New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-20
WASHINGTON.
ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE.

C,xpx ADAMS SAYS ABOUT THE ROLL AND
rur MAJoRITY--THE SIZE OF THE LATTER OF
TITLE CONSEQUENCE.
fry TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE.1
,,-.sy,xcroS. March 19.-The probability of an
nnos,on of Congress will awaken renewed in
-. IN the question of the organization OF the
rouse Of REPRESENTATIVES. Many reports are afioat
20 che purpose on the part of Clerk Adams In so
.t;nc nm the roll as TO secure for the Democrats
,arr majority than they are fairly entitled to- In
rs,ercnce TO statements as to this fact Mr.. Adams
said this evening: .
tory about the organization OF the new House. ana
'iy ,o,ertlv amused at the various reports as to
.hat have said on the subject The truth is have
w., rro+ended at any time TO make to any one
..atement of what the majority would be- L have
Ill made ND which am hiding away in some Sc
~, nlace and refusing to show to people Up to
az time have not had in my possession officially
Az foots necessary for making up the roll. Some
- 400 Edward Mcpherson and sat down and in
.olI,, went over the districts. We agreed and he
tiuscf stated afterward i'll public that the Demo-
-. oould not have a majority of less than 3, even
q; Tho Repnblicans got all the districts about which
tbere was any question. This was mere inter
change of individual opinion at time when there
wore nearly 50 certificates yet to come in. Ii was
bosad upon facts which any one familiar with the
ii. of tbe election could have obtained as well as
vs Since that time have seen nothing TO change
the Judgment then arrived at. Some of the certii-
catos are not in yet. few are III the courts In lt-
cation. and it is not settled which candidate IN
sncb cases has the primG tdce evidence to ell
title him to be put upon the roll. In Florida,
Louisiana and South Carolina there are dual certG-
Gates. In these last cases l have not even consid-
ered the subject as TO what my duty will be. All
the stories about my putting names on or leaving
them off the roll arbitrarily are ridiculous. My
mowers are clearly defined by law, and wherever
there is a legal certificate am compelled to put the
holder Of IT on the roll" Mr.. Adams said further
that the reports that he is party to combination to
make Mr. Foster Speaker and himself Clerk
are equally untrue and absurd. He was
not willing to say what he believes
the Democratic majority will be in case
o the unsettled cases, where certificates have not
been issued should be decided in favor of the can
didates of that party. Neither was he willing to
say what his action would be in reference to the
Soutb Carolina and Louisiana certificates if the con-
test in those States should be settled by executive
action previous to the meeting of Congress Mr..
Adams appeared to be quite confident That the
Democrats would organize the next House, and had
no views to express as TO the chance of the several
candidates for the Spcakership.
II NAV be remarked on the subject of the or
ranzation that the opinion influential Republican
circles is that it will not be matter OF any import
apce whether the nominal Democratic majority
upon the roll is three a dozen. IL any break III
that majority occurs. it is believed that 1t vii
be sufficiently formidable TO embrace votes enough
10 hold the balance of power between the two
parties and to effect the organization should 1t com
bine with the Republicans