Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1877-02-07

tatiyes have met to be present at the
opening Of the certificates and the
counting and declaring of the elect
oral vote for President and Vice
President of the United States for the
term of four years commencing the
fourth day of March next. In COM
plianeo with the law, the President
of the Senate will now proceed, In
the presence Of the two houses, to
open all certificates of the several
States, and In their alphabetical ord
er, beginning with the State Of Ala
bama.n
The assistant doorkeeper of the
Senate brought In the strong box en-
closing the certificates, and placed 1t
before the President of the Senate
| who opened it and took out the GER
tiilcate from Alabama, opened 1t and
handed ii to the tellers, who were
seated just below him Mt the Clerks
desk, and Senator Allison, one of the
taIlers, read the document In extenso,
the result being that Samuel J. TIL
den, OF New York, and Thomas A.
Hendricks, of Indiana, had received
the ten electoral votes of Alabama.
The Vice President said the certifi-
cate received from Alabama by mes
senger having been read, the dupli-
cate certificate received by mail
would be read.
Stone was reading the duplicate
certificate, when he was interrupted
by Senator Conkllng, who suggested
that II was hardly necessary to read
the duplicate certificete, but that
when the first certificate was read by
one teller, the other tellers should
look over the duplicate In order that
comparison might be made.
The President Of the Senate asked
whether there was any objection TO
the proposition, and there being
none, he stated that that course
would be pursued.
Stone having then resumed and
completed the reading of the dupli.
cate certificate, the Presiding Officer
said, Are there any objections to the
certificate from tho State of Ala
bama?n After pause, "The Chair
hears none; the votes Of the State of
Alabama will be counted. One Of
the telIers will announce the votes,
so that there may be no mistake"
The result was announced by Mr..
Cook.
The same ceremonial was observed
concerning the next State, Arkansas,
six votes FOR Tilden and Hendricks.
The next State was California, six
votes for Hayes and Wheeler.
Then Colorado--threc for Hayes
and Wheeler.
Connecticut, six for Tilden and
Hendricks.
Delaware, for Tilden and Hem
bricks, etc.
FLORIDA.
When Florida was reached, Stone,
teller, proceeded 10 read the certifi-
Gates, the first Of which showed four
for Hayes and Wheeler and the Sec
ond four for Tilden and Hendricks,
the former being authenticated by
the late Governor Stearns, the latter
by Attorney General Cooke.
The presiding officer then handed
the tellers still another certificate
from Florida, received through q
a messenger January 3lst, cores
ppnding with the one by mail on tho
3Oth Of January, 1t being the authen-
ticated act Of the Tilden electors and
made by Gov. Drew.
Aftor partial reading OF the paper
accompanying the third certificate,
Senator Conkiing proposed that the
reading be regarded as completed.
and .he result be announced, as un-
der tho late act of Congress all papers
would be referred TO tho provisional
tribunal. SO ordered.
The Presiding officer asked wheth-
er there was any objection to count
ing the electoral votes Of Florida.
Representative Field sent 10 the
Clerks desk written objection to
the Grst certificate for Hayes and
Wheeler, signed by Senators Jones,
EFla. Cooper and Mcdonald OF Indi-
ana, aud Representatives Field,
Tucker, jerks and Springer. Those
obIetlous were referred to the Elec-
toral Commission, and the Senate
returned TO its own chamber.
rHE FLORIDA PROTESTS.
Representative Fields written OBJ
iecilons 10 the electoral votes Of Flor
ida assert that Pierce, Humphreys,
Holden aud Young, who assume to
be Presidential electors, were never
duly appointed by tho State of Flor
ida, or otherwise; while the four
other persons had been elected and
had al irrevocabIe title TO the Office;
the first four persons obtained their
certificates Of election untruly and
corruplly, under conspiracy be-
tween them and Gov. Stoarns; they
were usurpers, aud their acts were
Illegal, null and void.
Further objections being called for,
Senator Sargent sent up q paper
signed by himself, Senators Conoyer,
Sherman and Fuller and Representa-