Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-02-28
TELEGRAPHIC.
lay ES
In Spite Of all the Oregon
"GObbling.'

UVNU11uSs
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-Thc Electo-
raj Commission re-assembled in secret
session at 1880 and remained in con-
sultation on the Oregon case four and
one-half hours. AT o'clock, discus
sion being concluded, and Senator
Thurman not having been able to at
tend the sitting on account of illness,
recess was taken in order to ascertain
whether he would prefer coming to
the Capitol or that the Commission
should proceed to his residence and
there transact the business incident to
taking the vote. A committee con-
sisting of Senators Bayard and FREE
linghuysen was appointed for this
purpose, and reported that Senator
Thurman preferred to receive the
Commission at his house at o'clock.
Therefore the other members of the
Commission proceeded in carriages
to Senator Thurman's residence. SEN
ator Thurman was found confined to
his bed, where he remained during
the proceeding of the Commission.
The Commission was formally call
ed to order by Justice Clifford, Prcsi-
dent, and vote was taken on the
following proposition, which had
been informally submitted and dis
cussed but not voted upon dun ing the
days session.
BY Edmunds:
Resolced, That the certificate signed
by Z. A. Cronin, j. N. Il. Miller and
John Parker, purporting to cast the
electoral vote of the State Of Oregon,
does not contain or certify the consti-
tutional votes to which said State is
entitled.
Justice Field offered the following
as substitute:
WHEREAS, j. w. Watts, designated
in certificate No. | as an elector of the
State of Oregon for President and
Vice President on the day of the
election, viz: the It'll day of Novem-
Der, 1876, held an Office of trust and
profit under the United States; there
fore,
Resolccd, That said j. w. Watts
was then ineligible to the Office of
elcctor within the express terms of
the Constitution.
| Rcjcctcd-ayes Z, nays s, as follows +:
i Ayes = Abbott, Bayard, Clifford,
Field, Hunton, Payne and Thurman
IL. Nays-Bradley, Edmunds, FIRE.
linghuysen, Garfield, Hoar, Miller,
Morton and Strong-S.
Justice Field then offered the fol-
lowing:
, WHEREAS, At the election held the
It'll of November, 1876, in the State
of Oregon for electors of President
and Vice President, w. II. Odell, j.
w. Watts and j. G. Cartwright, re-
ccived the highest number of votes
cast for electors, but whereas said
Watts, then holding an Office of trust
v and profit under the United States
= was Ineligible TO the Office of clcctor,
Y therefore,
q Resolred, That said Odcll and Cart
n wright were the only persons duly
y elected at said election, and there was
4 a failure Oh the part of the State tC
q elect third clcctor.
@ Rcjected-aycs Z, nays S-same vote
n in detail as the preceding.
Il Justice Field then offered the fol
n lowing:
WHEREAS, The Legislature of Ore
i gon has made no provision for tho
d appointment of an elector under ac
e of congress where there was failure
4 to make choice on the day pre-
r. scribed by law, therefore
N Resolced. That the attempted selec
Is ton of a third person by two person.
/. chosen, was imperative and void.
J., Rejected-yeas Z, nays s, as above
Il Mr.. Bayard then offered the fol
" lowing resolution:
- iResolred, That the vote of w. II
:. Odell and the vote of J. G. Cart
= wright, cast for Rutherford B. Haye
AZ of Ohio, for President, of the United
s. States, and VIM. A. Wheeler of New
# York, for Vice President of the Unit
a ed States, were votes provided by tn,
" Constitution Of the United States, ant
ia that the aforesaid Odell and Cart
= wright, and they only, were the per
y sons duly appointed electors in til,
p State of Oregon at the election helt
20 November Z, 1876, there having beef
failure at the said election to ap
10 point third elector in accordance
ID with the Constitution and laws of tn
II United States and the laws of Oregon
cs and that the two votes aforesai,
: should be counted and none other
n for the State of Oregon.
- Rejectcd-yeas Z, nays s, as above
il A vote was then taken on Edmund
p original proposition, and it wa
y adoptcd-yeas 10; nay none.
20 Mr.. Morton then offered the fol
&c lowing:
a Reso1ced, That w. ii. Odcll, j. c
Cartwright and j. w. Watts, person
N named as electors in certificate No. /
II are the lawful electors of the State o
&c Oregon, and that their votes are tn
&c votes provided for by the Constitu
le ton of the United States, and shoul.
he be counted for President and Vic
a, President of the United States.
@ Mr.. Hunton moved to strike gu
n the name of J. w. Watts. Disagreed
e to-ycas 7, nays s. Morton's resolu
d ton was then adoptcd-ycas 8, nay
d Z, as follows: Yeas-Bradley. Ed
n munds, Frelinghuyscn, Garfield, Hoa
d Miller, Morton and Strong. Nays
a, Abbott, Bayard, Clifford, Field, Hun
h ton, Payne and Thurman.
s The decision of the Commission
d was then drawn up and signed by tn
t, eight members voting in the affirma
le tive.
a On motion of Morton the injunc
10 ton of secrecy upon the acts and pro
ceedings of the Commission, excep
d as regards their report to the join
If session of Congress, was removed
r. and the Commission adjourned Il
e meet in the Supreme Court room a
n at u O'Clock tomorrow.
d The report in substance is as fol
/. lows:
II The Electoral Commission hay
e ing received certain certificates ant
y papers purporting to be certificate
n of the electoral votes of the State o
l. Oregon, and certain papers accom-
s. panying the same and objections
d thereto, report that it has duly con
1t sidercd the same and has decided ani
= does hereby decide that the votes o
e w. ii. Odell, J. e. Cartwright and J
is w. Watts, persons named in the Ger
|, titicatc of the State of Oregon as TIN
Is persons receiving the highest number
@ of votes for Presidential electors arr
} the votes provided for by the Consti
d, tuition, and that the same are law,
fully to be counted as testified to il
the certificate of said electors, name
ri ~: three votes for Rutherford b
}, Hayes, OF Ohio, for President, ant
n three votes for William A. Wheeler
&c of New York, for Vice President.
d The report will further set fortl
@ that the election Of Watts by the 9th
t. er two members of the electoral col
legc was in accordance with thS
constitution and laws of the State Of
: Oregon. The grounds for this de-
10 cision, SO far as they concern thu
J eligibility of Watts, are substantially
- that it is competent to go behind tht
y certificate Of the Governor so far a.
y the same is not founded upon the
y action of the canvassing or returning
y authority provided for by the laws Of
C. the State, which authority in the
le case of Oregon, was held to be the
g Secretary of State.
lc The report will also take tho
II ground that it is not essential to show
" that an clcctor was eligible on the III