The Portland daily press., 1877-03-07

turning board was legal and constitutional |
body, competent to do what it did do, and that |
they were unable to review or reverse it, and |
that the same board were competent to decide |
who were the Presidential electors of that state.
1t declared also who were the legislature of |
that state 1.-THE legislature performing mere
ministerial duty and declared who was the |
governor OF that state, and stand here Gf l
st and alone) to say that the honor and credit
and faith of the Republican party, in SO far as
the election of Hayes and Wheeler is concern.
ed are as indssolubly united in maintaining the
rightfulness of the retern of that body as the
iliustrous house of Hanover that sits on the
throne of England today is in maintaining the
riphtfulpess of the revolution of $685.
You discredt Packard and you discredit
HAYES; YOU hold that Packard is not the legal
governor of Louisiana, and PRESIDENT Hayes
who uresides over our deliberations has no title
to his chair. 1 say, therefore, that on the ac-
ton of the returning board which the senator
from Ohio admits was determined by the cleo
toral commission to be competent, legal and
CONSTITUTIONAL body, rests the authority OF S. B.
Packard to exercise the governorship of that
state. and on the authority Of that board rests
the Legislature of that state. VIM. T. Kellogg
was duly certified as elected senator by the
governor of that state mus determined he
comes here commissioned as senator bearing
the great seal of the state. maintain this
and do not unless challenged upon that point
desire to 20 into any details of the election.
Ihurman-D0 interrupt tno senator?
Blaine-Not at all.
Thurman-Does the senator understand that
that the returning board counts the votes for
governor and declares who is elected?
Blaine-The Legislature did that.
Thurman-Then the senator is in great error.
Blaine-No; never said any such thing, but
| they were based on the same returns precisely
and the same returning board counted the votes
| for members of the Legislature, and also count
| ed and transmitted to the Legislature the votes
| for governor.
| Blaine-That is only one degree off in lineal
| descent. 1t is the difference between son and
| grandson. (Laughter.)
Thurman--I beg to say to the senator that
| the electoral commission never decided that
| the returning board was constitutional board
for counting anything but the electoral vote
| for President and Vice President.
Mr.. Blaine-Do l understand the Senator
from Ohio to maintain that the Returning
Board was good enough to count in the electors
for President, but not good enough to deter
mine who was Governor?
Mr.. Thurman-1f the Senator asks my opin-
ion say it was not good enough for anything
except to hang. Great laughter.)
MI. Blaine-I believe the gentleman in Louis
lana whom the Senator from Ohio represents
in his opinions, holds that the Electoral Com
| mission deserves about the same thing, or at
least eight of them.
Mr.. Thurman-A majority. daughter,
Mr.. Blaine-I want to hold the Senator to
the point that the Legislature, the Governor
and the Presidential electors of Louisiana all
derive their legality and their right to act from
| the same source and same count. That II one
is discredited the other is discredited, and that
the electors having been accredited by the high
est tribunal known to the Constitution and the
| laws, he is precluded from raising doubt or
that question. 1t is therefore that maintain
without any elaboration of argument, that rest.
ing, as kellogg does, his claim to a SenatorshiE
i here broad a basis and II IL
| the same foundation that the Presidential cleo
tors rest he is entitled to be sworn in, and
say to the Senator from Delaware, whom an
always DESTROYS Of treating with courtesy, tina
believe that the right of Mr.. Kellogg is JUS
! as absolute as that of Mr.. Morgan, and, there
fore, could not find that was under any obi
CATION to yield to one or the other.
Mr.. Bayard-I did not signify any obligation
! | 1t was matter OF practical convenience.
Mr.. Blaine-I know there has been grea
| deal said here and there, in the corridors of tn
capitol, around and about, in by-places and il
| high places of late that some arrangement hat
been made by which Packard was not to b.
| recognized and upheld, that he was to be allow
! ed to slide by, and Nichols was to be accepted
as Governor OF Louisiana. 1 want to know
who had the authority to make any such al
rangement l wish to know if any Senator Of
: this floor will state in his place that any pei
son speaking for the administration that wa
coming in, or the one that was going oYt, 1 b..
any right to make any gyys sprSas ng authorized t.
speak the administration that now exists, but
deny it on the simple ground that it il
|, 'iee~~--:L.sa.y-tt,a the administration
: Of President Hayes could do it :
| deny it on the broad ground that Presideu
Hayes possesses character, common sense, self
respect and patriotism, all of which he has in ,
. high measure and in eminent degree. den,
it on all the grounds that can influence humai
: action, on all the gronds on which men can b.
held to personal, political and official response
. bility. deny it for him and shall find my
self grievously disappointed, wounded and hu
INFLATED if my denial is not vindicated in th,
policy of the administration, But whether i
be indicated or whether it be not. care not
1t is not the duty of Senator to inquire wha
the policy of an administration may be
but what it ought to be, and l hope Republi
! can Senate will say that on this point there
shall be no authority in this land large enough
to compromise the honor of the national ad min
istration or the good name of the Republican
party that called that administration into ex's
tance Applause in the galleries, which was
: promptly checked by the presiding oficer.)
Mr.. Bayard then took the floor but before
proceeding with his remarks yielded for mo
ton to adjourn, and the Senate at 3.15 adjourn
ed till II tomorrow.