The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-03-22
GRASPING THE REINS.
TIE fEDEMOCRIfTS1 ASSUME THE CON-
TROL OECONGRESS.

oHS hiiHutlon Oh Cno ttOuSe--EGanQall
Elected Speaker on the First Ballot
! A Close Vote, Boing q Majority of One
for Mr.. Randall Over all Opposition.
WAsuINGroN. March 1S.--At noon
tho House was called to order by
Mr.. Adams, the clerk, who read the
proclamation Of tho President con-
vening Congress, and stated that
the timo designated having arrived,
he would call the. roll, which, rs
clerk of the House, he was required
by law to prepare. He thereupon
proceeded to call the roll by States
beginning with Maine.
The State of Florida having been
reached the clerk called the narne of
Hull as representative from the Sec
ond district and explained why he
had put Oh the roll the name of Hull
rather than that of Bisbee. He
said that he had received the certifi-
cate of election of Hull, duly signed
by tho governor under the seal of
the State, and had subsequently re-
ceivod suudry papers in behalf of
the election of Bisbee, among which
wore certified copy of canvass
subsequently made by the board of
State canv&ssers in obedience to
the order of the Supreme Court of
the State. While that subsequent
canvass would show tho election of
Bisbee, the clerk did not feel ct
liberty to regard anything as a oro-
DENTAL within the meaning of the
law except the certificate of tho
Governor.
The State of Iowa being reached
tina clerk explained why lie placed
on tho roll the names Of nine NOM.
bers whose names appeared there.
They had presented certificates duly
signed by the governor. and the
quest Oh whether the election had or
had not bcen held Oh the day fixed
by law was one which the clerk
did not feel called upon to decide,
but which the House itself WHOM
organized could decide.
The call Of the roll showed the
presence of 2S5 members, only two
members, O'Reilly and James, of
New York being absent.
On motion of Mr.. Wood, Of New
York, the House proceeded to tho
election of Speaker When Mr..
i Blackburn was called and he voted
e)r Randall, there was round of
applause on the Democratic side
and in the galleries. The vote res
suited as follows. Whole number
of votes cast 2S3 for Mr.. Randall,
143 for Mr.. Garfield, 1876; for Mr..
Wright, l3 for Wm. u. Kelley, of
Pennsylvania, J.. Tho members
voting for Wright we're De In
Matyr, Of Indiana, Ford of Mis-
souri,, Forsythe, of Illinois, Gillette,
of Iowa, Jones, of Texas, Kelley, of
Pennsylvania. Ladd. Of Maine, Lowe,
of Alabama, Murch, of Maine, Rus-
sell, Of Massachusetts, Stevenson, of
Illinois, Weaver. of Iowa. and 70.
kun, of Pennsylvania. The men,
Der voting for Mr.. Kelley was Bar
low, of Vermont. When the tellers
announced the result there was but
143 votes for Mr.. Randall, and Mr..
Conger, of Michigan, had just raised
the question that that was less than
q majority of the whole number of
members elect, when Mr.. O'Reilly,
of New York, Zone Of the two ab-
sentees) arrived in tho Chamber,
announced his presence and cast his
vote for Randall, thus giving that
gentleman majority Of the whole
number of members elect The in,
cldent was the occasion of much ap-
plause.
Messrs. Garfield and Blackburn
(having been appointed for the pur-
pose) then conducted the speaker TO
the clair.
The Speaker, on taking the chair
addressed the House as follows:
Representatives, by your vote +
am elevated for tho third time to
the exalted Office Of Speaker of the
House. For this EVIDENCE of your
approval and confidence 7 offer you
my heartfelt thanks. The RESPONSE
biIities and duties imposed on mo
are heavy and difficult. With the
blessing of God I shall discharge
them without personal bias or igno-
ble partisanship, observing strict
impartiality as to men, measures,
faoafinc n11 cnnksna,e, T. III L 1