The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-02-08

the House to inform the Senate that it was ready
to receive that body for the purpose of opening
and counting the Electoral votes for President
aad Vice President. Adopted. The House then
took a recess, ard soon after the members Of the
Senate came in, the members of the House risN
ing. and took the seats provided for them in
frpnt of the Democratic side of the chamber.
THE JOINT CONVENTION.
The President of the Senate took the
chair, having the Speaker on his right. When
the Senators and members were seated, the Pres
ident of the Senate said: 1.-THE Joint Conven-
ton Of the two Houses of Congress for counting
the votes for President and Vice President viii
now come to order" Perfect silence followed,
and the President of the Senate continued: "ln
obedience to the constitution, the Senate and
House of Representatives have met to be pres
cnt at the opening Of the certificates, and
counting and declaring of results of the Electoral
votes for the Offices Of President and Nlce-Presl-
dent of the United states for the term 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 certificates of the several
States, and in alphabetical order, begnHlng
with the state Of Alabama" Then the strong
box in which the certificates were. was carried
in by Mr.. Bassett, Assistant Door keeper OF the
Senate, and placed on the desk before tns Presi-
dent of the Senate, wa0 opened it, and, taking
from It the certificate from the State of Alabama,
handed it to the tellers, W were sitting just
below him at the Jerks desk, and Senator Al
lson, one of the tellers, read the document IN
extensO, the result of il being that Samuel J.
rilden, of New York, and Thomas A. Hen
bricks of Indiana, had received the ten Elec
toral votes of Alabama. The Vice President
said that the certificate received from Alabama
having been read, the duplicate cer,ifc te re-
ce we'd by mail would be read. Objection
was made, however, to reading the duplicates
in eXtenso, and it was therefore ordered
that the duplicates be compared with the
originals by one of the tellers as the other read
I.a-- a arN.aa cod.
the presiding officer said, care there any oh
ectiOns to the certificate from the State of Ala
bama:n After pause: 1.-The Chair hears
none The votes of the State of Alabama will
be counted. One Of the tellers will an
nounce the vote, so there may be no mistake. 3"
The result was announced by Mr.. Cook. The
same ceremonial was observed in reference to
the next State. The result was announced that
: X votes OF Arkansas wer, given for Tiden and
Hendricks. The next State was California, six
votes for Hayes and Wheeler. Then followed
Colorado, with three votes for Hayes and
Wheeler; Connecticut, with six votes for Iilden
ana Hendricks, and Delaware, with three
votes for Tilden and Hendricks. Then
Florida was reached, and Mr.. Stone, teller, pro-
ceeied to read the certificates. The reading Of
the first certificate -howed the four votes of
Florida for Hayes and Wheeler. Then the pre-
siding officer handed the teller another certificate
received from that state which, on being read by
Mr. stone, showed four votes for Tllden and
Hendri ks. The former certificate was anthem
ticaed by the late Governor Stearns, the latter
by General Cooke. Then the presiding officer
handed down to the tellers still another ccrtu-
cate from Florida, received through a messen-
ger on the 3lst January, and a corresponding
one received by mail on toe Both of January.
This lhjrd one is an authent ca
tiOn of the act of Electors who voted for Til
den and Hendricks, and is made by present
GOV Drew. Objection TO the irstcertiiicate for
HAYES and Wheeler was signed by Senators
Jones. Of Florida; Cooper and Mcdonald, of In
diana, and by Representatives Field, fucker,
jerks and Springer After half an hour was
spent in reading papers accompanying the third
certificate Senator COnklIng proposed the read
ing be regarded as completed and the result an
nOunced, as under a late act OF Congress all the
papers would be referred to a provisional TIL
bunal raised TO examine such questions. there
being no objection, II was 50 ordered. Inc tiefk
OF the House read the paper. IL asserted that
those persons (MessTs. Pierce, humphreys,
Holden and OuBg) assuming 10 act as Hresl-
dental Electors, never were duly appointed by
the state Of Florida, orr any manner wh5tever;
that the other four persons had been elected,
and had an irTevocable title TO the
Office; that the cert tcate OF election OF the hrst
four persons was untruly ana cOrruptly procured
and made in pursuance of a conspiracy between
them and n. l. StC9nr5, late GoYernOr5 that
they were usUrpers, and that their acts are lie
gal null and void. Further objections being
called for Senator Sargent sent up to the Clerks
desk on behalf OF himselfand Senat rs Conover,
Sherman and and Teller, and of Repres antatIvss
Woodburn, Dunneil, kasson and McCrary, three
several sets OF objections TO the votes cast by
Agessrs, call, HuntOn, Bullock and YOnge, DEM
ocraiic Electors. ON the ground that the papers
are not authenticated as required By the
Florida, made objection specially to
Humphreys as holding on Office Of trust
and profit under the United states. Dir.
Kass0n made an additional objection TO the
third set Of certificates, because they were not
Authenticated by the person who held the office
Of Governor at the time that the functions OF
Office were exercised. The Presiding CMcer:
"a re there further objections 10 counting the
Of 10 there
be none the certificates and papers, together
with other paners accompanying the same,
as well rs the oh ectiOns presented, will now be
transmitted to the Electoral iollege Commission
for Judgment and decision. The Senate will now
withdraw t. its chamber, SO that the House may
act separately uuOn the objections. buzz OF
dissent to the closing part OF the sentence per
vaded the chamber, but the presiding officer
made no change and the Senate retired.
]. II. Maddox again appeared before the
House Committee on Privileges, on the 1st, and
testified at length regarding his negotiations
with President We Of the Louisiana Returning
Board His evidence was mainly corrOboratiVe
OF that Of Pickett given on the previous day.
Maddox testified that Wells asked him to 60 to
Washington, see influential men, and endeavor
TO get some money-oue million dollars he thought
weuld he about right. W ellis said he would
like to serve his party, but the llsK was very
great ant he would not undertake it unless paid
FOR it, The majority was TOO heavy for him 10
handle and he did not know where to commence
to throw out. witness went to Washington,
saw Secretary Cameron, and told hun that y els
wanted money. The Secretary de lined to have
any thing 10 do with thu matter OF money This
negotiation having failed, witness returned TO
New Orleans, and Gov. Wells then suggested
that they eDdeavOr to make some arrangements
with the Democrats. On cross. examination,
witness said at Gov. Wells never asked him to
see Col. Pickett or any other Democrats; what
he did was on his own motion or the joint motion
OF Wells and himself. Q.-Was there any ar
rsrN hQfVEnn PICKETT
how much money you were each to eetE i
did not know how much was TO gat; that de-
pendrd upon circumstances; col. Pickett said he
aid not care about it except for charitable pur-
poses.
Gen. Anderson, OF the Louisiana Re-
turning Board, testified on the cd before the
House Committee on Privileges, that to his
knowledge there was no change made in the fig
ures of Vernon Parish as sworn 70 by Littlefeld;
he was not present, however, when the retHrus
from that parish were passed upon did not
know Of the destruction OF returns from any
parish; never had any conversation with Mad
dOx regarding a proposition te sell ont the vote
OF the State, nor with Wells, nor
did he know of any negotiations for
that purpose. Q.-Was there any proposition |
made by any one in relation 20 tie use Of money |
To affect the declaration OF the result? A--Yes;
DIR. W. A. Robson, Democratic State Senator |
came to my room at il at night on the 24tl or
> IN of November aud said to me. there was an |
10 make good thing, and mat
would get so Q, eco II would insure the state |
for the Democrats. i replied, that was 3 subject
did not wish to entertain. He |
asked me to think il over. l replied that |
il would be useless for me to do 50, |
and before he left the room he exacted promise |
To- meet hin st the st. Charles Hotel at the next
evening" promised to meet him to get rid OF /
him. | did not meet him. lie came 70 the |
Board and called me ont, inquiring why did l
rot meet him. / said had forgotten, when he |
replied that it was too important for me 10 for
ret said to him, ~ do not want Ia converse /
lnv further with You the subject. n you /
Wish TO retain my friendship, you WA never |
again mention the matter. +"
A FRENCH invitation to a wedding
e Madame x has the honor of ask |