The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-12
CONGRESSIONAL,
Forty Fifth Congress.


Mr., Cymer objected that no quorum
was present and debate was postponed till |
1890 when Mr.. Field offered the following:
Ordered that the counting of the electoral |
vote from Fiordida shall not proceed in |
conformity with the decision Of the elector
al commission but that the votes OF Gail, |
| Tounge, Hilton aud Bullock be counted Us |
the votes from Florida
| Mr.. Hale moved the following amend |
| ment:
| Ordered that the counting of the elec-
toral votes from Florida shall proceed in
conformity with the decision of the elec
toral commission.
Mr.. Knott offered as a substitute an
order reclting the language of the electoral
act, that the commission might enquire
into such petitions, depositions and other
papers as shall, by the constitution and
now existing law, be competent; recltIng.
also the fact that in the Florida case the
commission had decided aud determined
that no evidence would be received or con
sidered which had not been submitted to
the TWO houses IN joint convention by the
president OF the senate: that certificate
No. ! contained no evidence whatever,
while certificates Nos 2 and 8, Tilden elec-
tors, did contain evidence fully and speclt
callV showing that the latter had been dCly
= elected and appointed as electors, and,
therefore ordering that the decision OF the
commission and the grounds thereof be re
manded and rcc0mmitted to the c0mmlS
: sion with a request for the same to be SO
: corrected or explained, and that the com
mission be further requested to furnish, in
detail, the reasons for its decision, so that
the house may be enlightened as to the
, course it ought to pursue in the discharge
of its duties, and that in the meantime the
votes Of the Hayes electors be not counted.
Mr., Hale, OF Maine, made
point that under the electoral commission
law it was the imperative duty Of the
house, after two hours debate. to vote on
the main question, when the vote should
| be counted in conformity with the decision,
and that nothing in the shape of delay,
in whatever form presented, could now ar
rest the wheels Of It's decision.
Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa, added to Nlr.
| Hale's point that this house could refer
nothing to the commission that would not
lrequire at least concurrent action.
=. Mr.. Wood declared that any intimati0u
Iof desire on the part Of the Democratic
side of the house to interpcse any tactloCS
.' onposition to any decision Of the electora
j. commission was entirely gratitlous anc
a unsupported by anything that had taker
rc place.
Mr. HaIe-Has anything been sad thi:
morning to Indicate any charge OF tha
to kind?
Y Mr.. Wood-The gentleman las jus
=. spoken Of delay and has intimated tina
R there Is az intentional disposition on th'
N N part Of the house to delay action can as
- t.. s1.,+ II, 1ri
al intention. y hie we are ready in goot
ha las faith to carry out in all respects the clec
r. toral commission law aud the result tha
may be reached in pursuance OF it, still
we demand the right Of free exprcsslo
y oF opinion.
A. Nr. Knott contested the point Of orde
rs aud thought there was nothing IN tie la
=. which prevented the house, with the cot
in currgpce ot the senate, from remandjn
back to the electoral commission, for thel
90 fur, her consideration, the decision whic
it had made in tie Florida case
order that it might have an opportunlt
to explain the elaring inconsistencies whic
= existed in that decision.
\ Mr. Banks said, under the provisions {
the electoral act the house was compete
t. give au affirmative or negative vo
sts upon the decision 1t would not be +
specttul to the commission to remand tt
. decision
The speaker overruled Mr.. Hale's poi
but sustained Mr. Wilson that there W
nothing in the electoral commission la
III that authorized recommittai OF the que
II ten back to the commission; also ruIl'
tha, il was not competent for one hou
AN ta refer Il bill or any other matter to
ND, ND. outside commission The substitute {
ad- fered hy Knott was. therefore, not
ials order and the honse thereupon proceed
Il dnl ~ to the discussion Of the obiectio ns to t
tock decision OF the commiss ion.
! in. in. Mr.. McCrary supported the report
,usi- the i. c.mmissiou. He held that the ruli
GeS io Of the commission was abundantiy su
and narted bv most o0gent reasons and tt
New to have luiad otherwise would have be
- t. assert the jurisdiction to inquire il
and oyerturn the action OF all the sta
= in the appointment Of their electors a
to institute proceedings in nature OF
Il action of quo warranto ID try the title
q every person appointed as such. i
bill OF eighteen hundred, as drafted,
ported and advocated by John Marshi
afterwards chief justice of the Unit
States, embodied the views of that gr
constitutional lawyer upon this questi
Alter providing for this grand commit
it defined their jurisdiction in these w0r
Irine And persons thus chosen shall form
fact ioint committee aud shall have power
sod sod examine into all disputes relative to
Y. election OF president aud vice president
the United States other shan such as mi
= relate to the number of votes by wi
. electors may have been appointed. >
a judgement in an inferior court IN F!oi
rendered on the 9th of January, in
action OF quo warrauto, could annul
d vote Of that state east en the 9th OF u
I il followed that similar judgment in
Q or all the other states might be cert
non4 to the president Of the senate
". all must govern the court Ii by an
war post facts judgment in one S
q q SsA p one party should secure an advantage
drug< anara;n~ .5vsntaea will he souqht for
- another party and claimed as the resu
stitute such p3fcy, then, tnsteau ol c9en
ded to the votes under the constitution a0u La
ny y1an the the time prescribed, it would become
--''s essary to count the Judgments in quo
TRUSS ranto rendered in various states and {
0of'h' into an inquiry as to the regularity
couclusiveness OF these judicial proc
ings. There must be authority somew
1p'y and at some time to decide who
es. and appoioted electors and the only safe
sound or constitutional rule was ado
by the commission, to wit; that dec
= uccasaI aael made the proper state authority
i free to time fixed by the constitution
r T. New law for electing president and vice |
Eal. tofn I'M