The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-26
BY TELEGRAPH.
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
o THE DAILY LNEE1LIGEYcER.
CONGRESS.
HOUSE.

HOUSE.
I'd WAsHNeToN, D, G, January 25.
Mr.. o,Brien offered resolution direct
ing the Secretary Of the Treasury to re-
port as to the feasibility Of providing
that the system Of weights and measures
known as the Metric system, be exclusive.
ly used in the assessment OF duties for the
custom service. Adopted.
THE ELECTORAL QUESTION.
Mr.. Whiting presented resolution
from the Peoria Board Of Trade in favor
Of the bill Of the joint committee.
Mr.. Payne moved 10 goto the business
on the Speakers table.
It was ordered 10 refer the bill OF the
joint committee, which had come from
the Senate, to the Committee on Counting
the Electoral Vote.
Mr.. Payne, in answer TO the question,
stated that the committee had dscided to
report back the bill Immediately, and 10
let the debate run all day to-day with
night session; that the House would then
adjourn until II o'clock tomorrow, and
that he would call the previous question
al . o'clock tomorrow.
Mr.. Frye suggested that during the
last four hours Of the debate the speeches
should be limited to ten minutes, that
members should have opportunity to ex.
plain their votes.
Mr.. Payne said he would modify his
request no M 10 have tO.morrOw's session
commence nj 10 o'clock, the last four
hours Of the debate TO DO CONSUMED in
ten.minule speeches, and the members
having the right to enlarge their speeches
for record. This was agreed to by unan.
imous consent.
The bill was then referred to the Com
mittee on Electoral Votes, and was I'M
mediately reported back by Mr.. Payne,
chairman Of the committee.
The Clerk proceeded to read the bill in
extenso.
After the reading oil the bill Mr.. Payne
stated that the bill as passed by the Sem
ate was precisely US reported from the
committee in the first place. lie entered
motion to recommit the bill, in order 10
permit amendments being offered.
Mr.. McCreary, member Of the Joint
Committee, opened the debate.
M'CREARY's SPEECH.
He said that, after thorough, earnest
and anxious consideration Of the que4-
tion, he, in common with other members
Of the committee, had reached the con-
clusion that the bill ought to pass. The
country was in the presence OF very
great and very dangerous emergency.
The present was crisisi national af-
fairs which the fathers Of the Republic
had foreseen in 1900. and which, at vari-
Gus periods in the nations history, great
statesmen had foreseen, and had decided
that the country, on several occasions, had
reached point where the votes for Press
ident were to be counted, and where dis.
putes had existed as TO the legality OF
these votes. On all those occasions where
disputes had arisen, these statesmen had
commented on the danger which would
THREATEN TIE VERY EXISTENCE
Of the Government, il an occasion should
arise in which the disputed votes would
be decisive Of the result. This had been
regarded as one Of the greatest dangers
to which the country could be subjected.
He submitted that that statesman was
false TO his duty, that that man did not
come up to the eXegenCies Of the case,
who would stop short in the most earnest
cndeavors to provide some law
ful method for the decision Of the
question, by tribunal whose
authority nobody could question and in
whose decision all would acquiesce.
There could be no greater danger than
that which grew out Of TACT like this:
On one side OF the question there were
some twenty millions OF people who hon
estly believed that Gov. Hayes had been
elected, and who honestly believed that
in the absence OF any legislation on the
subject il is the duty Of the Vice Presi-
dent TO count.the votes. On the other
side there were some twenty millions Of
people who as honestly believed that Gov.
Tilden had been elected, and that the
President Of the Senate had no power to
count the votes, and that no vote could be
counted except with the consent OF the
two Houses OF Congress in joint session.
1t might be that il the bill were defeated,
and Congress failed to pass any measure
on the subject, one or the other Of those
parties would peacefully submit to de-
Cision which they believed TO be without
law or without authority. He would
hope and earnestly pray that il such an
emergency should arise, one or the other
OF the parties would submit, but he con.
fessed TO ....
VERY GREAT DOUBTS,
very great fears that such would not be
the case.
He then proceeded 10 quote authori-
ties, pro and con-, on the question wheth-
er the President OF the Senate had the
power TO count the votes. It had been
said by great many people who had
agreed with him in political opinions
that the authority was conclusive; that
the Vice President had the right to count
the votes; but in his opinion, the authori-
ties of the other side were equally poten-
tial and equally numerous. lie thought,
therefore, that
1T WOULD DE uNwIsE r
and unpairiotic for the House 10 refuse
TO adopt n proposal which all men might
agree 10 as fair and just, by which the
question might be settled. Would II be
wise to decline such proposition and
drift on 10 the llth oil February and 4th
Of March with those opinions unsettled
and take the chances Of dual Presidency
with all its horrors. lie sOlcmnly be-
lisved that those who claimed the right
Of the Vice President TO count the votes
could not stand on that doctrine without
great danger that the people would not
acquiesce in it. In answer TO the obiec.
ton that the bill
WAS NOT CONSTITUTIONAL,
He quoted from the bills, reported to the
House in 1900 by j. Marshall, and in lS2l
by Mr.. Webster, which containd the
same provisions OF the present bill. He
thoughtth bill was constitutional and
would with his voice and vote aid its
passage.
Mr.. Hunton advocated the bill; he
spoke Of the Presidential election as a
dangerous period in the history OF
country, and as more likely than any
other cause to wreck the ship OF the
State. He declared that all preceding
troubles OF that character, sank into ab.