Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-02-14

""'es th"' u WIS ready 10 meet that body for the
purpose of proceeding with the canvass Of the
Presidential vote, and soon the clerk Of the House
appeared at the bar Of the Senate and announced
That the House would be prepared to meet the
Senate In the hall of the House at one o'clock.
THE JOINT CONVENTION.
AZ one o'clock the door-keeper Of the House
announced the arrival OF the Senate Of the United
States. The Speaker repeated the announcement,
and he and all the members arose and remained
standing while the Senate, preceded by It's Off
GERS, one OF them bearing two strong mahogany
boxes containing the returns, filed in two by two
and took the seats reserved for them The Pres
ident of the Senate took the Speakers chair the
Speaker occupying the chair on his left
The decision Of the Electoral Commission hay-
ing been read to the joint convention Of the two
houses, written objections were made to it by Mr.
Field Of New York on the part Of five Senators
and twelve Representatives.
The objections allege that the Commission re-
fused to receive competent and material evidence
tending to prove that the Republican electors
were not appointed in the manner prescribed by
the legislature Of Florida, but were designated
as electors by the returning board Of that state,
corruptly and fraudulently in disregard of law.
and with intent to defeat the will Of the people.
expressed in the choice of the democratic cleo
tors, who were legally elected and regularly ap-
pointed in the manner prescribed by the legsla-
ture; that this decision was founded upon the
resolution of the Commission that no evidence
would be received or considered by the Commits
sion which was not received by the joint conven-
ton of the two houses by the President of the
Senate with the different certificates, EXCEPT such
as relates to the eligibility Of f. C. Humphreys,
one OF the electors; that this decision excludes
all the evidence taken by the two houses of Con-
gress by the committees Of each house concerning
frauds, errors and irregularities committed by the
persons whose certificates are taken as proof of
the true appointment of electors; that it excludes
all evidence tending to prove that the certificate
of Governor Stearns, also Of the board Of state
canvassers, was procured or given in pursuance Of
n fraudulent and corrupt conspiracy to cheat the
State Of Florida out of its rghtful choice Of cleo
tors, and to substitute those who had not been
chosen in the manner provided by the legislature
That the Commission refused to recognize the
right of the courts OF Florida to review and reverse
the judgment of the returning board rendered
without jurisdiction, and rejected, and refused to
consider the action Of these courts against the
Republican electors. That the decision excludes
evidence tending to prove that the state of Florida
by all its departments had decided as fraudulent
all the certificates of Governor Stearns as well as
that of the state canvassers That to count the
votes of the Republican electors would be yio-
lation of the Constitution of the United States
The signers of these objections were Senators
Jones of Florida, Cooper of Tennessee, Barnum of
Connecticut, Herman of New York. salisbury of
Delaware, Mcdonald Of Indiana, and Representa-
tives Knott of Kentucky, Field of New York, Ho-
man of Indiana, Tucker Of Virginia, Thompson of
Massachusetts,, jerks of Pennsylvania, Finley of
Florida, Sayler of Ohio, Ellis of Louisiana, Nor
rison Of Illinois, Hewitt of New York, and Springer
of Illinois
The presiding officer having asked if there were
any further objections and none being presented
the Senate withdrew
On the reassembling of the Senate, an order
submitted by Mr.. Whyte, of Maryland, that the
Senate do not concur in the decision of the Com
mission, was defeated by a strict party vote
twenty-six yeas to forty-fye nays A resolution
sustaining the action of the Commission afilrma-
lively, as presenting the views of the Senate more
strongly, was then passed orty-five to twenty-five
In the House, after the withdrawal of the Sen
ate, sharp and acrimonious debate occurred on
motion to adj ourn over till Monday-the Repub-
licans claiming that such an adjournment would
be in violation Of the law creating the Commits
sion. The adjournment was carried, however
yeas, one hundred and sxty-three; nays, one
hundred and eight.
MONDAY, February 18th.
The House met at ten A. NJ, and Immediately
proceeded to consider the objections to the decis-
ion of the Electoral Commission in the case of
Florida. Mr.. Field moved an order that the de-
clsion OF the Commission be not accepted and that
the four Iilden electors be declared legally chosen
Mr. Hale, of Maine moved to amend by declaring
that the counting of the electoral votes from Flor
ida shall proceed agreeably to the decision of the
Commission. Proctor Knott moved to refer the
case of Florida back to the Electoral Commission,
instructing them to give the grounds of their de
cision, and that in the meantime the votes of the
Hayes electors be not counted The point of order
was raised that neither house. acting separately,
could refer anything to the Commission-which
point was promptly sustained by the Speaker
The two hours debate on Florida then commenced.
and proceeded without important incident Nc
Crary, of Ohio, and General Banks supported the
Commission decision. Tucker Of Virginia, was
the first to assail it on the democratic side, and
vehemently claimed that Humphreys was ineligi-
BILE Frye, of Maine, made a very earnest ten
minutes speech. lie arragned the democrats for
their partisan charges against Republicans, and
showed by the action of Attorney General Cooke,
Of Florida, that the state WAS fairly carried for
Hayes. IIurd, of Ohio, made a violent speech at
lacking the Electoral Tribunal He concluded by
admitting that Hayes might be declared elected,
atatts 81.
American people would consider him a usurper
At this tie democrats loudly appauded Mr.
Carr, OF Indiana democrat, successor of the late
Speaker Kerr, made the sensation of the day. lie
denounced the democratic leaders of the House
for creating the Commission, and charged the
democrats with treachery and dishonor for at
tempting to overthrow the result of the Commits
sion. His speech fairly represented large ele-
ment in the democratic party. Carr said the
democrats were stopped from raising any ques-
ton against the Commission The democratic |
leaders had proved themselves incompetent, or
treacherous, or corrupt. He concluded " In the |
name of the democratic party absolve the Com
mission from all charges, save, it may be- that of
a mistake and in the name of the same great |
power arraign the democratic majority of the |
House, and denounce it for faithlessness TO its
trusts" Dudley Field closed the two hours of |
the Florida debate, He characterized the decision
OF the Electoral Tribunal as an insolent mockery
The debate closed at fifteen minutes after one and
the House proceeded to vote. Mr. lale's amend |
ment was rejected ninety-seyen to one hun
dred and sixty-seyen-and Mr. Fields resolution |
adopted
THE JOINT CONVENTION.
At two twenty-five the Senate appeared again |
at the door of the Representative Chamber, and |
the Senators entered taking the seats assigned |
TO them on the democratic side
The Secretary Of the Senate was directed to
read the decision of the Senate and the Clerk of |
the House the decision of the House The Vice
President then said: The two houses not agree
ing on ordering otherwise the decision of the Com
mission will stand unreyersed" The four votes
Of Florida were counted for Hayes by the tellers.
Next came the following states, and their respec-
tive votes were announced without objection.
Georgia, eleven votes for Tilden and Hendricks;
Illinois, twenty-one votes for Hayes and Wheeler;
Indiana fifteen votes for Tilden and Hendricks;
Iowa, eleven votes for Hayes and Wheeler; Kan
sas, five votes for Hayes and Wheeler, Kentucky,
twelve votes for Tilden and Hendricks: Then
came the certificate from Louisiana, showing
eight votes for Hayes and Wheeler, authenticated
by Kellogg AS Governor. Another certificate was
then handed the tellers containing eight votes for
lilden aud Hendricks, and authenticated by Nc
Emery AS Governor Another certificate for the
HAYES pioctOrs was nresputpd stoned nv nasnnnnd