Daily Kennebec journal., 1881-02-03
Maine Historical Societv.
XVI CoNGRESs--seC0ND SESSION
WAsHiNGroN. February >.

Jeaunette was reported.
Mr.. Noryan's electoral count resolution
was taken up.
Mr.. Edmunds. while approving of them As
a TEMPORARY expedient. insisted on the Sem
ate Chamber. instead of the Hall of the
House. as the place for the meeting of the
two Houses.
Mr.. Hoar approved of Mr.. Morgan's plan.
Mcssrs. Morgan and Thurman advocated
the resolution.
The Senate took up Mr Morgan's electoral
count resolutions, and at his suggestion they
were amended so as TO make them concurrent
and to provide for two tellers instead of one
on the part of the Senate. Mr.. Morgan. in
advocating the adoption of the resolution as a
plan by which peaceful and regular count
would be secured remarked that they follow ed
the precedent in former similar instances
and were in accord with precedents running
back to 1887
Mr.. Edmunds of Vermont said as the plan
proposed avoided anv disposition or decis ion
upon the disputed que .tions he desired, upon
such an understanding, to have the ceremony
proceed He then moved an amendment for
the assembling of the two houses in the
Senate Chamber instead of the hall of the
House. Referred to the constitutional direc-
ton that the President Of the Senate shall
open the electoral votes. There was but one
place where the President of the Senate was
supposed to be and that was the Senate
Chamber; therefore it followed that the
House should come to the Senate rather than
that the Senate should go TO the House. As
the President of the Senate was custodonan
of the electoral certificates il followed that
the Senate Chamber was the proper pla,e for
their denosit The time MIGHT come again
these archives distance of an eighth of a
mile to the hall of the House through
great crowd of men whom the
Senators did not know, and in a time of
great excitement would be an act imperil-
ling their safety. Mr.. Thurman opposed
the amendment. For more than seventy
wears the electoral vote had been counted in
the Uouse and no senator in ,oing TO or
returning from the hall had ever been mo-
Tested. He was especially opposed to at this
time. when but seven days remained before
the Senate would be called to attend the
count az introducing n subject about which
the two Houses might disagree.
After further debate Mr.. Edmunds' amend
ment was rejected bv . PARTY vote
Mr.. Eaton moved to amend that part of the
resolutions recurring the tellers of two
houses TO make a list of votes as they shall
be declared. bv striking therefrom the words
las they shall be declared, and substituting
in lieu thereof the words ''as the certificates
shall be opened by the President of the
Senate" This, after considerable discussion,
was rejected.
The resolutions reported by Mr.. Morgan
as substitute for the original resolution
was then adopted
During the debate Mr. Blaine IN address
Shn hn Sn nuf nm
Alabama morgan had spoken IN rather re-
proachful terms OF the fact that he (Bialne)
had not brought in measure on this subject,
and he would now give notice that if an ex-
ira session of Congress was held he would
move for committee to sit during recess to
consider and to report by the hrst Mon
dav OF next December remedy Tor
this evil. He would also suggest that
the committee should be composed OF two
republicans, two democrats, and the
Senator from Illinois (Davis) for chairman.
1t would thus be organized, to say the least,
as fairly as was the electoral commission.
Mr.. Blaine went on to enumerate the changes
in the law which he thought such commits
sion ought to recommend. lie would SO
modify the present system as to require the
names OF presidential candidates, instead OF
those OF the electors, to be printed upon the
ballots, and establish the district system.
Uorsr.
A Joint resolution was passed appropriate
ing $40 900 TO aid in the erection of a monu.
ment to commemorate the revolutionary
battle of Bennington
A resolution was adopted asking the Sec
retary of the Interior for all papers filed the
last Is months, containing the complaint,
and charges against Indian agents or other.
in the Indian service. and what steps shall be
taken TO prosecute them.
The Speaker laid before the House a mes
sage from the President transmitting the re-
port of the commission appointed to ascer-
tain the facts relative to the removal of the
Poncas to the Indian territory After quot
ing from the reports of the Secretary of the
Interior. f. A. Howard and the Senate com
mittee on the subject. the President saws the
report of the commission appointed bv me
and the evidence thev have reported show
conclusivelv that the Poncas now residing in
that territory. 52l in number. are satisfied
with their new home: that they are healthy
comfortable and con.ented The evidence
reported also shows that the fragment of the
Poncas. $50 in number, still in Dakota and
Nebraska, prefer to remain on their old res
ervation.
The following is the closing paragraph OF
the message:
As the Chief Executive at the time when
the wrong was consummated, am deeply
sensitive that enough responsibility of thai
~ron,, attaches +o mako II nr narsonal du.x