The New York herald., 1877-01-24

member from South Carolina and took tho lron-clad
oath.
Tho House then proceeded to the consideration OF
the resolutions reported by the Committee Privi-
lcges and addressed by Mr. Seclye. OF Aassachu-
sctts.
SPEECH
He said that although tho revolutions were several
the question underlying them all single. In his
judgment II Of the most important. and wcro
1t not that the current report OF the committee
counting the electoral vote superseded II, tho most
important question likely to come before Congress.
Simply stated, tho question whether single
house OF Congress could be the solo judge
the to s:'g Of pa
It's guses and In It's naked issue, the question
whetner ono branch OF Congress, which, in certain
contingency to elect tho President Vico Pres
ident was TO be tho sole judge without the concur
and against tho consent OF tho other house;
1t that great power and high responsibility had
come In other words the question was,
whether The House OF Representatives has the right
mako tho opportunity which pats the election Of The
President in It's power fhis was tho single question
underlying all these resolutions which tour members
three denied. The doctrine land down IN these reso
lutons no declared 70 be libel on the letter ana AN
entire pervcrsion of tho spirit OF tho constitution
He could but regard such doctrine as both mon
strous and revolutionary. He had no words better
10 express his sense OF It's meaning than those
which tho distinguished and accomplished
Senator from Delaware (Mr Bayart) used on the 18Th
OF March last, when he denounced this very doctrine
ian utter usurpaton, utterly without warrant III
the constitution dangerous in the extreme and threat
cnng to overthrow that spirit OF popular liberty
which underlies the framework OF our system lo
knew that those who now sustained that doctrine
pointed to the twenty secoud JOINT rule anording
support IT, but he held that that rule was foreign 10
tho constitution might DO fatal the liberties OF
the country, and ought TO be denounced by every
party He was not surprised or dspeascd at tic MIS-
ciici threatening t0 come down In tho teeth
of tho party which first devised that measure.
Neither should ho DO surprised or displcascd II he
found the mischief coming down IN tho toeth OF
whatever party proposed TO profit by II, Tor In this
world God rcigns-much and often as that fact rs ig
norcd-and justice and rotrbution were not nero
igmcn,s of speech but supreme realities. to which
nations and parties as we'll as Individual men must
yield.
Ho ,mplored tho House 10 pause and consider well
before it took step which would make the President
OF the United States the creature and the tool of the
we'll State rights, that principle OF local sell govern
mcnt which was an Anglo.saxon brthright and the
States TO DC humpered either by Congressional or Ex
ecutive interference, the body strengthened
and the members were weakened.
BOTH PARTIES CONDEMNED.
One thing in the late election beyond dispute and
that was that In certain quarters both parties had
acted just wrong rs they could; restrained by no
conscience of honor rectitude, by nothing
but tho sheer im2ossibity OF dong worse. That was
not true of course OF tho election as whole but only
OF certain localities He admitted the chicanery,
the corruption, The fraud and the cruelty prac-
tisod and put forth In certain quarters 10 control
the late election. No honest man IN his could
deny it; but wrong only grew TO greater wrong II
was sought to be rIghted any but righteous way
bc multiplied the iuturc II they treated any
other than that prescribed by the constitution
and laws Tho question OF who should be President
tor the next four years was u nero temporary ques-
ton; but the question how the President shoult be
chosen and declared was a permanent one. Such u
question spread It's hands through tho coming timo
and laid its grasp on generations yet to be.
THE PLAN OF sETTLEMENT.
He referred to the report OF the committee on
counting the electoral vote as OF patriotism so lofty
and pure that II It could only be adopted b. Con-
gress with the same unanimity with which 1t had been
md lNV thn fan md n n
glory shed the opening year OF the nations second
century which no year Of the previous century roud
UNANIMOUSLY and tell the world that this great
and tree people. which had lately shown itself
great by 10 had
itself greater still in the present discussion by yield
Ing all disputes about rights In the sole effort 10 learn
and to follow its obgations II this could be done. he
could think of nothing great that this people might
not do--nothng SO glorious that such people might
not become.
SPEECH OF MR.. WILLIAMS.
Mr.. WILLIAMS, (rep.) OF WIS.,, quoted from Mr. VIII
lis speech OF Saturday in which he compared Presi
dent Grant to Caesar Borgia and General RuRer TO
Ramro dcplorcd the fate Of the Republic when its
defenders should become its opprcssors He Mr.
Wiliams) wanted to inquire whether that was tho Ian
guago OF maniac General Ruger was his
(Mr. williamsD fellow townsman, and. know
ing his sterling qualities as gentleman,
Devotion to country he would never sit Quietly m
his seat and fail TO characterize tho language compar
ing RuRer TO amiro as It deserved. The Chief Maeis.
Caesar Borga. Ho thought the gentleman from New
York Mr. Willis did not mean his language In its full
comparing heaven 10 a br'ckyard. NauChterl
The gentleman from New York must havo
had some pardonabie vanity. He must have
wanted gld his speech by medieval, classic quota
tons. He must have used that language In the sense
which ambitious but lliterate gentleman, whom he
MIR Wilams) had heard of had used his This gentle
man, in appealing TO the high tribuna! of heaven, ad
dressed tho Lord ''great and abominabe God;"
and when called to order he said that he
hlaQn
the words had sort of heavenly sound
!Laurh.er.j lie (Mr.. williams) did not stand
his severely any one, but he would tell the
gentleman from New York that Grant name would
livo unscathed unharmed and untouched oy any man,
The country would remember It's deenders and though
the gentleman IRON New York might quote Caesar,
Borgia and Ramiro to his dying dny, the names OF
Grant and Ruger were cmblazoncd gorously on the
OF the Republic, and there they would re-
main when their maliqncrs were gone aud forgotten
He then proceeded to argue IN favor oi the counting
OF the electoral by tho President OF the Senate.
ARGUMENT OF MR. TUCKER.
Mr. TUCKER, (dem.) Of Va, made constitutional
the constitutional provisions on the subject
that the opening and the counting OF votes and
the subsequent stages o the electoral procedure the
President the Senate Senate the House OF Rep
had functions 10 perform which were now
most important 10 bc defined and which were tho sub
1ects OF thus great discussion One remark he would
make and that was that wherever else tho power and
decision might be rcposcd. was clear that had not
been deemed safe to ntrust to the existing incum
bent OF the Presidential Office. To leave TO him the
OF an election in which he might be a
cand date and to suppose that 1t would be saio to in
trust IL him foreign TO the thoughts OF tho
frumcrs OF the constitution that his name
had not often been mentioned III any Of the
clauses concerning the Presidential election lie pro-
cecdcd to relate the history Of the constitutional pro.
vision and argue from 1t that the power To count
and declare the electoral votes was not reposcd IN the
President OF the Senate Tho idea that tho House OF
based upon the will OF the wholcPco-
pie, should controlled IN us constitutional powers
by the Hat OF the oligarchy OF the Senate, but Of
the OF that olirarchy, was too prcpostcrous
to be believed.
MEANING ''PREsEXcE."
The word 'prcsence" as used III the constitution,
was TO his mind most impressive. 1t purporcd more
than beng in the same room Radically 1t meant
"being before" 1t indicated In all legal procedure
supervision by present superior, one prompt and
ready to control to guard aid, to defend. Every
thing done in the presence OF court was done under
Its protection and control The same sonsc was found
In the sublime appeal OF Moses TO the God OF Israeli
II tiny presence be with carry up hence.
1t did not rccr to the ornipresence OF tho Deity,
but it meant in the sense OF ntcndencc.
ttrcnt r.r isa at Mnru N