The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-27
THE ELECTORAL DISCUSSION.

THE ELECTORAL DISCUSSION.
The disenssion Of the electoral bin was
at once resumed, and Hooker, Partfl1Re
and FELTON, spoke in favor Of the bill and
against the claim that the Vice Prcsi.
dent OF the Senate had the right to count
the electoral votes.
Mr. Mills opposed the bill, yet said
there were some good things in il. Il
sllenced the preieEce that the Vice Pres.
idenl Of the Senate had the power 10
count the vOtes. Al the expiration Of
Mills time, point Of order was raised; he
could not speak motc than 10 minutes
according tOt the agreement made ypsler.
day, but after some discussion his time
was extended 10 one hour, and four
o'clock was fixed as the time for calling
the previous question.
MR.. LAMAR.
Mr.. Lamar followed, saying that the
iallacy OF the opposition was in the M.
sumption that the power claimed, either,
on the one hand, for both houses, or, ON
the other, for the Vice President, TO count
the vote, was n legislative act by legis.
lative body. 1t was no such thing. A
legislative body could not do an act
without having the Presidents approval.
That action was by an organized body,
clothed with the single function to count
the votes, as the Democrats ContendCd, or
to witness the count as the Republicans
held. Therefore the bill waA not dele.
CATION Of legislative authority. Mr.. La.
mar then concluded lis speech, saying
the bill eliminated the sword from the
controversy and sent the question TO 4
tribunal whose character guaranteed
Justice, right and truth in its decision.
MR.. BAKER.
Mr.. Baker, Of Maryland, declared the
measure unconstitutional and criticised
it for excluding from the commission
the Chief justice, characterizing the dis.
elimination as odious, as an unjust re.
Election on wise magistrate.
Mr.. WattersOn now took the floor and
was listened to with rapt attention. He
said il might not be true that the country
stood on the brink OF civil war, but it
was true that great danger threatened
every public interest. He wished TO in.
Weigh against no man or party, but well
organized conspiracy TO place in the Pres
ldents otlice u man who had not been
elected existed. He most tconscientiously
believed that the Democratic party was
strong enough TO mark its exit from
power by great sectional war. The Re.
publican party was strong enough now
TO precipitate the country into civil war.
II the two houses failed 10 agree .onsome
plan TO tide over the great emergency the
country would see the Senate declare
Hayes elected and il would see the Presi-
dent Of the United States, supported by
the army and navy, prepared 10 seat him
in office.
Mr.. HuRLBUT. -
Mr. Hurlbut argued against the bill,
and said every form OF influence, the
weight OF the Senate, the reputation Of
It's supporters, occasional threats by in
iudicious men Of possible civil war and
possible complications, has been brought
TO bear on the House to INDUCE indiyid-
ual members TO fOrego their own conclu-
sions and their own views OF what the
Constitution required Of them. .. .--
MI. HILL.
Mr.. Hill gave TO the bill his hearty and
warm approval. Speaking Of the South,
lie said: have been witness Of the
sorrows Of that people and n willing
sharer Of all their suiTerings. May ]
therefore be pardoned on this occasion
for calling the attention Of the House and
of the country TO the spirit which has
been manifested by that derided people
during this entire controversy. On an.
other occasion l defended, their manhood,
their civilization, and their humanity
from what | knew to be unjust
charges. II the answer, theu, was un-
satisfactory let the further answer be
found in the spirit which the people Of
the South have manifested during the last
sixty days. There is scarcely a man in
that country who does believe that the
Democratic ticket was elected, and who
does not believe that all that they have re.
naming OF their rights, OF justice depends
upon the Inauguration Of that ticket.
Yet during this whole controversy, l say
it with pride and pleasure, the South has
manifested but one spirit and that has
been spirit iorbearance, Of kindness
and OF fairness; with the chains OF the
usurper still on her limbs, with the greed
OF the stranger'riiling her already exhans.
ted Golfers, with the army Of the
United States now scattered through
out her borders and standing
sentinel for the protection Of her robbers
the South utters TO those who have been
her despOilers, and who now threaten to
be the deSpoilers oil each other, but one
voice, and that voice is peace. Civil war
redresses no wrong and preserves no right
I-if you doubt it, look here and be con-
vinced. ! hope the people will never
again be derided with the charges Of
rebels and traitors solely for offering up
their lives in vindication Of their honest
belief that they did right; and let me ex-
press the hope that in the futurehe alone
will be regarded as the chief rebel who,
after the passage Of this measure
OF peace, shall again whisper
the words OF sectional hate.
Let him be regarded as the chief traitor,
who shall again seek to brew sectional
strife for himself. feel pride in being
able 10 say that can look upon every
foot Of the American soil and thank God
that it is part Of my country; that ! can
look on every person in this whole land
and say this Is my fellow citizen, and
that ! can raise my vision to the utter
most boundaries OF the Republic and say,
"My country, my whole country! blessed
is he who blesseth thee, and cursed is he
who curseth theel7
| Mr.. Hill, on closing, was warmly con
graduated, both on his speech and on the
fact Just ascertained by telegraph that he
had been elected U. s. Senator. s
MR., BLAND.
Mr.. Bland sustained the bill because 1t
provided remedy for the existing diff
culties, but he expressed his belief that
no Constitution or law conld be devised,