The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-02-14
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WASHINGTON, D. c., |
Feb. 9, 1871

The Electoral Commits ion, by 9
vote Of s to Z, decided that the foul
electoral votes of Florida should be
counted for Hayes and Wheeler. "A
final report was signed by Bradley
Edmunds, Frelinghuysen, Garfield
Hoar, Miller, Morton and Strong
In the formal report to the joint
session the commission will assign
the following reasons for their de-
cision:
1. The commission exercising the
powers of both Houses, Under the
law, and having examined all the
certificates and papers referred to
them, find that they have no author.
! ity to hear evidence aliundi, or in
other words to hear evidence outside
the certificates of the Governor OF
the State of Florida, founded upon
the determination Of the Canvassing
| Board as to its vote.
2. The Commission could not con-
slider as evidence any act of the Leg
islature, or Courts, determining
whom the State had appointed as
electors after the day the said cleo.
tors gave their votes.
3. In regard to the alleged ineligi-
bility of f. C. Humphreys, there
was not sufficient proof that be held
office on the 7th day of November.
The Commission continued in ses,
sion until half-past s. Each of the
fifteen members made an elaborate
statement of his views of the case,
and the following resolution was
adopted:
Resolved, That the four persons,
to-wit: Fred. c. Humphreys, Charles
W. Pearce, VIM. H. Holden and Thos.
W. Long, are duly appointed electors
of President and Vice President for
the State of Florida, and that the
votes cast by the aforesaid four per-
sons are the votes provided for by
the Constitution of the United States.
The vote in detail on this resolu-
tion was as follows:
Yeas-Bradley, Edmunds,, Frelipg
huysen, Garfield, Hoar, Miller, Nor
ton and Strong.
Nays-Abbott, Bayard, Clifford,
Hunton, Payne, Thurman and Field.
In the case Of Humphreys, Judge
Clifford was of the opinion that hold
ing the office OF SHIPPING commits
sioner would have rendered him in.
eligible, but that his resignation OF
the office before the election was
valid, and in this view Of the case,
action On the objection Of his vote.
made by Senator Jones, Of Florida,
was abandoned. These proceedings
will be presented in joint session to
morrow, when the coun, will pro
gress to Louisiana.
There is no reason to be alarmed
over the Florida decision. The two
houses will resume the joint session
tomorrow and count the votes of
Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois
and Iowa, and call Louisiana. OBJ
jections will then be made, and the
real business of the Tribunal will be-
gin.
have been at some pains to as
certain whether the rule excluding
extraneous evidence in the Florida
case is regarded by majority of the
Tribunal as general rule to govern
all cases that may come before it.
The result Of these inquiries is that
Judges Clifford, Field and Miller GER
talnly do not so regard it, and that
Senators Thurman and Bayard, and
possibly Frelinghuysen, with Repre-
sentativcs Payne, Hunton and Alb
bolt, and probably Hoar concur With
them.
The position of these commission
ers, who constitute clear majority
in the Tribunal, is as follows: AS
near as l can ascertain, they hold
that the Tribunal, being made by
law the judge of its own Jurisdiction,
must consider each case upon its
own individual merits, and each me-
thod of procedure in accordance with
its own particular exigency. In fact
so far as Louiaiana is concerned
there is no case made up beyond the
two acts of naked certificates, unless
the Tribunal decide IN take extrano
Gus testimony. The members of the
Tribunal fully understand that i
they exclude testimony in the Louis
lana case, as they did in that o
Florida, in the face of all that la!
been developed concerning th,