The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-06-20
The Purpose and the Result.

The purpose of the Pott err Investigation
was to assail the title of the President, as was
clearly indicated by the very first para
graph of the preamble to the resolution cal
ling the Committee into existence. 1t reads
''Whereas, the State of Maryland has, by
its Legislature, formally declared that due eff
feet was not given to the Electoral vote cast
by that State on the 9Th day of November,
1876, by reason Of the fraudulent returns
IN the Electoral votes from the States of
Florida and Louisiana Sc.
Ii this means anything, it is that mas
much as the Electoral vote OF Maryland was
not given due effect in the last Presidential
election, by reason of frauds, &C., it was due
to the dignity of that State that the wrong
inflicted should be corrected and that Pres
ldent Hayes having been elected by fraud.
as charged. and Mr.. Iilden defeated by
fraud, as alleged, the former should be made
to vacate the office to which the latter was
entitled, and the latter Installed as Presi-
dent. This was the understanding of the
resolutions adopted by the Maryland Legis-
ture, as declared by the author, Mr.. Mont
gomery Blair. This is his understanding of
them as since expressed, and now enter
tanned. By partizan vote the Democrats
in Congress, with two exceptions, voted for
and adopted the Potter preamble and reso-
luton. The removal of President Hayes
and the installation of Mr.. Tilden was then
the clearly expressed purpose of the Demo-
Gratis in the adoption of the Potter resolu-
ton. And it was this action that Hon.
Alexander II. Stephens, Democrat of Geor-
gia, who voted against it, said would either
amount to contemplate farce or a hor-
rible tragedy" Finding that neither the ev-
idence in the case, adduced in most cases by
self-confessed perjurers, nor public senti-
ment woule sanction the revolutionary pro-
gramme contemplated, OH the 14th inst, this
same Democratic Congress, which adopted
the Potter resolution. sustained the follow
ing resolutions offered by Mr.. Burchard,
Republican
Whereas at the joint meeting of the two houses
OF tie Forty-fourth Congress, convened pursuant
to law and the constitution for the purpose of
ascertalnlng and counting the votes for Presi-
dent and Vice President 70 the term commencing
March 4th 1877, on counting the votes Rutherford
B. Hayes was declared elected President and VIM
A. Wheeler was declared elected Vice President
for such term, therefore.
Resolved, That no subsequent Congress- and
neither House, has jurisdiction to revise the
action OF such Joint meeting. and any attempt OF
or the title to office arising therefrom would be
revolutionary and is disapproved by this House.
The vote by which this declaration was
adopted as the sense Of Congress was ayes,
2l5; noes, 2l-all the negatives being Dem
ocrats, divided as follows Four from New
York; two each from Connecticut, Indiana,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and Geor-
gia, and one from each Ct the following
States Wisconsin, New Jersey, Virginia,
(Mr. Pridemore), Ohio and Illinois. Nine
OF the 81 are Southern men, seven Eastern
and five Western. Judge Harris is not re-
corded as voting on the resolution.
Here we find the Democratic members OF
Congress, who, but few weeks ago, voted
for the Potter resolution, the object of which
was to assail the title of the Presidents
voting to condemn substantially that meas
ure as Revolutionary
The introduction of the resolution created
great CONSERVATION among the Democratic
members as is shown by the following re-
port of the proceedings:
Various suggestions were made, ito vote for
the resolution without the preamble, to strike
0utWord revolutionary to refer to committee,
&c,l but the Speaker ruled that motion to sus-
pend the rules shut out all other motions.
The question being put to viva voce vote there
were put lew voices in the negative, but Mr.. Mills
said it was question which there should be a
record by yeas and nays, and he therefore de-
manaed the yeas and nays. While the vote was
progressing there was great commotion and ex
c1tement on he Democratic side iof the House.
whispered consultation, so as to give rise to sug
gestlonS on the Republican side that there should
be q recess to allow a Democratic caucus to be
held. The vote was finally announced as yeas
70 nays IL The last vote that of MI Springer
OF Illinois, who voted may
Mr.. Finley Ohio had voted NAV" but at the
last moment changed his vote to ssyea'' (amid
much laughter.) Mr.. Springer wanted to delay the
announcement until the chairman of the inyes- |
tigatmg committee (Mr Potter should come into
the nall, but there was parliamentary reason
for such delay.
Messrs, Hunton, Morrison and stenger Demo
cratic members of the Potter committeel voted |
yea. and all Republican members of it except |
Mr.. Butler, who was not present. The only two |
members OF it who voted "pay'' were Messrs |
Blackburn and Springer
Inc negative votes were given by Messrs |
blackburn, Bliss, Boone, Bragg. Cook, Cox, IN |
Y.,) Elan, Fuller. Hamilton, Hardenberph Hen
Prldemore, Robertson, Qa..) Smith, GA y Spring, |
er, Southard and Warner