Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-01-23
From the Rich. Whig.l
SENSATION OF THE DAY.
THE TURNING POINT IN TEEE HIS
veRy OF TIE COUNTRY.
FROM PRESENT INDICATIONS THE Bill.
Will PASS BOTH HOUSES.
Grant viii, in al! Probability, Sign the
pilI
WAsnINaroN, Jan. ia

= -
The sensation of the day is the report
of the conference committee GU the eiec-
toral count. The anxiety at the capital
to know the result oftheir deliberations
can hardly be estimated. Al Dhser-
want men recognize that this is q turn
| ing point in the history ofthe country,
and that everything Of public liberty
and safety may hang on the action of
| Congress in the next few days.
The reading of the report and bill was
| listened to in the House of Representa-
| tives with deep silence, and when it
was concluded it was not possible for
members to talk or think of any
other subject. The reception by the De-
mocrats Of the scheme was for the most
part favorable, trough there are some
| disposed to take more time for conside-
ration, and others to make decided OBJ
| jectlons. The opponents of the bill de-
ny that it is constitutional Oh the ground
that Congress cannot deYolve its pow
ers on another tribunal, and there are
some who assume, rather hastily, that
it will insure the inauguration of Hayes.
Other prominent Democrats say that
the bill destroys the claim of the Presi-
| dent of the Senate to count the vote
and declare a President; that it takes
from Grant and his army the power to
decide who shall be the President, and
devolves the decision on as impartial a
tribunal as can possibly be secured. A
prominent Democratic Senator remark.
ed to-day that the practical effect would
be to count, by the action of the two
houses, one hundred and eighty-four
electoral votes for Tilden, and l65 votes
| for Hayes, leaving tile 20 votes depend
ing ON the contested returns from Ore
gen, Louisiana, Florida, aud South Ca
rolina to be adjudicated by the tribunal
of arbitration. In the case of Oregon
| he thought the decision must be either
that Cronin (Democrat) was an elector
or that Oregon had lost an electoral vote.
| In the last case, even if the other States
were counted for Hayes, the election
would go to the House and Mr.. Tilden
be chosen, butin Florida the first State
with double returns to be reached) there
| would be presented decision of court
and tabulated vote recognized by the
court showing that the State voted for
Tilden. The ides not common among
Southern members who favor the COM
promise is that the declinaton of the
Northern and Eastern politicians shows
conclusively that they will not resent
the forcible inauguration Of Hayes, and
that it is consequently choice between
accepting this bill and decision by
G rant and-th United States army who
shall be President. There is no -uoabt
that Messrs. Thurman, Rayard, Pan
som, Hunton, Payne, and Springer, of
the Committee, have acted from the
most patriotic motives in making the
report, and l believe they have done
what was the wisest thing possible un-
| der all the circumstances surrounding
the question. OF the Virginia delega-
ton Senators Johnston and Withers and
| Representatives Hunton, Tucker, Walk
er, Good, and Cabell, and perhaps
others, will certainly support the mea-
sure From the present indications the
bill will pass both houses by decided
majorities. Nearly al the Democratic
Senators wiilsupportit. SenatorsC onk-
ling, Frelinghuysen, Edmunds, and
Wright (Republicans) are committed to
the bill, and l think they will bejoined
by Morrill,, of Vermont Dawes. Ct Mas
sachusetts Burnside, Of Rhode Island F;
Jones and Sharon, of Nevada Booth OF
California; Alcorn. of Mississippi;
Canover, ofFlorida; Robertson, of South
Carolina, and others. Morton is baffied
in all his plans, and will stand out
against it with West, Sherman, Bout
well, and other malignants. Grant will
in all probability sign the bill. Ofcourse
it will be pressed to an early vote.
L. O.. w.