Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-03-07
Debate in the Senate.

4. =
ate adjourn. Rejected by vote Of yeas 10,
nays &c.
MIR. Blaine, of Me-, said he was glad that
the Senate would not adjourn upon motion
to swear in q Senator whose credentials were
entirely regular aud against whom there was no
contest. If there Was any question as to the
Legislature which elected BIN, 1t was matter
for subsequent inquiry by the Seuae. His
credentials DOW were proper, aud Mr.. Lamar
had the same right to be sworn 10 that he (hlr.
Blaiue) or any other Senator had yesterday.
Mr.. Thurman, Of Ohio, said 10 matter what
was contained in the report on Mississippi at:
fairs made last year, the reading OF which had
been called for by Mr.. Spencer, there was
nothing in it affecting the prlma iacle right OF
Mr. Lamar to seat 10 the Senate There was
not one word 10 that volumlnous report which
touched the question before the Senate, aud it
was out of order to call upon the Senate to sit
here an hour 10 listen to the readiDg thereof.
Mr.. Morton said the Senator from Ohio Mr..
Thurmau) laid down u doctrine 10 regard to
prima facie case now, but be (Mr MOrton)
begged leave to remind the Senate that one
wear ago the Senator stood on the other side 10
The case of Pnchback. According TO the doc
trine of the Senator there could be 10 iuyestl.
CATION as to the Legislature which elected La
mar, but there could be as to the one which
elected PiDchback.
MIR. Thurman said he would be sorry 10 be-
lieve that the faculties OF the Senator from In
| diana Werc failing, but he must say that the
| faculty OF memory 10 that Senator, Judging
| from his remarks, showed weakness winch
| might we'll give concern to his friends. lie
| (Mr. Thurman) said in the Goldthwaic case,
| 10 Puchback's case and again now, that when
man bad been elected by that body
which was coniesSelly the Legislature OF Tue
State, and brought with him the credentials
prescribed by law, there was not IN the whole
history Of the country precedent which would
prevent him being sworn 10; but it made vast
difference as to whether man had been elect
ed by Legislature or by mob. According
! TO the report of the Committee on Privileges
and Elections Of the Senate the Legislature
which elected Pinchback was DOT the Leglsa
| ture Of Louisiana, and it Was upon that ground,
and that ground alone, that the Senate said his
credentials did not make prima iacle case.
Mr.. Blaine said he had been in the Senate
| lust loug enough to know how important ii was
to have record. He was glad to SEQ his
friend from Ohio (Mr. Thuruan) coming over
to the right, but be begged his friend from To-
dian, (Mr. Morton) not to get wrong just at the
moment his friend from Ohio was getting right.
He (Mr. Blaine) thought PiDchback should
have been admitted, just as the Senator from
Mississippi should be admitted now.
| Mr.. Morton said so lar as his record was c)u-
cerned he proposed to take care Of II. The
Senator from Maine would have quite enough
| to do to take care Of his own record. Laugh
| ter.
| After further debate Mr.. Spencer moved to
amend the resolution of Mr.. Wallace so as to
| provide that the credentials Of Dir. Lamar bo
| referred to the Committee on Privileges and
! Elections.
| Mr.. Morton said if it was right to seat Mr..
! Lamar it was great wrong not to seat Mir.
| Pincbback, but the whole democratic party
voted against seating him. His whole purpose
was to call the attention Of be country to this
extraordinary change.
The amendment Of Mr.. Spercer to the reSo.
luton Of MIR. Wallace was rejected yea nays
| 58-Mr. Wadleigh only voting yea.
Mr.. Spencer, who would have voted 10 the
| affirmative, was paired With Mr. hlerrnloI,
who would have voted 10 the negative.
| The original resolution Of Mr. Wallace WAS
then agreed to, yeas 81, nays !, (Mr. Wad
| leigh.)
Mr.. Lamar Was then escorted to the desk Of
the presiding officer by Mr.. Davis, Nv. Va, }
aud the oath of Office was administered by Vice
President Wheeler
Mr.. Blaine then submitted the following:
| ResolUed, That tue oath OF office required by
law be DOW administered by the Vice President
to VIM. Pitt kellogg. whose c:eden liala as Il
| Senator from the State Of Louisiana were pre-.
seated on the 20th Of January, 1877
| hlr. Bayard asked the Senator IL withdraw
| that resolution for the present that he might
submit one To have General John L. Morgan,
Senator elect from Alabama sworn ~, whose
case was similar to that Of MIR. Lamar
MIR. Blaine said the case OF Kellogg came be
fore either that Of Lamar or Morgan in lis or,
der, therefore it had better BE- acted on low
MIR. Bayard then submitted the following
| substitute for the resolution Of MIR. Blaine:
That the credentials OF Wm. Pitt Kellogg,
| claiming to be Senator from the State of Lou.
| isiana, do now lie upon the table until tue APP.
! pontment Of Committee on Privileges aud
Elections. to whom they can then be referred.
MIR. Blaine said do not desire, hlr. Pras.
dent, 10 detaiu the Senate Ivy any lengthy pre-
| sentalion Of Mr.. kelogg's case, regarding him
| tor from the State of Louisiana, would wish
| that there would be DO objection to his being
SWORD in. l believe that he was elected by the
| legal Legislature of Louisiana. believe that he
was elected by and represents the legal govern
! tot Louisiana, and do not see now, to-day
| and that is the main poiut desire to present
how any Senator, who voted in this chamber that
the electoral vote of Louisiana was legally and
properly cast for Rutherford B. Hayes ADD
yourself, MIR. President, is permitted to doubt
that S. B. Packard is equally Of right the Gov.
cruor OF that State. There may be some tech.
uicaty; there may be some keen form Of logic
which [ have not yet heard, aud which do
not think shall ever be able to comprehend
by which man, who has nearly thousand
votes more than the electoral ticket received,
was not elected Governor when the electoral
ticket was chosen. frankly repeat that | en-
not permitted to doubt. No man is permitted
to doubt legally to day-certainly the other
side Of the chamber is not permitted to doubt
legally-that the electoral vote of Louisiana
was properly cast for Hayes and Wheeler 1t
was decided so by the tribunal created by that
q; IA If bo oh q mhnr