The Portland daily press., 1877-02-13

have his ten minutes now. The rest OF his
speech was devoted to the questions of the
Florida election.
Mr.. Walker said he was one of the Demo-
Gratis who had supported the electora; bill in
good faith, and he would say to the gentleman
from Indiana Carr that it would take more
than him and the few Democrats who voted
with him against that measure to read the ma
jority OF the House out CT the Democratic
party.
Mr.. Robins was disappointed at the decision
OF the question, but was proud of the position
of the Democratic party which demanded the
Presidency on the merits of the case.
Mr.: Kasson of Iowa, submitted that the de-
bate had wandered rather widely from the main
question. The Commission had made its re-
port and objection to it had beer filed and on
this objection the two Houses had been asked
to act. There was no evidence before the
House on which it could act in the case of
florica. Inc question presented was purely a
question OF law and that question was whether
the Commission had acted contrary to the con
stitution and law. If it hat it ought to be
overloaded, and if not the House ought of
conrse to concur. If the Commission was
right the Honse had no Jurisdiction in the re-
canvass OF the vote of Florida If the Com
mission was wrong then possibly it might be
argued that the House had that right. The
declaration that the Republican party was re-
lying on legal fictous to elect the President was
moore ct unless the constitution itself was
legal fiction.
The debate was closed by Mr. Field of New
York. He said that when the President invit-
ed representatives. of the Republican party to
visit the disputed States in the South for the
purpose of witnessing the votes, he declared no
President could afford to be elected by fraud.
When Congress met III December, acting IN
the same spirit, it sent committees of investiga-
ton into the same states to ascertain the trnth.
Those state have been ransacked, hosts OF
witnesses examined, piles of evidence laid upon
the table and yet now all at once it is disc over
ed that the invitation of the President was an
act of surperfous folly, and that his messen-
gers and committees of the House went upon a
FOOLS errand. This discovery is made by the
Republicans. There is not Democrat in
either House who does not dsown and reject it.
1t is to be seen now whether the Republicans
disown or accept it. Is it now to be that the
Republican party has SO far forgotten the.great
words and heroic deeds of its early days as to
cry EVIL be thou my good? and endeavor to in
stall fslsehood in the Chief Magstracy of the
land The act is against all history Of Con-
gress and presidents of the past The decision
OF this tribunal as it has been made is entitled
to no respect 1t is as unfounded in morals as
it is unsound in law and injurious and perni-
ciOuS in its consequence. The spectacle of the
success OF viiainy is corruptingin proportion to
the extent of the theatre on which it is enacted
and to the prize which it wins. The Presden-
cy of the United States has never vet be won
by fraud. If it is won now the example will be
more injurious to our good name and more cor
upt to our people than all the peculaton, rob.
berry and frauds of all our history.
Debate having closed at 1.45 o'clock the
House proceeded to vote on the question
The amendment offered by Mr.. Hale was re-
lected-yeas SO, nays 167, and the original reso
luton offered by Mr.. Field was a6opted-yeas
16S nays IO3 party votes, except Whitehouse
of New York, who voted with the Republic
cans.
1t was then ordered on motion of Mr.. Field
that the clerk inform the Senate of the action
of the House, and also that the House is now
House.
A recess of five minutes was then taken to
allow preparations to be made for the reception
of the Senate.
Proceedings iu Joint Convention,
During the discussion and voting the seats
in the area fronting the clerks desk were occu-
pied by Evarts, Stoughtou, Matthews and
Shellabarger, counsel for the Republican party
before the commission, and by Messrs. Merrick
and Green, counsel for the Democratic party
The galleries were fully occupied by spectators,
some ladies having contented themselves in
the gentlemen's gallery from which, however
the colored people who usually lounged there
appeared to be completely excluded. Young
Ulysses 5. Grant occupied members seat on
the Republican side AT 2,25 the senators ar
rived and took their places. AS soon as order
was restored the presiding officer rase and SAID
The joint meeting of Congress resumes its
session. The two houses separately have con-
sldered and determined the objection submit
ted by. a member OF the House to the decis.
ion OF the commission on the certificates from
the state of Florida. The clerk of the Senate
will now read the decision of the Senate.
DECISION OF the Senate havinga been read
by its clerk, and that of the House by its
clerk, the presiding officer said the two
Houses not concuring in ordering otherwise the
decision of the commission w ato nd
versed. The counting will now proceed in con-
formity with the decision of the com mission
The tellers will announce the vote of Florida
Senator Allison. one of the tellers thereupon
four votes for r. B. Hayes of Ohio, as Pres-
Cent and four votes for Wm. A. Wheeler of
New York as Vice President.
The Vice President then opened the certifi-
cate from Georgia and handed it to the telers.
1t was received by Representative Cook of
Georgia. The presiding officer asked WHISTLER
there was any objection to the vote of Georgia
None being he announced the vote would be
counted and directed the tellers to declare it,
Cook then declared that the state of Georgia
had given eleven votes for Samuel j. Tilden
and eleven votes for Thomas A. Hendricks of
Indiana as Vice President.
Next followed in succession the state of Hi.
nois with 81 votes for Hayes ana Wheeler In
diana with Is votes for Tilden and Hendricks,
Iowa with II votes for Hayes and Wheeler.
Kentucky with II votes for Tilden and. Hen
bricks.
Then came the certificates from Louisiana,
showing votes for Hayes and Wheeler. The
presiding officer stated that the certificates had
been received by mail and that no correspond
ing one had been received by messenger (the
messenger appointed for that purpose was Thos
Z. Anderson, one of the returning board. This
was authenticated by Kellogg as Governor he
being himself one of the electors. The certifi.
po6 ho 6iv,nrr ho, RI
ed to the tellers another certificate from the
state with corresponding one received by
mall) showing 8 votes for Tilden and Hendricks
This was authenticated by M Emery as Cover
nor OF the state. Still a third certificate was
opened and read; corresponding one having
been received by mail with votes for Hayes
and Wheeler) authenticated by Deslande, Sec
rotary of State. The presiding officer opened
and presented another certificate received by
mail, no corresponding one having been receiv-
the name of John Smith alone appearing upon
it. 1t purported to be signed by John Smith
q Co., two bull-dosers," and wound up with
the motto, "Such is life IN Louisiana" Suisse
quently the presiding officer directed that the
paper be omitted from the proceedings of the
joint convention.
Senator Mcdonald of Indiana, rose and SUBJ
mitted an objection to the Hayes and Wheeler
certificate. The objection was based on the
ground that the Hayes electors had not been
uuly oleCIeu, UuI tnelr eleCtl0n mad been Certl-
fed by William Kellogg, who claimed to be
but in fact was not the Governor of the state of
Louisiana, and because the Returning Board of
said state was without jurisdiction for the rea-
son that the laws of Louisiana conferred n
power. on the Returning Board to canvass OF
comOlle the votes, since they constituted but
four of five persons required by law, since those
four were of the same political party, and since
there was vacancy in said board which the
four members had refused to fill because the
four members of the Returning Board had full
knowledge that true compilation of votes
would have shown that the Tilden electors had
been duly elected; because said board had offer
ed for money to sell the votes Of Louisiana, and
because A. b. Levisse and o. H. Brewster of
the Republican electors had held offices of trust
under the, government of the United States at
the time of their appointment as electors. The
objection is signed by Mcdonald of Indiana
Stevenson of Kentucky, Salisbury of Della
ware, Bogy of Missouri, (Senators), jerks of
Pennsylvania, Gibson of Louisiana, Tucker of
Virginia, Levy and Ellis of Louisiana, and Nor
rison of Illinois, members of the House,
Mr.. Gibson of Louisiana also sent up objec-
tions to the Hayes and Wheeler certificates be-
cause, first the government of Louisiana was
not Republican in form; second, no canvass