The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-02-20
WASHINGTON.
CONGRESS.
IOlnt Session of the Senate and
House.
Report Of the Commission on the
Louisiana Electoral Vote.
Objections TO the Findings of the
Commission.
Separation of the Two Houses.
Discussion of the Objections.
The Senate Afirms the Finding of
the Commission.
President Grant After Don Platt
Stormy Democratic Caucus.
HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, February ~.


WASHINGTON, February 10.
AtlOA. NJ. the House met and took a
recesa until 1850, the time being oCcn.
pied preparing for the reception of the
Senate. The galleries were crowded as
usual on the days when the coun. is to
proceed.
Precisely at Il o'clock the Senate ar.
rived. The presiding officer said the
joint meeting Of Congress resumes its ses-
sion. The objections presented to the
certificates from the State Of Louisiana
having been submitted To the Commits.
sion, the two houses have reconvened to
receive and consider the decision Of that
tribunal in writing signed by majority
OF the Commissioners agreeing thereto.
The decision was then read. II is in
language the same as the decision given
in the case Of Florida, with the difIerence
that where the latter recites that "thc
commission has decided" the words Of
the present decision are, "lhe commission
has, by n majority Of votes, decided"
The official communication continues /:
"The brief ground OF this decision is, that
it appears, upon such evidence as by the
constitution and the law named in said
act OF Congress (the Electoral law) is
competent and pertinent to the consider
alton Of the subject, that the before men.
toned electors appear TO have been law
fully appointed such electors Of President
and Vice President Of the United States
for the term beginning March 4, 1877,
Of the State Of Louisiana, and that they
voted as such at the time and in the
manner provided for by the constitution
Of the United States and the law, and the
commission has, by majority Of votes,
decided that it is not competent,
under the constitution aud law, "a it
existed at the date OF the passage OF said
act to go into evidence OF the ulieundi pa
pers opened by the President OF the Sem
ate in the presence OF the two houses, to
prove that other persons than those reg.
ularly certified to by the Governor OF the
State, according to the determination OF
their appointment by the returning OIL
GERS for the election in said State, prior
to the time required for performance OF
their duties, had been appointed electors,
or by the counter.proof to show that they
had not, or that the determination Of the
returning officers was not in accordance
with the truth and facts; the commis
sion, by a majority Of the votes, being Of
the opinion that il is not within the jur-
addiction OF the two houses OF Congress
to count the votes for President and Vice
President, or TO enter upon trial OF such
question.
The Commission, by majority ot the
votes, is also OF the opinion that it is not
competent to prove that any Of said per-
sons so appointed electors, as aforesaid,
held office Of trust or profit under the
United States at the time when they were
appointed or that they were ineligible
under the laws Of the State or any other
matters offered 10 be proven. The Com.
mission is also Of the opinion, by ma.
jorlty Of the votes, that the returning
officers Of the election in Louisiana were
lawfully constituted body by virtue Of
the constitutional law, and that the va
cancy in said body did not yitiate its pro-
ceedings.
The Commission has also decided and
does hereby decide by a majority Of the
votes, and report as consequence Of the
foregoing and upon the ground before
stated, that the papers purporting to be
a certificate of the electoral votes Of said
State Of Louisiana objected to byL o.
Howe and others, marked No. 9 by the
Commission and herewith returned, is
not certificate OF the votes provided for
by the Constitution Of the United States,
and that they ought not be counted as
such.
The signatures are Samuel F. Miller,
W. Strong, Joseph 7. Bradley, Geo!SF.
Edmunds, o. 2. Morton, Frederick F.
Frelinghuysen, James A, Garfield and
George +. Hoar.
The decision having been read, the
presiding officer asked whether there
were any objections to the decision.
Mr.. Gibson presented objections TO the
decision on the ground that the Commits
sion had refused 70 receive the evidence
which had been offered, and had decided
that the votes mentioned in certificates ]
and 8 should be counted for Hayes and
Wheeler, such evidence TO the contrary
notwithstanding. The paper recites at
great length the proceedings OF the Com
mission, but the point Of It is the rejec-
tion Of the evidence. It is signed by most
OF the Democrats in both houses.
The reading Of the paper occupied just
one hour. It was the driest OF legal doc.
uments and repetitions Of the various
forms in which the evidence had been
offered and refused by the Commission.
No one after the first five minutes made
the slightest pretense OF listening TO or
attempting to understand it. A hum OF
conversation prevailed on the floor and
in the crowded galleries to such an extent
that the presiding officer several times
appealed for order and silence. Finally,
when the reading was ended, an opportu.
nifty was given members who had not yet
signed the paper 10 step to the Clerks
desk and afiix their names. This used up
more time and added TO the uproar.
At 1915 the joint committee was again
called to order, and the presiding officer
asked whether there were any further
objections to Louisiana.
Senator Wallace presented objections,
which were read. They are:
|. That the decision Is in violation Of
Electoral act in this State; that by the
act the Commission is required to derive
whether any and what votes from such
State are votes provided for by the Con.
stitution and what persons were duly ap.
pointed electors; yet the Commission re.
fused TO examine, and ascertain who were
duly appointed electors In and by the
State Of Louisiana and what votes from
that State are within the provisions Of the
Constitution Of TIE United States.
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