New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-02-17
The Electoral Tribunal.

written objections were made to 1t by KEEP.
resentative Field on the part of five Sen.
ators and twelve Representatives, and the
two houses separated.
Senators having returned from the House
the objections to the decision of the com
mission submitted by Mr.. Field were read.
Mr.. Stevenson moved that the Senate take
a recess until twelve O'Clock Monday. Re
jected; yeas 90, nays A; strict party vote.
After further debate, the following, sub
mitted by Mr.. Sherman, was agreed to by q
party vote:
RESOLVED, That the decision of the com.
mission uOOn the electoral votes of the
State of Florida stand as the Judgment Of
the Senate, Objec tions made thereto to the
contrary Notwithstanding.
A long debate took place as to the form
of the question sustaining or overriding the
objections 6led by Mr., Field.
An order submitted by Mr.. Whyte, that
the Senate do not concur in the decision
made by the com mission, created under a
clause approved January 90, 1877, but that
the votes cast by Wilkinson Call, Robert
Bullock, j. f. Youge and, Il. B. Hilton, as
electors of the State of Florida, on the sew
enth of November, 1876, are the true and
lawful votes for President and Vice Presi
dent of the United States, and should be
counted as the electoral vote of that State,
was defeated by strict party vote. The
following is the vote:
Yeas-Bailey, Barnum, Baysrd, Bogy,
CockTell Cooper, Davis, Eaton, Goldth-
waite, Hereford, johnson, Jones of Florida,
Kelly, Herman, McCreery, Mcdonald
Maxey, MerriDon, Norwood, Randolph
Ransom. Salisbury, Stevenson, Wallace,
Whyte, Withers-26
Nays-Alcorn, Allison, Anthony, Blaine,
Booth, Boutwell,, Bruce Burnside, Came.
ron of Pennsylvania, Cameron of Wisoon.
oil haff
ling, COnover, Cragin, Dawes, Dorsey,
Ferry, FrelinghuyseD, Hamilton, Hamlin,
Harvey, Hitchcock, Howe, Ingalls,, Jones
of Nevada, Logan, Mcmillan, Mitchell
Morrill,, Morton, Oglesby, Paddock, Patter.
soD, Robertson, Sargent, Sharon, Sherman,
Spencer, Teller, Wadleigh, West, Window,
Wright-45.
Mr.. Edmunds stated that Mr.. Thurman
was absent on account of sickness. He
(Edmunds would vote against the order
and the Senator from Ohio for it, He there.
fore withheld his vote.
Mr.. Norwood stated that his colleague
Gordon was confined to his room by sick
ness.
The Senate then agreed to an order sub
mitted by Mr.. Hamlin, that the vote of the
State of Florida should be counted for r
B. Hayes for President, and William A
Wheeler for Vice President, as determined
by the Electoral Commits sion.
The vote upon this was, yeas 43, nays 25-
a strict party vote.
On motion of Mr.. Sargent, the Secretary
was directed to notify the House that the
Senate had reached a determination in re
gard to the decision of the Electoral Com
mission, and was ready to meet the House
for the purpose of proceeding with the
count.
In the House, the Senators having re
tired, discussion was sprung upon a mo-
ton to take a recess till Monday, the
Republicans opposing it. arguing that under
the electoral bill the House b Ad no power
to take recess, but should consider the OBJ
lection to the decision of the commission
for two hours, then vote upon it, and let
the two houses come together again.
The Speaker Overruled the point of order
against the right to take recess, and &C.
cordingly the House took recess till ten
O'Clock Monday,
On Monday, in the House, after a spirited
and earnest debate upon the decision of the
Electoral Commission with respect to the
vote of Florida, the House decided, by q
strict party vote, that the finding of the
commission was not correct, and that the
Tilden electors have been elected in that
State.
The Clerk of the House was directed tC
inform the Senate of tue action of the House
and that it was ready to receive that body
for the purpose of proceeding with the count
The Senate having appeared, Vice Presi
dent Ferry caused the Secretary of the
Senate and Clerk of the House to declare
what action the respective houses haC
taken in regard to the decision of the com
mission.
This having been done, the President o.
the Senate declared that both houses moi
having coneurred in setting aside the
decision of the commission, the vote Of
Florida would be counted for Hayes and
Wheeler.
The votes of Georgia, Illinois, Indiana
Iowa, Kansas and Kentucky we've als(
counted for the respective candidates
When Louisiana was reached the Preeiden
of the Senate handed to the tellers three
certificates, two of which were in favor o
the Hayes electors, and one signed BY
McEnery in favor of the Tilden cleo
tors. There was also a certificate which
the Vice President said be had received BY
mail, purporting to cast the eight votes O
Louisiana for Cooper and Cary.
The reading of this certificate caused
much amusement, the electors all beinl
named John Smith, distinguished from eacl
other by the numbers one, two, three, four
five and six, and by the letter A, letter
and LET her rip"
The Vice President asked and obtained
cate, which was manifestly bogus and
burlesgue.
Senator Mcdonald, of Indiana. rose AM
submitted an objection to tie Hayes ant
Wheeler certificates. The objection wa
based on the grounds that the Hayes cleo
tors had not been duly elected, but tina
their election had been certified by William
P. Kellogg, who claimed to be, but in fac
was not the Governor of the State of Louis
lana; because the Returning Board of sail
State was without jurisdiction. for the rea
son that the laws OF Louisiana conferred NJ
power on the Returning Board to canvass o.
compile the votes, since they constituted bu
four of the five persons required by law
since these four we're of the same politica
party, and since there was vacancy il
said board which the four had refused
to fill; because the four of the Returning
Board had full knowledge that true com
pilatiOn of the votes would have shown
that the Tilden electors had been duly
elected; because said board had offered TO
money to sell the vote of Louisiana; RnC
because A. b. Levisee and o. II, Brew
ster, of the Republican electors, had helC
offices of trust under the government of thu
United States at the time of their appoint
ment as electors.
The objection is signed BY Senators Nc
Donald, of Indiana; Stevenson, of Ken
tucky; Salisbury, of Delaware; Bogy, o.
Missouri; Members jerks. of Pennsylvania
Gibson, OF Louisiana; Tucker, of VirgiRis
Levy, of LOuisians; Ellis, of Louisiana
Morrison, of Illinois.
Mr. Gibson, of Louisiana. also sent III
objections to the Hayes and Wheeler certifi
cafes, because
|. The government of Louisiana was no
republican in form.
2. No canvass was made on which The
Certificates of election were issued
3. Any alleged canvass of the votes wa
an set OF usurpation, fraudulent and void.
4. Some of the electors were ineligible by
the law ut T,ouisiaDa and vera dis0ualifiet