Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-02-12

| HUmDlliSS , Gil 49, -
usurpa.iou, by board, OF The po@erS OF TIE
Legislature and Courts Of State, as also o.
the elective functions.
Mr.. Banks, Of Massachusetts,, radical, replied
TO Mr.. Tucker, uphodiog the action OF the
Commission and the proceedings OF the Florida
Board
MIR, Springer, Of illinois, democrat, opposed
the rcrort, and regretted that the vote should
have been eight to seven 10 the COMMISSION
or that partisanship should have entered into
the high tribunal that was 10 decide the tate
of the nation.
MIR. Frye, Of Me-, ralicaI, replied, defending
the radical party from the charge OF fraud and
corruption, and Of stealing the vote OF Florida
as charged by the democrats. Ills bold as
sertprs Of the honesty and purity OF his party
and that the frauds were perpetratcd by the
democrats caused much laughter.
Mr.. Huld Of Ohio, DEM, next spoke, enter
;ng his protest against, the novel, anomalous
and remarkable judgment OF the commlsslon,
claiming that the action Of the Florida board
was clearly fraud and should not have been
nermit!cd to lhwart the will Of the people. lie
conteDdcd that The fraud ought to have been
investigated aud upon lhat,a decision rendered.
,,,her than lcgaliZing The fraud and thus bring
ing REPUBLICAN institutions ioto disreLute every
where. lie said that The people would not be
satisfied with the decision, because the fraud
was not locked into, and that the man lnausu-
rated undcr ;hcsc circumstances would be
lacked upon as usurpcr by the American peo'
ME, Mr.. IFS remarks, at the close were loudly
applaudcd.
Mr.. Carr Of Indiana, dem, successor to
Sneaker Kerr-upraided The democrats for
agreeing 10 the appointment Of the commission
and coutcndcd' that upon the heads OF the DEM
ccra,ic majority Of the House, would the
result Of This stupendous fraud rest. His
speech caused much amusen ont on the radical
side.
Mr.. Thompson, OF Massachusetts, ind, op
posed the hnoiug of the Com mission, upon the
ground CT the palpabIc fraud OF The Florida
Returning Board, and the explicit fact OF the
Gn0lcc Or INC 1lIuCU tISSlplSi auu thS
return of the Returning Board Is known to be
false, the House is called upon to sanction this
falSchoOh.
Mr., Duoncl, Of Minnesota, rad, spoke in
favor Of the report Of the Commission, and 10
Justification OF the acts Of The radicals Of the
House and Of The Florida Returning Board,
and thought 1t strange that any one would sup
pose that the action Of the democratic Legisla-
ture OF Florida should be- considered by the
Commission.
Gov. Walker Of Nrgioia dem, made Ter.
vent, eloquent and maoIy protest against the
endorsalion of the report Of the Commission,
and concluded By placing the onus Of the great
wrong to be done upon the radical party.
Mr.. Robbins, OF North Carolina, dem.,
would rather tho democrats should lose the
final result than elect il President by legal
tcchnicaitics and fraud, as the other side would
have to do to seat Hayes.
MIR. Hopkius Of Penusy lvaDia, DEM, had
read, amid much confusion, the number OF
witnesses examined on both sides BY the Flori-
da Investigating Committee.
Mr.. Kasson, OF Iowa, rad, coutcudcd that
the evidence was not sufficient to prove fraud
in Florida tie favored the adoption Of the
report.
MIR. Field, Of n. Y, reviewed the situation,
aud hoped that the republican party would not
install evil in place Of good. ora fraud 10 the
presidential chair. lie said that the doctrine
is, that il a squad Of soldiers had been march
Cd into the State House of Florida and the re.
turning board aud Governor forced TO sign the
returns, there was IL redress. lie also SAID
that if Hayes was counted 10 II would be by
the vote Of Il rardonel convict-a colored
praacher aad mnmbcr Of the Florida returning
board.
Mr.. Field concIu led the debate, when the
vote was taken upon the amendment OF Nit.
Hale sustaining the rerort OF the commission,
and it was decided 10 the ncgatlve-ayes 81,
noes l67.
The question then REQUIRED upon the rcsolu-
ton of Mr.. Field, rejecting the report, and the
report was rcjcctcd-lyc5 l6S, noes lob.
On motion Of Mr. Field, the Clerk was mott
fed to inform tho Seuate Of the action OF the
House, aud to inform the Senate that the
House is ready to receive that body, which
order being carried Out,
The Senate, precc led by its offcars, marched
into tic Hall Of the House 10 couples and lin
solemn slencs," and took seats on the demo.
cratic side, as usual.
The President Of the Senate then announced
to the Joint convention the results reached by
the Two Houses, aud said that 10 accordance
with the provisions of the electoral bill the de-
cison of the commission stands, and the Clerk
was ordered to announce the vote Of Florida
for HAYES aud Wheeler, which being done,
The President Of the Senate then handed to
the te!iers the certificate Of the vote of Geor.
gia, which was real, and the vote was cast Tor
TiIdcn and Hendricks.
The vote Of Illinois was was cast for Hayes,
Indiana for Tiidcn. Iowa tor Hayes, Kansas
for Hayes, and Kentucky for Tlllen without
objection
From Louisians three certificates and
an amusing burlc:qac, sisDed by five
John Smiths, aud casting the vote of the State
for Cooper, were read, when objection was made
to receiving the vote by Senator Mcdonald, of
Indiana, and i've othcr,; also by Representa-
tive Gibson OF Louisiana, aud frc others.
Mcssra. Wood, Of New York, and Howe, of
Wisconsin, also presented objections, all of
which were referred to the electoral commits
slo0.
The joint convention then dissolved