votes by Secretary Chsn-
der, etc, etc, which he said demon; !;
,,rated ths existence Of widespread snd
dangeroG. conspiracy 70 attempt the m
sugur.tion of Hayes He vss convinced,
and be wn strengthened in the eonvie-