The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-02-27


and they voted as such at the tiuc and
In the manner provided for by tie con-
stitution OF the United states ana Law.
And the commissioners are further Of
opinion that by the laws Of Oregon the
duty OF canvassing the returns OF all votes
given at IN election for president and
vice-president was imposed upon the
secretary Of state. and upon no one else !:
that the secretary Of state did canvass these
returns, and ascertained that y. c. Cart
wright, w. II. Odcll and j. w. Watts
had a majority of all the votes given for
electors and the highest number of votes
given for that office, and by the express
language of the statute those persons are
decreed elected; that in obedience to his
duty the secretary OF state made the cam
yass and tabulated the statement OF votes
showing this result, which, according to
law, he placed on file in his office. De-
cember 4, 1876. All this appears by the
official certificate under the seal of the
secretary of state. and signed by him,
and delivered by him to the electors, and
forwarded by them TO the president Of
the senate with their votes that the rcfu.
sal or failure of the governor OF Oregon to
sign the certificate of the election OF the
persons so elected does not have the effect
OF defeating their appointment as such
electors that the act of the governor of
Oregon in giving to E. A. Cronin GER
titicate Of his election, though he re-
ceivei thousand votes less than Watts,
on the ground that the latter was ineligi-
BILE. was without authority of law. and Is
therefore void; that although the evil
dence shows that Watts was postmaster
at the time of his election that fact is
rendered immate-ial by his resignation
as postmaster to fill the vacancy in the
electoral college. The commission hold
that rs consequence of the foregoing,
and upon the grounds before stated, the
paper purporting to be a certificate OF
the electoral vote of Oregon, signed by
| Z. "A. Cronin, \. L. Miller and John
Parker, is not a certificate of the votes
provided for by the constitution OF the
United States, and they ought not to be
counted as such.
| The members Of the commission agree.
ing to and approving of this decision are
Samuel F. Miller, w. Strong, Joseph +.
Bradley, George r. Edmunds. o. Z.
Morton, Frederick l.. Frelinghuysen,
James A. Garfield, George +. Hoar.
The presiding officer asked whether
there were objections to the decision.
Senator Kelly objected to the decision
on the following grounds:
| THAT Watts was not elected.
2-That he was not appointed.
3-That he was disqualified to receive
any appointment as presidential elector,
or to sit as such, in that he held ali office
OF trust and profit under the United
States.
THAT Cronin was elected presiden-
tial elector for Oregon, and 10 accordance
with law cast legal vote as such elector
for Tilden, and that such vote should be
counted.
The objection is signed by Senators
Kelly, Whyte, Cooper, M'Donald, Nor
wood and Hereford, and by Representa-
tives Love, Poppleton, jerks, Vance
[Obiol. Throckmorton, White, wiggin-
ton and Luttrell.
| The presiding officer asked whether
there were any further objections to the
decision, and there being none lie an.
nounced that the senate would withdraw
to its chamber In order.
The two houses OF congress, having re-
sumed joint convention, counted Oregon
for Hayes, and proceeded to Pennsylvania,
when objections were made to Daniel j.
Morrill,, one Of the electors IRON that
state, because he was centennial CON-
missioner.
The two houses then separated -