The Morning herald., 1877-02-12
WASHINGTON
THE ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL


THE CoMMIssIoN-ITs DECISION.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1O.-The following
is the full decision of the Commission:
ELECTORAL COMMISSION,
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 1877.
To the President of the Senate of the
United States, presiding In the meeting of
Congress under the actof Congress entitled
IAN act to provide for and regulate the
counting of the votes for President and
Vice President and the decision of questions
arising therefrola for the term commencing
March 4th, Ammo Domini 1877" -
The Electoral Commission mentioned in
said act having received certain certificates
and papers purporting to be certificates
and papers accompanying the same of the
Electoral votes from the State of Florida
and the objections thereto submitted to 1t
under said act, now report that it has duly
considered the same pursuant to said act
and has decided and hereby decides that the
votesbf Frederick C. Humphreys, Charles
II. Pearce, William H. Holden and Thomas
W. Long, named in the certificate Of NJ. L.
Stearns, Governor of said State, which votes
~ WI ViAou Uy ealA pcleSAC I'D opPCoio W
the certificate submitted to the commission
as aforesaid, and marked No. by said
commission and herewith returned, are the
vote provided for by the Consultation Of
the United States, and that the same are
lawfully to be counted az therein certified
namely, four votes for Rutherford B. Hayes,
OF the State of Ohio, for President, and four
votes for William A. Wheeler, of the State
of New York, for Vice President. The
commission has also decided and hereby
decides and reports that the four persons
first before named were duly appointed
electors in and by said State of Florida
The ground of this decision stated briefly as
required by said act is as follows:-That it
is not competent under the Constitution and
the law as it existed at the date of the passage
of said act to 20 into evidence aliunde the
papers opened by the Preidsnt of the Senate
in the presence of the two houses to prove
that other persons than those regularly
certified to by the Governor OF the State of
Florida in and according to the determin-
alton and declaration Of their appointment
By the Board of State Canvassers of said
State prior to the time required for the per-
tormance of their duties had been appoint
ed electors, or by counter proof to show
that they had not, and that all proceedings
of the courts or acts of the Legislature or
of the Executive of Florida subsequent to
the counting of the votes of the electors on
the prescribed day are inadmissible for any
such purpose. As to the objection made to
the eligibility of Mr.. Humphreys, the COM
missions of the opinion that, without refer
ence to the question of the.eflect Of the vote
of an ineligible elector, the evidence does
not show that the day when the electors
were appointed. The commission has also
decided and does hereby decide and report
that, as consequence OF the foregoing and
upon the grounds before stated neither of
the papers purporting to be certificates Of
the electoral votes of the said State of
Florida numbered and 3 hy the commits
mission and herewith returned are certit-
Gates of the votes provided for by the con-
stitution of the United States, and they
ought not to be counted as such.
Done at Washington, the day and year
first above written.
Samuel f. Miller,
W. Strong,
Joseph F. Bradley,
George F, Edmunds,
O.P. Morton,
rTcurlCh |. ITcluSAuybcu,
James A. Garfield,
George F, Hoar,
Commissioners.
The question being on the adoption of the
report of the Commissioners, it was decided
in the aitirmative-Yeas, s; Nays,7.
OBJECTIONS TO THE DECISIONS.
After the reading of the decision the pre-
siding officer arose and asked whether there
was any objection to the decision.
Mr.. Field (dem.) of New York, then
arose and presented objections, which were
thereupon read by the Clerk of the House
as follows -