River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-02-08
The Count Commenced

1AN SNVhs
At one p. NJ. on the LIST inst. Speak
er Randall announced the arrival ofthe Senate
in the Hall OF the House OF Representatives.
Tor the purpose OF counting the electoral vote
Tor President
The President of the Senate took a chair.
having the Speaker on his right. When me
Senators and members were seated, the Pres
ident OF the Senate said The joint conven-
ton OF the two houses of Congress Tor count
ing Il q votes for President and Vice President
will now come 10 order" Perfect silence fol-
lowed, ana the President of the Senate con-
tinued elm obedience 70 the constitution
the Senate and House of Representatives have
met to be present at the opening OF the ceftifi-
Gates and the counting and declaring OF the
results OF the electoral votes for. the Offices OF
President and Vice President OF the United
States Tor the tenn OF four years, commencing
the 4th day OF March next. In compliance
with the law the President of the Senate will
now proceed, in the presence OF the two
houses, to open all the certificates OF the sew
eral States, and in their alphabetical order,
beginning with the State OF Alabama"
Senators Allison and Ingalls,, both Republi-
cans, were appointed tellers on the part OF the
Senate, and Representatives Cook and Stone,
bo.h Democrats, on the part OF the House.
The States were called in alphabetical order
and Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut aAd Del
aware were counted Tor Tilden and Hendricks,
Wheeler. Then Florida was reached and Mr..
Stone, the teller, proceeded to read the certif-
icates. The reading of the fist certificate
showed the four votes OF FlOridato be for Hayes
andWheeler. Then the presiding Office handed
the tellers another certificate, received from the
same State, which upon being read by Mr. Stone
showed four votes for Tilden and Hendricks
The former certificate was authenticated by
the late Governor Stearns the latter by At
torney General Cooke. Then the presiding
officer handed down to the tellers still another
certificate from Florida, received through a
messenger the 3lst of January, and CORES
ponding with the one received by mail the
Both et January. This third certificate is the
authorization of the electors who voted for
Tlden and Hendricks and is made by the
present Governor, Drew. Objections to the
first certificate Tor Hayes and Wheeler We're
sent to the clerks desk, signed by Senator
Jones, of Florida, Casper, Mcdonald, of Indi-
ana, and Representatives Field, Tucker, jerks
and Springer The Clerk OF the House read
the paper. 1t asserts that those persons
Pierce, Humphreys, Holden and Young-as-
Stunning to act 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 ire
vocable title to the office; that the certificates
of election OF the first four persons was I'M
truly and corruptly procured and made, IN
pursuance OF conspiracy between them and
VI. L. SIedrnS, Idte uOVefHOT5 THAT tney were
usurped, and that their votes are illegal, null
and void.
Further objections being called tor, Senator
Sargent sent up to the Clerks desk, on behalf
Of himself and Senators Conover, Sherman
and Teller, and OF Representatives WOODBURY.,
Dunnell, Kasson and McCrary, three several
sets of, bjectious to the votes cast by Messrs.
Call, Hinton, Bullock and Young, the Demo-
cratic electors, ON the ground that the papers
are not authenticated, as required by the con-
stitution and laws. Senator Jones, otFlorida,
made an objec ion specially to Humphreys,
as holding an Office OF trust and profit under
the United States. Mr. KassOn made an adj
ditional objection to the third set of certiti
Gates; because they were not authenticated by
the person who held the Office OF Governor at
the time that the functions OF the electors
were exercised
Presiding officer" Are there further OBJ
jections to the counting OF the vote of Flor
ida ?" After pause. ''lf there be none, the
certificates and papers, together with other
papers accompanying the same, as well as the
objections presented, will now be transmitted
to the Electoral Commission for judgment
and decision The Senate will now withdraw
to its chamber. So that the House may sep
arately determine the objections"