Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-05

SATURDAY.. FebruaryS

SAhA
SENATE on motion OF Mr.. Johnston, the
regular orders were suspended. aud the Hou se
Joint resolution authorizing and requesting N =
President u extend TO the government aud
people OF France an Invitation 10 loln the gov
elnment and people OF the Cnited states In the
ho.hVo"n centennial celebration IN october
Mr.. Dawes moved an amendment making an
/ appropriation or $50 900 and Mr. Hoar one sx-
Ienolhs the invitation 70 include the fsmily OF
Lafayette.
] The amendments were agreed TO- ana che
> Joint resolution as amended passsd
resolution submitted by Mr. Ransom WAS
adopted Tor tne printing OF the reports OF The
Secretary OF War made at this session commu-
nlcating reports or chief engineers concerning
the Improvement or rivers and harbors
Mr.. Anthony presented resolutions OF the
board OF trade OF Providence, X l., for the dis
trfoution OF the balance OF the Geneva award
TO persons who lost vessels aud csrgoes by the
depfe0ationS NJ confederate cruisers during the
war OF the rebellion and TO those who paid
extra insurance 10 firms aud under writer's 10
protect their property against risk OF capture
and destruction, or In such manner aSCOn-
gress may thiUk right and equitable
MT Eaton called up his joint resolution di-
recung the Secretary or state 10 withhold
pending action by congress, further payments
or Jhe Mexican awards upon the Weil and Ia
! AoFa claims, and for the investment in L. -
securities OF the money withheld.
Inc matter occupied the remainder OF the
morning hour without action.
MI. Eaton stated that he had Information
! that the original claimants were frauds
MT Hamln remarked that Investigation at
/ former session had proven that the claims
had been transferred 10 innocent holders
Mr: Mcdonald reviewed the conclusions ar
rived at In former Investigations and particu-
larly those OF the judiciary committee at the
last session as showing that the claims were
not faorications but had arisen from an exag-
gcTated allowance OF damages
Mr.. Morgan detailed The history OF the
claims. and favored giving Mexico an oppor-
! tunity 10 attack the awards in our courts.
Mr. voorhees, obtained the floor.
on motion OF Mr.. Booth. the senate resumed
bi.l, and Mr. Logan proceeded with his crtti-
clSmS against the sixty surgeons BILL which Is
The pending amendment
HOUSE. Immediately after the reading OF
the journal, Mr.. Bicknell, as a privileged
question, called up from the Speakers
table the Senate concurrent resolution for
counting the electoral vote.
Mr.. Bicknell said that Is was alleged that
tue electors or one state had cast their votes
ON day not prescribed by Law. The question
would oe made whether or not the vote Of that
state should be counted. Tnat was doubtful
ana difficult question, and the constitution had
not eApressy declared by whom such a
question Should be decided A like difficulty
I mad arisen several times heretofore. once ia
ls2l, once 10 1881, and once In 1851. 10 the
latter case the result had been an angry and
dangerous debate. ending In no practical good
The object or this resolution was 10 avoid such
difficulty. Whether the vote OF thr state In
question-tteorgta-be counted or not counted
would maxi no difference in the result Every
| body admitted that General GARFIELD had been
duly elected President OF the ntted states
ana would te so de clared out IN order TO avoid
any difficulty this resolution was proposed and
he hoped that IL would be adopted unanimous
! ly. IL provided for the same hypothetical
counting which had already tided the country
! over amenities on two occasions
Mr. RobeS0n demanded q division OF the
resolution. He should make no objection
10 the resolution as presented to- day. lie was
ln faVor or the first branch OF the resolution
because it was the Identical resolution m he
mstook not, which he had presented Tor the
acceptance OF the other side OF the House be
fore the holidays With regard TO the second
Dranch, IL would not become him to make any
more opposition 10 its passage than 10 record
his vote according 10 his opinion. He bagge1
leave 10 congratulate the gentlemen on the
other side OF the chamber on their return 10 the
old principles OF democracy. II was rather
singular sight that fn contest involving so
much principle as this one did no man on the
so-called democratic side had been willing 70
STAND up and take bis position on the side
OF state rights and state constitution. He mad
opposed the original resolution, known as the
Morgan.Bicknen resolution because he had
lheught that II was an assumption on the part
or the TWO houses or Congress TO Interfere with
the acknowledged constitutional rights OF the
states-because he had thought that the electors
were state officers. discharging their duties 20
their state. lie had found In that resolution
principle which would have allowed the two
houses 10 so behind the returns OF the state TO
canvass the votes, 10 overthrow the will Of the
people, and TO destroy state rights In violation
OF the Constitution OF the fathers and Ia viola
llon OF the principle OF government which
they had made. He was no special advocate
OF state rights, but he would stand on the
border or these rights whenever they were
attacked, and by his voice ana vote attempt
TO repel any insoent Invasion from any
source. He congratulated his democratic
fIlenQS That they had returned 10 the Old prin-
ciple OF state rights, which ia old times had
been the shibboeth, but which now seemed 10
De the by-Word or modern democracy. he con-
graduated his friend from Illinois tSpringerl
that the House would have the pleasure or his
company On next Wednesday. when it was
neie 10 record the 6ctiOn OF the people OF
The country. He Ntobesonl should be sorry II
The gentleman ab>ented himself-if any gen
tleman should feel called upon 10 interpose any
formal or real obstruction 10 the Authorization
OF the VIII or the people. For he said TO the
gentleman, that after the people had acted and
appointed electors, and aft er those electors had
cast their votes, the result would have been re-
corded even though the gentleman had ab-
sented himself. He might have Withdrawn
himself from the chamber. and the world would
have rolled on without shock, and remain a
monument OF The mercy and power or God.
Mr. Reagan said that though he was not now
able 10 congratulate the gentleman from New
Jersey and the republican party, he expected,
when the vote was taken, 10 be able TO con-
graduate him and them that they had absn-
doned methods or revolution and had decided
to count the votes for President
Mt. FELTON, said that all parties recogn gnized the
election or Gen. Garfield. No man questioned
his title TO the highest Office IN the glft OF the
people. He believed that the Morgan Bickneu
resolution was improper-that it was unconsti-
tut1onal-and hence he had voted against it He
had no special objection to the first branch OF
the pending resolution. The second branch,
however, decided nothing; it simply avoided a
decision which, In his judgment, the House
should make here today. He rose Is
Georgian and protested that the people
OF Georgia should not be held responsible for
having the vote OF that state laid aside.
He asserted that the people OF Georgia should
their officials He asserted most positively
that this House should meet the question. and
Instead OF laying aside the vote OF Georgia
should announce TO the world that Georgia had
no vote TO be counted or laid aside. He as
serted that, where there was federal law aad
state law touching a federal election, the
federal law was supreme; and he wished it
distinctly understood that the mass OF Geor-
CLANS recognized that fact; and that the old
Idea that the state law was sovereign aud
supreme when the federal law decided other
wise, was an exploded idea In the state or
georgia. lAppiause Oh the republican Stde.l
He wished the world to know that, as one or
the Representatives OF Georgia, he here as
serted the fact that henceforth and forever the
people OF Georgia were absolutely loyal 20 the
federal laws IAppause on the republican
side.l
THE ELECTORAL COUNT RESOLUTION PASSED.
After an Interesting debate OF an hours =
ration the resolution was adopted; the Z
branch without division, and the second Dral
by a vote OF yeas 169. nays u.
The House resumed the consideration OF