National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-06-03
Meeting of the Committee on Credentials.

mcetiup OF the committee on CredentialS.
CHICAGO June 2.-When the committee on
credentials convened tonight, after transact
ing soiue preliminary business, it was decided
to take up the contests in alphabetical order,
under which Alabama was the first case called.
The credentials Of James T. Rapier, under the
hand of the chairman and secretary of tho
fourth congressional district were presented,
and after hearing argument pro and con the
committee, by vote of 81 ayes TO 12 nays
three not voting-decided that Rapcr WAS
entitled to the seat. The vote in this case
shows the complexion of the committee.
1t is reported tonight that Colonel Bob
Ingersoll will appear on the floor of the con-
vention tomorrow as proxy. Mr.. Ingersoll
tonight declined to state whether this would
be so or not, but admitted that he had been
offered proxy.
district of Alabama, for which Willard War
ncr and William ii. Smith (anti-Grant),
elected by the district convention, claimed
seats now occupied by A. Bingham and Il. A.
Moscley, jr., elected by the state convention
and instructed for Grant. next came up. Af-
ter hearing statements by which it appeared
that Bingham and Moseley had been seated III
place of Warner and Smith on tho latter refus-
ing to take the pledge to obey the state in
structions, discussion ensued in which Mr..
Chandler, General Tracy and others Joined.
General Tracy asked If the committee was
prepared to usurp the right of the national
convention to undo the action of the state
convention in the selection of delegates. Mr..
Chandler replied that he had no hesitation In
stating that in voting in this case or any other
which might come before tho committee, he
would vote TO seat in the convention any dele.
gate honestly and regularly elected by the
districts in any case where the state by arbi
trary majority bad ovcrridden the expressed
choice of a district. On motion the decision
in the case under discussion was postponed
until after tho hearing of the Illinois contest
The committee at 10 o'clock took recess, after
which the Illinois case will be taken up.
The committee on permanent organization,
by a vote of 81 to o. decided to report George
+. Hoar as permanent chairman of the con-
vention.
The vote taken in the credentials committee
OH the question of the admission of Rapier
from the fourth district Of Alabama, was u fair
test of the relative strength of the Grant and
anti-Grant men in said committee. The ayes
were: California, Connecticut, Delaware,
Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mas
sachusetts, Michigan, Minnt sota Mississippi,
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jcr.
sey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Is
land, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin,
District of Columbia, Dakota, Idaho Montana,
New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Washington
territories The nays Were: Alabama,
Arkansas, Colorado, Florida Illinois. Ken
tucky Maryland, Missouri, New York, Penn
sylva,Ma, Texas and Virginia-31 to IL. The
vote making Conger chairman of. the ere
dentials committee was 90 to IL, not as pre-
viously reported.
At midnight Kirk Hawes concluded the
presentation of his side Of the case Of the con-
testing delegations. He not only claimed that
the committee should seat the twenty dele
gates from the ten contesting districts, but
that it should declare the seats of the four
delegates-at large vacant, on the ground that
they were chosen by tho state convention in
which the majority had been obtained by i'm
proper exclusion Of the regularly appointed
delegation from Cook county.
Bob Ingcrsoll will make the concluding
argument fol- the contestants after Il. A. StOrrs
has presented the case of the sitting deoga.
tion. A member of the committee said there
was no doubt tho contestants would be seated,
and probably the seats of the dGlegatos-at-
large be vacated, but tho vote was not likely
to bo taken in tho case before o'clock to-
morrow, when the Alabama contest will also
be voted on.