The daily gazette., 1878-12-14
SECOND EDITION
FORTY-FIFTn CON REsS.
Speech of Senator ID n n r IL d.
The Passage Of the Electoral Bal-Mr.
Woods Raid on Supervisor Davenport
-InpestigdtiOn Ordered.

The Passage Of the Electoral Bdu-Mr.
| Woods Raid on Supervisor Davenport
| -Inuestigdtion Ordered.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.-The Vice
President laid before the Senate several
communications of no special import
ance.
The morning hour having expired, the
Senate resumed the consideration of the
unfinished business, being the bill of
Mr.. Edmunds, to amend sundry provis-
ions of chapter l, title 3, of the Revised
Statutes OF the United States, relating to
Presidential elections and to provide for
and regulate the counting of the votes
for President and Vice-President, and
the decision of questions arising there
on.
| SPEECH OF MIR. BAYARD.
Mr.. Bayard said the importance of this
subject alone induced him, as member
of the special committee which reported
J the bill, to take part in the discussion.
( The great difficulties surrounding this
question of continuing the electoral vote
would be readily apparent to any one
who would study the formation OF the
scheme of our government. Our fathers
had approached this subject and had
always failed to satisfactorily dispose of
it. There was an urgent need now to set
tie this question, and he held that the
present time was especially propitious
because the two Houses of Congress were
controlled by different political parties
AMI il measure which would receive the
assent of both HOUSES would b. such a
one as one on this subject should b., a
non-partisan measure. This nation need
Ell rest and peace and not further agita-
ton. The man who wuuli serve his coun-
try best would seek to give her rest-to
! allay confusion and compose strife. The
country's worst foe was the fomenter of
new disorders. He viewed this bill as
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 constitutional
di fiji Guilty stood in the way. He argued
that the bill vested no new power in the
tive Houses of Congress, and next rrfer-
J red o the constitutional powers vested
: in Congress and in the States. The bill
, net his favor because it reaffirmed in
, clear and explicit terms he power OF the
State over this subjec' appointing elec-
tors. 1t wiped OUT all pretext of Fede-
raj snpervisi on over the le I OH of cleo
tors and confided everything to the State
itself. The State had the sole power to
exc cute that act, and the voice of the
State should be conclusive. He then re-
tferred to the duplicate returns from
+ happy past bitter experience IN regard
q to duplicate returns Nothing of the kind
q was known until 1872. Previous to that
time there mad beeu a spirit of honesty
( which would stamp with infamy the eff
forts of any minority attempting to over
g turn the Will of the majority in State
k Those who committed or permitted the
h commission of fraud would sooner or
: later perish by fraud. This bill ought to
i | be in the political interests Of the parties.
Gradually this country was coming back
Q to acts of reason and justice, and the peo-
Pile were weighing the acts of men and
$ parties. Partisansbip might seek 10 stay
It this era of good feeling, but 1t would fall.
r In conclusion Mr.. Bayard referred to the
Q pestilence in the South, and SAID the small
1 rivulets of private beneficence on one
0 side, and OF gratitude on the other, had
grown into a mighty river of good feel
Q ling. He hoped this bill would pass,as ii
e t-nded to smooth the path OF progress
y over a difficult subject.
. MIR. Eaton opposed the bill, or any
other on this subject. In his judgment
9 there could be, constitutionally, no legs'
,, lation npon this question. There ought
d not to be auy interposition by Congress
bet Heen the States and the Constitution
Y in regard to choosing electors Ii tht
. Constitution is defective in this respect
o let il be amended. He argued that thi
Congress could make no law i'll regar'
to counting the electoral vote that woulf
bind the nrxS Congress, upon which tn,
q duty of counting the vote would deVolve
- = Mr. Earon thea referred to the Electora
. Commission Of last year, aud said th'
choice nf the people of the United States
y was dtfrauded by the illegal act of al
= uneon%itu ional commission.
Mr. Thurman said he would not discus
~ the bill at thi, late hour. He would cou
; tent himself by voting against 1t, ana h
r hoped the vote would be taken soon
a. A tier me furthrr discussion between
:, Messrs Hoar, Cockerell and Edmunds
- the bill was read third time passed
II yeas, S5 nays, %, as follows.
~ Yeas-Allison, Anthony, Bayard
- Blaine, Booth, Burnside, Cameron Pa
- Cameron (Wis.) Christiancy, Conkliug
- = Davis Qll.), Dawes, Edmonds. Ferry
i Hamliu, Hnar, Howe, Ingalls, Merrlman
y Mitchell, Morgan, Morrili, ogleSby
's Paddock, Patterson, Plumb, Rollins
% Saunders, Teller, Wadleigh, Window
! So.
., Nays--Armstrong, Bailey, Beck, But
&c Ter, Coke, Davis (W. Va.), Dennis, Eaton
10 EustIs, Gordon, Grover, Harris, Here
ford, Hill, Jones tFla.), Herman, Lamar
McCreery, Mcdonald, Maxey, Ran
dolph, Ransom, Thurman, Voorhees,
Wallacs, Withers.-26.
Messrs. Chaffee, Mcpherson and Como
yer who would have voted in the affirm
u ative, were paired with MessrS. Barnum
~ Johnson and Garland, who would have
- voted in the negative.
After the roli-call Mr.. Cockrell, Mo.
., said he favored number of the pro
~ visions of this bill, aud could one or two
provisions have been changed he woulC
= have voted for it.