The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-07
COUNTING THE VOTE.
The House and Senate Meet In Joint
Session.
Florida Reached and the Conflicting
Returns Referred TO the Tribunal.

WASHINGTON, D. c., February l.-Justices
Miller and Field We're the first OF the
forinality and took chairs to the left of the
main aisle. At minutes past | the speaker
announced the arrival of the senate. and
tap, arose and remained standing while the
senate, preceded by its officers, filed down the
main aisle and took seats in the first four rows
on the democratic side Of the chamber The
president of the senate took chair, having
the speaker on his right. When the senators
ana members were seated the president OF the
senate said:
s5The Joint convention of the two houses of
congress for counting the votes for president
and vice president will now come to order. y
Perfect silence followed, and the president of
the senate continued: "In obedience TO the
constitution the senate and house of rep
resentatives have met to be present at the
opening of the certificates and counting and
declaring of the results OF the electoral votes
for the offices of president and vice president
of the United States for the term of four years,
commencing on the 4th day of March next.
In compliance with the law the president OF
the senate viii now proceed in the presence
of the two houses to open all OF the certificates
of the several states, and in their alphabetical
order, beginning with the state of Alabama.
Then the strong box in which the certifi-
Gates were was carried in by Mr.. BaSsett,
assistant doOrkeeper OF the senate, aud placed
on the desk before the president OF the senate
who opened il, and taking from IL the certlfi-
cate from the state of Alabama handed II to
the tellers who were seated Just below him at
the tellers, read the document la eJtenS0, the
result of il all being that samuel j. Tilden,
of New York, and Thomas a. Hendricks, OF
Indiana had received the 10 electoral votes
of Alabama. The vice president said the GER
tificate received from Alabama by messenger
having been. read, the duplicate certificate re-
ceived by mail would be read.
SIR. Stone was reading the duplicate certifi-
cate, when he was interrupted by Senator
COnkling, who suggested il was hardly neces-
sary to read the duplicate certificates, but that
when the first certificate was read by one teller
cata il, Order ff1st a connnarison might be
made. The president of the senate asked
whether there was any objection TO the propo-
sition, and there being none he stated that
that course would be pursued. After having
then resumed and completed the reading OF
the duplicate certificate, the presiding officer
cate from the state Of AlaIama?" After a
pause, "Tbe chair hears none, and the votes
Of the state of Alabama will be counted. One
of the tellers will announce the votes, so there
may be no mistake in the result. The vote
was announced by MIR. Cook. and the same
ceremonial was observed in reference to the
next slate, Arkansas, except that the reading
of duplicate certificate was omitted. The re
suit was announced that the six votes of Ar
kansas were gwen for Tilden and Hen
The next state was California, which gave
six votes for Hayes and Wheeler. Then fol-
lowed Colorado with three votes for Hayes
and Wheeler. Con necticut with six votes for
TilGen and Hendricks, and Delaware with
three votes for I1lden and Hendricks: The
reading of the Delaware certificates concluded
the presiding officer asked inadvertently
if there were any objections to count
ing the votes OF the state OF Florida
but he Immediately corrected himself, and
submitted Delaware amid suppressed, but
general laughter. Then Florida was reached,
and Mr.. Stone, the teller, proceeded TO read
the certificates. The reading of the first GER
tificate showed the four votes of Florida fol
Hayes and Wheeler. Then the pre-
lerS another certificate received from
the state, which, on being read
Hendricks. The former certificates were au-
thenticated by the late governor StearT1s; the
latter by General Cooke. Then the presiding
officer handed down TO the tellers stin another
certificate from Florida, received through q
messenger on the 3lst of January. and cor
responding with the one received by mail on
the 30th of January. This Sd is an authentica-
ton of the act of the electors who voted fol
Tilden and Hendricks, and is made by the
present governor, Drew.
After half an hour had been spent in read.
ing the papers accompanying the third certih
cate, Mr., Conkling proposed that the reading
be regarded as completed, and the result be
announced as under the late acts of congress
all papers would be referred to a provisional
tribunal raised to examine such questions
There being no objection, il was so ordered.
The presiding officer asked whether there
were objections TO counting the votes
OF Florida. Representative Field sent
TO the clerks desk written OBJ.
lection to the first certificate for Hayes and
Wheeler, signed by senators Jones OF Florida
Cooper and Mcdonald Of Indiana, and by Rep
resentatives Field, Tucker, jerks and Spring
err The clerk of the house read the paper. Ii
asserts that those persons pierce, Humphreys
as presidential electors never were
duly appointed by the state OF
Florida or in any manner whatever. That
the other four persons had been elected and
had an irrevocable title to the Office. That
the certificate of election of the first four per-
made in pursuance of conspiracy between
them and NJ. l. Stearns, late governor. That
they were usurpers and that their acts are ille-
gal. null and void Further affections hQinp
the clerks desk ON behalf of himself
and Senators COnover, Sherman and Teller,
and Of Representatives WOODBURY., Dunnell
kasson and McNary, three several sets OF
Bullock and Yonge, the democratic electors
on the ground that their papers are not au-
thenticated as required by the constitution
and laws. Senator Jones. of Florida, made
objection specially to Humphreys as holding
Office of trust and profit under the
United States. Mr.. Kasson made an additional
objection to the third set of certificates be
cause they were not authenticated by the per
son who had the office of governor at the
time that the functions of electors were exer
cised.
The Presiding Oficer-Are there fur
ther objections TO counting the vots
Of Florida tn LBref Rgc9se and thes,
pers together with other papers accompanying
the same, as well as the objections presented
will now be transmitted to the electoral col
lege commission for Judgment and decision
The senate will now withdraw to its chamber
so that the house may act separately ON the
x buzz Of dissent at the closing part of tn,
sentence pervaded the chamber, but the pre-
siding officer made no change and the senate
retired, and order was restored.