Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-14
THE FORTY-FIFTH CONaRRss.
The Senate.
NEW BILLS,


| spectacle attorneys.
| REcrIFYING swINDLE
| Senator Beck called up House bill to repeal
SO much of the sundry civil appropriations bill
for the present fiscal year as appropriates to
Chas. P. Birkett 1872, $685. as late Indian agent
of Ponca agency, and moved that it be referred
to the committee on appropriations. Mr.. Beck
explained his connection with the bill at the
last session, and said he introduced it at the
| request of respectable attorney. He exam
med the bill then as far as he could at the re-
quest of the committee on appropriations, and
believed it to be right. II the committee on
appropriations, or himself, had been imposed
on, he would cheerfully vote for the bill of the
House to repeal the act. The bill was REFER ed
TO the committee on appropriations.
METHODIST PUBLISHING HOUSE.
Senator Morgan gave notice that Wednesday
next he would call up the bill for relief Of the
Methodist publishing house of Nashville, re-
ported favorably by the committee on claims
last session.
STOLEN BONDS.
Senator Morrell, from the committee on
finance, reported favorably on Senate bill to
authorize duplicates Of registered bonds stolen
from the Manhattan savings institution, New
York city.
CIGAR REVENUE.
Senator Gordon introduced a bill to secure a
more efficient collection of revenue from ci-
gars. Referred.
THE ELECTORAL VOTE.
At the expiration of the morning hour con-
sideration was resumed Of the bill in regard to
counting the electoral vote and Senator Bayard
spoke in its favor.
Senator Bayard said there was urgent need to
settle this question, and he held that the pres
emit time was highly propitious, because the
two house of Congress were controlled by diff
ferent political parties, and a measure which
would receive the assent of both houses, would
be such q one as one on this subject should be
"a non bipartisan measure. This nation needed
rest and peace, and not further agitation. The
man would serve his country best who would
seek to give her rest, to allay confusion and
compose strife. The oountry's worst foe was
the fomenter of aisccrds. He viewed this bill
as a measure tending to peace and quiet, tend
ing TO restore confidence to the public mind
and any man who could vote for it should do
so, unless some serious constitutional difficulty
stood in the way. He argued THAI the bill
vested no new powers in the
two houses of Congress, and next referred
to the constitutional powers vested in Congress
and in the States The bill met his favor be-
cause it reaffirmed in clear and explicit terms
the power Of the State over this subject of APP
pointing electors. It wiped out all pretext of
ors and contided everything to the State itself.
The State had the sole power to execute that
act, and the voice of the State should be con-
elusive. He then referred to duplicate returns
from States, and said we had had in the unhap-
Ply past bitter experience in regard to dupli-
cate returns. Nothing of the kind was known
until 1872. Previous to that time there had
been spirit of honesty which would stamp
with infamy the effort Of any minority at
tempt to overturn the will Of
majority in a State. Those who com
mitted or permitted the commission of
fraud would sooner or later perish by fraud.
This bill ought to be in the political interests
Of all parties. Gradually this country was
coming back to acts of reason and Justice, and
people were weighing the acts of men and par
ties. Partisanship might seek to stay this era
of good feeling, but it would fail.
In conclusion, Senator Bayard referred to
the late pestilence in the South, and said:
Small rivulets Of private bene6cence on one
side and of gratitude on the other had grown
into mighty river of good feeling.
Senator Eaton opposed the bill.
Senator Merriman believed the passage Of
this bill would be satisfactory to the people,
He believed it to be his patriotic duty to vote
for it without regard to party consideration.
Senator Garland opposed the bill on consti
tutional grounds.
Senator Hill said the troubles which arose
during the Presidential count Of 1877 were not
because we had no law, but because there was
Il disposition to disoboy the law. Congress
could not settle this matter of counting the
electoral vote, and would finally have to appeal
to the, people, but unfortunately the people
were almost as badly party ridden as their
leaders. Another objection which he had to the
bill was that it allowed ninety days between the
election of electors and the time for them to
vote for President and Vice President That
would give rise to more peril than all that now
existed. Party spirit now unfrequently DOM
mated all parties in this country to an alarm
ing extent, and he was afraid to allow ninety
days for partisans to change the results of an
election.
Senator Thurman said he would not discuss
the bill at this late hour. He would content
himself by voting against it, and he hoped a
vote would be taken soon.
THE BILL PASSED.
| After some further discussion between Sena
tors Hoar, Cockrill and Edmunds the bill wa.
read a third time and passed-yeas 49, nays q
| AS follows:
| Democrats in italic, Independents SMALL CAPS