Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-02-10


Cameron, OF Pa, Rep. Cameron, Of Wis, Rep.
ClHton, Rep; Conover, Rep; Dorsey, Rep.
Hamlin, Rep; Ingalls, Rep, Eaton, Dem.
Hamilton, Rep; Mitchell. Rep; Morton, Rep ;
Patterson, Rep; Sargent, Rep; Sherman,
Reps We.t, Rep.
Mr.. Lamar Dem, of Mississippi, from the
Pacific railroad committee, reported back favor
ably the Senate bill extending for eight years
the time for the completion Of the Northern
Pacific railroad. Referred.
Mr.. Wood Dem.), of New York, offered q
resolution that the message Of the President
relative to the use Of troops in the South be
referred to a select committee of eleven to in
quire whether there had been an exercise of
authority not warranted blythe Constitution and
laws in the use Of troops for which the Presi-
dent is justly responsible, with power to send
for persons and papers. After discussion, the
resolution was adopted by vote Of 1874 yeas to
rs nays.
THE COMPROMISE ELECTORAL BILL.
Immediately after the opening of the House,
the bill, which had been received from the
Senate for concurrence, was referred to the
proper committee and almost instantly reported
back, according to agreement, to allow of de-
bate.
Mr.. McCrary [Rep.l, of Iowa, of the joint
committee, opened the debate by stating that
after an earnest consideration the committee
had reached the conclusion that the bill ought
to pass. The country was in the presence Cf a
very great and very dangerous emergency. The
present was the crisis in national affairs which
the fathers of the republic had foreseen in
1900, and which at various periods in the ma
tons history great statesmen had foreseen and
had dreaded. It might be that if the bill were
defeated, and Congress failed to pass any meas
ure gu the subject one or the other of the par
ties would peacefully submit to a decision
which they believed to be without law or au-
thority, but he confessed to very great doubts
and fears that such would not be the case. He
quoted John Marshall and Daniel Webster to
prove the constitutionality of the bill, and de-
clared his intention to aid its passage with voice
and vote.
Mr.. Hunton [Dem.l, of Virginia, advocated
the measure. He spoke of Presidential cleo
tons as dangerous periods in our history, and
as more likely than any other cause to wreck
tie ship of state declaring that all preceding
troubles of that character sunk into absolute
insignifcance as compared with those that now
stared Congress and the country in the face.
He believed that to the two houses of Congress,
and not to the president of the Senate, belonged
the power to count the votes but as an oppo-
site doctrine was held by many, he thought
compromise advisable, and the provisions in
this bill well provided for the emergency.
Mr.. Goode [Dem.l, of Virginia, gave great
credit to the committee for presenting this BILL
and gave it his unqualified support. He enunl-
Grated circumstances, including President
Grants assertion that Mr.. Hayes was elected,
the stationing of troops in the South, the mani
pulation of votes by Secretary Chandler, ETC.,
which he said demonstrated the existence of a
widespread and dangerous conspiracy to at
tempt the Inauguration of Hayes. He express
ed firm belief that the leading Republicans
did not wish for the passage of this BILL in
which event there would be no settlement, and
the House, after eleeting President, would
have to surrender ANONYMOUSLY or fight. If his
Republican friends were not prepared to fight,
then he appealed to them, by all the memories
of the past and all the hopes Of the future, to
pause before they entered on struggle, the
end of which no man could foresee.
Mr.. HOar [Rep. of Massachusetts, said that
the dangerous period which statesmen had
foreseen i'll American history had arrived. In
estimating the danger he was not affected by
any fear of civil war nor any menace of vio-
lence. But the evil of civil war was not greater
than the evil of yielding one jot of lawful
authority. Nothing could be more injurious to
the whole republic than that a man should be
put in the Presidential office whom at least one
half of the American people would regard as a
usurper. He could not conceive that the
trainers of the Constitution ever thought of
vie ding to the president of the Senate the vast
power of counting the electoral votes. That
power was in the two houses of Congress.
Mr.. Monroe [Rep.l, of Ohio, expressed deep
regret that he could not vote for the bill. One
of his objections to it was that it irrevocably
deprived the Vice-PreSident of all power to as
certain and decide the lawful electoral votes
He denied that Congress had the right to give
away that power of the Vice-President to any
other body.
Mr.. Caldwell [Dem.l |, of Tennessee, opened
no cnagiOf1 nv 70 yoriOp tho hill haliav-
ing as he did that peace and prosperity would
follow in the wake of it.
Mr.. Stevenson [Rep.l, of Illinois, and Mr..
Caul6eld [Dem.] of Illinois, also favored the
bill in short speeches.
Mr.. Springer [Dem. ], of Illinois, also advo-
Gated the bill, declaring that the inevitable re-
suit of the failure to pass it would be that Mr..
Tiden would be proclaimed President in one
wing of the Capitol, and Mr.. Hayesin the other.
Mr.. Hale [Rep.l, of Maine, said that this bill
startled him by the bold assumption of the
power of Congress to regulate and control the
election of President, which power, in his judg-
ment had never been lodged in the two houses
by the trainers of the Constitution.
Mr.. Hewitt Dem. ], of New York, stated his
belief in the lawful election of Mr.. Tilden, and
his firm conviction that it was the determine
ton of the present administration to inaugurate
Mr.. Hayes by declaring the right of the Vice.
President to count the votes. OF course the
House would not remain passive, and the re,
suit would be civil war. To avert this disaster
he supported this bill.
Mr. Willard [Rep.l, of Michigan favored the
bill, and urged that mere partisan considers
tons should be lost sight of and set aside il
favor of the public interests.
| Mr.. Smith [Rep.l of Pennsylvania, opposed
the bill and expressed himself as favoring the
counting of the votes by the president of the
| Senate.
Mr. Garfield Prep. ], of Ohio, said that while
he admitted the bill had great merits and wal
intended to tide over possibly great public
danger, he considered it unconstitutional Ii,
then advocated the right of the president o
the Senate to count and announce the electora
vote.
The House was addressed in favor of the bill
by Messrs. Hooker [Dem. ], of Massachusetts,
Hartridge and FELTON, [Dem.l, of Georgia
Lamar [Dem.l, of Mississippi Wattersol
[Dem.l of Kentucky; Hill [Dem.l of Georgia
Davis [Dem. of North Carolina Bland Dem. ]
of Missouri Southland Dem. ], of Ohio ; Foste
! [Rep.l, of Ohio Landers [Dem.l, of Indiana
Hardenburg [Dem.l, of New Jersey; Vanc
Dem. !, of North Carolina O'Brien Dem. ], o
Maryland Payne and Walker [Dem.l of Viz
ginia Field Dem J. of New York Brow
dem. ], of Kentucky Gibson Dem of Loui
siana and Payne [Dem.l of Ohio.
And in opposition to it by Messrs. Mill
Dem. ], of Texas Baker [Rep.l, of Indiana
Hurlburt [Rep.l, of Illinois Singleton Dem.
of Mississippi; Lapham [Rep.l J., of New York
Vance [Dem.l, of 0hio Townsend [Rep.l, o
New York Lynch [Rep.l ], of Mississippi Knot
Dem. |, of Kentucky Carr Dem. of Indiana
Dunnell [Rep.l, of Minnesota Pratt [Rep.l, o
Indiana Lawrence [Rep.l of Ohio; Black
burn [Dem.l, of Kentucky and Jones Dem.
of Kentucky.
The vote was then taken, and the Comprc
mise bill was passed by ballot of 191 yeas
Sc nays. The following is the vote in detail
the names of Republicans being in italics:
Yeas-The speaker, Abbott, adams, Aims
worth, Anderson, Ashe Atkins, nagby, Geo. A
BdgIey John II. Bagley Banning, Beebe, Bel
Bland, Bliss. Blount, Boone, Bradley, Bright
Brown, KY, Buckner, Burchard, Wis, Burleigi