Morning journal and courier., 1880-12-09
FoRTY-sIxTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8.

WASHINGTON, Dec 8. SENATE.-Mr. Morgan, of Ala, introduced | joint resolution proposing an amendment | to the Constitution giving Congress authority to establish rules and regulations for certify ing, transmitting, receiving and opening the votes of electors and for counting such votes by the two houses for declaring the result of the election and for government of the body while convened; such laws not to be enacted, altered amended or repealed within one year before the time fixed for appoint ment of electors in any State. Referred to the select committee on the election of Pres ident and Vice President
 At 1 D. m the Senate went into executive session. When the doors were reopened MT. Randolph, of New Jersey, gave notice of the following announcement ill the nature of a substitute to the bill for the relief of Fitz John Porter:
 Be it enacted. etc., That the President is hereby authorized his discretion to reinstate to the army Fitz John Porter. who dismissed by sentence of court martial July 19, 1868; provided however that colonel the retired list and provided further that said Porter shall receive no pay ne or al missal and his restoration.
 At 1:25 p. m. the Senate adjourned until tomorrow.
 HoUsE-Mr Wood announced that, in def erence to the desire of members of the House, he would omit calling up the funding Dill un- til the electoral bill was disposed of. This announcement brought up MT. Conger, and 8 brief debate ensued, MT. Wood declining to state his reasons for not calling up the fund ing bill MT. Woods motion to dispense with the morning hour was defeated by the Republicans.
 Mr. Buckner, chairman of the Committee on Banking, introduced the following as substitute for the funding bill, and it was re- ferred to the Committee on Ways and Means ::
 
 authorized to be issued by the act of July A. 18O titled act ito authorize the refundng of the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized to issue Treasury notes of the United States in the amount of not more than S6Oo,ooGo0o ln denom1na
 ons of not less than ten dollars and bearing interest at rate not exceeding four per centum per annum 01 Mn1eh sa1o no.es on m0' % s of a ad said notes shall be disposed of by the Secretary of the of shall be applied to the payment of the five and six per centum bonds of the United States maturing dur said Treasury notes the said bonds such terms as he may deem most advantageous to the United States.
 Second that the Secretary of the Treasury is au- thorized to make suitable regulations for dsposing of said Treasury notes to the best advantage to the government, and all expenses attending the shall not exceed i Of one per cent of the notes so
 Third, that the sum of s1oo Ooo of the coin in the Treasury of the United States be set apart as fund for the redemption of the notes known as legal tender noes and any surplus of coin over and above said sum, and belonging to the United States, re- maining in the Treasury shall be used by the Secre tary of the Treasury in the purchase or redemption account of the sinking fund.- of any of the said six per centum bonds maturing in the year 1881.
 MT. McCook, of New York, introduced 8 joint resolution authorizing the President to place General U S. Grant on the retired list of the army, with the rank and pay of Gen eral, as a recognition of his eminent services. Referred
 The debate on the electoral bill was contin- ued at some length and was participated in by Messrs Hunton, McLane, Davis of North Carolina, and others, who argued against Robeson's theory that the two houses had no right to determine the question of the elec- toral count in judicial way. Mir. Hunton resuming asked Robeson to state whether there was not power to throw out a vote demonstrated to be fraudulent. He Ilustra- ted the case of State which had been in the rebellion in 1884, and inquired whether if that State had sent up an electoral vote there would have not been power to throw 1t out.
 MT. Kiefer proposed to answer that ques- tion and said no president of the Senate would count fraudulent or forged vote.
 Mir. Hunton wanted to know what power there was to throw 1t out. If it was contend ed by the other side there was no power in one case there was none in the other. He re- ferred to the Louisiana case in the last cleo ton, when it was proved that the names of three electors were forged. and he insisted that the right to reject them should have rested somewhere.
 Mir, Cox said when President was elected he should be inaugurated. Now suppose the electoral vote of New York should be stolen or the names of Hancock and English substi- tuted for those of Garfield and Arthur, would the gentleman contend that there was no power to reject the fraudulent certificates.
 Mir. Robeson replied to the question pro- pounded and argued that the authentication at the back of the envelope sufficient evidence of whether there were goats or sheep to be counted. He insisted that the act of the Vice President a ministerial act, and not a judicial act.
 MT. Davis, of North Carolina, put the question whether if vote was known to be fraudulent the members should sit by as wit nesses and see the fraudulent vote counted if the Vice President chose to count them.
 MT. Robeson said it was not to be suppos- ed that the Vice President would count fraudulent vote. He insisted that it was the duty of Congress to pass law on the subject, but not rule in an emergency. In conclud- ing his remarks MT. Robeson gave notice that at the proper time he would offer as a substitute resolution that the two Houses of Congress assemble in the chambers of the House of Representatives on the second We'd nesday of Jan., 1881, at F o'clock; that the two tellers shall be appointed from each House; that the result of the electoral vote shall be declared by the president of the Sen ate as found by the letters and that the announcement of the result shall be spread upon the journals of the two Houses.
 Without further discussion the House ad- ioI1rned