Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-01-05
POLITICAL,

1t is probable that almost the whole ses-
sion of Congress, between next Wednesday
and the l4th of February, will be consumed
in debates on the manner of counting the vote.
President Grant has stated in converse
ton that be regards the three close Southern
States as now for Hayes beyond controversy.
He thinks there will be no need to call the
next House together, in case Of q failure to
elect, and doubts his power to call session
of the next House lie thinks that the two
Houses will not agree on Louisiana, and that
the discussion which will ensue is very like
ly to continue during the whole of the two
weeks which will intervene before the 4th
Of March, and that the latter day will ar
rive before any agreement is reached. In
such an event he is positive in his opinion
that, under the Constitution and the act of
1872, the President of the Senate will be-
come the acting President, and will be sworn
in as such. ESQ, all Cabinet officers, except
the Postmaster General, continue to act un-
til their successors are appointed. The term
of the Postmaster General is by law limited
to thirty days after the beginning of the new
Administration. IL the President of the
Senate should therefore become the acting
President Of the United States, Gen, Grant
says that he would find himself in posses
sion of every facility for continuing and con-
Quoting the executive department of the
Government
Murat Halstead the veteran of the Cincin-
natl Commercial, thinks the two Houses of
Congress meet merely as witnesses to see the
count OF the Electoral vote that neither
House had any power over the vote. at
would be very strange" he said, to an in
terviewer, ali the trainers of the Constitution
had been 40 particular to keep the federal
Office holders from having any association |
with the election as to forbid u poor post
master to be an Elector, and then throw the |
whole matter into the Houses of Congress,
when, alter full discussion, they had positive |
~ declined TO have the President elected by |
Congress. The Constitution only names one |
man, and defines his duty to be to "open"
the votes. The Constitution orders the |
votes counted and itself declares the result.
This throws great responsibility on that one
man but it Is to be remarked that he il the
one man who was himself expected to be
the product of the previous Electoral
College" and not the incumbent of an Execu-
tive Office. This high officer of the Govern
ment is in the position Of having nothing
directly to do with any department of the
Government. The moment Congress asserts
power in this affair the possibility OF .gree-
ment ceases. The two Houses are antago-
nistic. 1t is folly to think they can come to
any agreement. The only possibility of har-
mony is to 20 back to the starting point in
the beginning of the Government, and as
sert that Congress has nothing to do but
witness the count. 1t is embarrassing, but
perhaps not an altogether unfortunate cir
cumstance, that in order to do this the Re-
publcans have got to fight their own pre-
cedents, and the Democrats To surrender
their predispOsition to employ the power Of
the House. | took the same position before
the Electoral vote was cast, and wien | sup
posed the votes, under these restrictions,
would result in the election of Tilden."
The words Of Geo W. Curtis at the New
England dinner, Friday. which created most
enthusiasm were a. follows THE voice of
New England, believe going to the Capitol
is this that neither is the Republican Sem
ate to insist upon its exclusive partisan
way, nor is the Democratic House to insist
upon its exclusive partisan way, but the
Senate and House, representing the Ameri-
can people, and the American people only,
in the light of the Constitution and by the
of the law, are to provide way
over which President, be he Republican or
be he Democrat, shall pass unchallenged to
bis CHAIR
In recent conversation with prominent
South CarOlinian, an intimate friend and
warm supporter Of Wade Hampton, We were
iold that he valued his word as he did his
life. unless it happened to be appended to
promise To ay.'-BOSfOn Transcript.