The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-24

ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
TO THE DAILY LNTELLIGENCER.
.----------- -------------------------- -------
CONGRESS.
Joint Committee 8 Plan discussed
Mr.. SeeIye's Remarks In House.
Senator Sherman against the Plan
Senator Conkling Defends It,
Opinions Pro and Con on the Com
mlttee's Work.
Tho Oregon, South Carolina and
Mississippi Investigations.
HOUSE.

HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, January 90.
The Speaker corrected the ruling made
by him yesterday, that Mr.. Woods reso-
luton TO refer the Presidents message
in reference to the Use Of troops in the
late election TO select committee Of
eleven would come up this morning as
unfinished business. lie said that the
message would go back to the Speakers
table, and that the resolution reported by
the Select Committee on Privileges, de.
claring that the President OF the Senate
has not and that Congress has the right
to count and declare the electoral votes,
&c, would come up now as unfinished
business.
Memorials from Boston and st. Louis,
favoring the so.called compromise bill,
were presented.
Mr.. Bulltz was admitted as member
from South Carolina and took the iron
clad oath.
The House then considered the resoIu-
tionS reported by the Committee on Priv.
ileges and Elections, and was addressed
by Mr.. Seclye.
sEELYE's REMARKS.
Mr.. Seelye declared the doctrine laid
down in these resolutions TO be II libel
on the letter and an entire perversion Of
the spirit OF the Constitution. lie adj
miLted that chicanery, corruption, fraud
and cruelty had been practiced and put
forth in certain quarters TO control the
late election.
No HONEST MAN,
in his senses, could deny ii; but n wrong
only grew to a greater wrong il it was
sought to be righted in any way but the
right way. The question Of who should
be President for the next four years was
a mere temporary question, but the qucs.
tion OF how Presidents should be chosen
and declared elected was II permanent
one. Such question has spread its
hands through coming time and has laid
its grasp on generations yet TO be.
He referred 10 the report Of the Com
mittee on counting the electoral vote, a3
of a
PATRIOTISM so LOFTY AND so PURE,
that If it could only be adopted by Con.
gresss with the same unanimity with
which it had been adopted by the Com
mittee, he should regard it as n glory
shed on the opening year OF the nations
second century, which no year Of the pre-.
vious century could excel. He hoped
that Congress would pass the bill I'M.
nnimously, and tell the world that this
great and free people which had lately
shown itself 30 great, by submitting to a
peaceful arbitration OF n threatening in
ternational dispute, had now shown itself
greater still, in the present discussion by
yielding all disputes about the rights in
the sole effort to learn and follow its oh.
legations.
Mr.. Williams (of Wisconsin) argued
in favor Of the counting Of the electoral
vote by the President OF the Senate.
Mr.. Tucker made constitutional and
legal argument in support OF the resolu-
tion. lie proceeded 10 relate the history
OF the constitutional provision and to
argue from it that the power TO count
and declare the electoral votes was not
reposed in the President OF the Senate.
The idea that the House OF Representa-.
tives, based upon the will OF the whole
people, should be controlled in its con-
stitutional power by the fiat, not Of the
oligarchy Of the Senate, but OF the crea.
ture OF that oligarchy,
WAS TOO PREPosTERoUs TO be BELIEVED.
The word presence as used in the Consti.
tuition was 10 his mind most impressive.
It purported more than being in the same
room; radically it meant being before it;
indicated in all legal procedure a super
vision by apresent superior-one prompt
and ready TO control, TO guard, to aid, 10
defend everything done in the presence.
A count was done under its protection
and control. The same sense was found
in the
SUBLIME APPEAL OF MOSES
to the God Of Israel, al thy presence be
not with me carry us not up hence" 1t did
not mean the omnipresence OF the Deity,
but il meant presence in the sense OF
superintendc cnce, direction and care. The
use Of the word "presence" in that clause
ot the Constitution meant an action, vital,
controlling and determining supervision
OF the whole procedure, It could not
be that the House was TO he present
merely to witness a mistake which it
could not correct, IN illegality which it
could not forbid, wrong which it could
not rectify, or fraud which it could not
Illustrate. On such construction rs was
contended for on the opposite side, the
majesty OF the presence Of the two houses
BECAME A SOLEMN FARCE,
a dumb show, an empty pageant.
In conclusion he favored the electoral
compromise bill, not because it exactly
fulfilled his idea about the tribunal to be
created for counting the vote, but bccanse
he considered it essential to the peace
and happiness OF the country.
AT the close OF Mr.. Tncker's speech the
further consideration Of the resolutions
was postponed until tomorrow.
Mr.. Holman made an effort TO 20 into
Committee Of the Whole on the Indian
appropriation bill, but the majority
against that course was very strong and
decided.
cox SUBMITS HIS REPORT.
Mr.. Cox, Chairman OF the Committee
on Election Frauds in New York, sub
mitted report in regard to the alleged
tampering with Hewitts mail matter in
the New York postolIicc. 1t completely
exonera.es Postmaster James and his
snbo'dinates in the postotiice from all
blame in the matter, and declares that no
such tampering has been done. Printed
and rccommitted.
Adjourned.
SENATE. .7
THE JOINT COMMITTEES ELEcroRAL ErLL.
Petitions were presented from Phila.
delphiS, Pittsburgh and st. Louis pray.
ing the passage OF the bill presented by
the joint committee on counting the elec.
toral vote.
D..