The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-03-03

L u
meet the house in joint session so that
such package may be opened and pro-
ceedings had thereon according to law.
As the clerk finished reading the reso-
luton, the speaker announced the open
ing Of the new legislative day, and the
noisy passions and tumult OF the hour
were stilled for few brief minutes while
prayer was offered.
The stiffness was Of short duration, for
while the clerk was reading the journal
| Mr.. Springer sscertained that the clerk
! was emitting, Is usual, . detailed state
ment OF papers, votes, etc., and insisted
that the journal should be read in full.
That demand the speaker said it would
be impossible to comply with for the pa
pers detailing votes by yeas and nays,
ETC., were not copied in the journal. At all
events the speaker resfused to entertain
any question until the reading of the
journal was completed, and Mr.. Springer
waited tor that.
Then he moved that the journal be
corrected by inserting, after the state
ment that MIR. Piper submitted report
on the coolie question, the report itself.
Mr.. Wood undertook to get over the
difficulty by moving to suspend the rules
and dispense with the reading OF the
journal.
The yeas and nays were called, and the
motion was agreed to Meas LIS. nays IS.
When the result was announced MIR.
Wood, OF New York raised the point of
order that nothing was competent for
| the house to do but proceed to consider
the objection to Vermont, and that the
proposition offered by the gentleman
from Ohio (Poppleton) was not in order.
MIR. Caulfield argued that nothing was
in order but to proceed to the considera-
ton Of the objections, unless there was
an impediment in the. way Of such con-
sideration. Such an impeachment had
arisen. The gentleman from Illinois
(Springer) had yesterday offered an OBJ
lection which had been accompanied by
certificate and the vice-president had re.
fused to open that certificate. The reso-
luton which had been offered simply
asked that the senate be notified that the
house would be ready to receive that
body in joint session for the purpose OF
opening that certificate.
Mr.. Hsndee. of Vermont called atten-
ton to the tact that the clerk Of the
court to whom the record certificate was
delivered was Democrat k
Mr.. Hooker argued against the point
of order, and stated the real question
was whether the certificates from Yer.
mont were single or dual in their char
acter. lfthey were dual, tho point Of
order did not apply, and it was the duty
ofthe president Of the senate to open and
submit the package presented to him
yesterday.
MIR. Regan supported the point OF Or
der, and argued against the resolution as
proposing new question which had
not been presented to the joint meeting
Of the two houses.
| He expressed his great regret that
where his side Of the house had good,
valid, substantial objections to the cleo
toral count, any other objections, which
could not command the respect of the
party or of the country, had been made.
After come further discussion the
speaker said: With my best respect tor
all parties concerned. the chair consid-
ers that . great mistake and wrong was
committed yesterday in the joint session
OF the two houses in this, that the pre-
siding officer refused to receive even
for opening, reading and information
package which had all the sur.
rouudings OF an authentic paper in re.
spect to an electoral vote OF the state OF
Vermont. The chair does not think that
in any aspect Of this case he would be
called upon to rule that the action of the
presiding officer Of the joint convention
yesterday was wrong. He does not think
he possesses power, nor does he believe
In technical sense the action OF the
jaint convention can be revived in this
mouse In the manner proposed, and yet
there IL above all fact on which this
matter rests. That fact is whether this
house should have possession Of this
paper. 70 that extent, and to that extent
only the chair thinks that the resolution
OF the gentleman from Illinois (Caulficld)
is in order.
| While the speaker was delivering this
opinion there was subsistence of the
uproar which had been increasing little
by little during the day, but as soon as
he had got through the noise and confus.
ion began to prevail again. aud in short
time the storm. had increased to gale.
| The central point Of the decision was
the question whether before the two
hours discussion commenced, the presi.
dent OF the senate should be called upon
TO send back to the house the packages
produced yesterday by MIR. Hewitt and
submitted with Mr.. Springer's objec.
tons to the count. The speaker did all
that was In his power to get the house
Into the regular channel OF business and
refused to entertain an appeal from his
ruling. His rssoluteness dashed the CD.
posing elements into iury.
ALIvELY EPISODE.
Messrs. Springer, O'Brisn. Caultield.
Sparks and Poppleton were all address.
ing the speaker at once and WORRYING
him and the house with all sorts OF cues.
tons and objections. They were sud.
i AAnlr lit