The Iola register., 1885-02-20
THE ELECTORAL COUNT.
An Important Constitutional Question
Sprung by Senator Edmunds.

sssS 6S6StSTeFks SSttNts
An Importans constitutional Question
Sprung by Senator Edmunds.
WASHINGTON, February 1.-THE gal
leries of the House were not opened until
1915 this morning and were soon crowded
and tha steps utilized for resting places.
That portion of the gallery reserved for
| families and friends of Senators
| and Representatives was occupied
mainly by ladies', while the position given
1 up to the general public was almost ex-
clusively filled with gentlemen. The execu-
tive gallery was vacant and one diplomat
sat in solitary state in the gallery reserved
for the diplomatic corps.
| On motion of Mr. Keifer the Clerk of the
| House was instructed to inform the Senate
that at twelve o'clock the House would be
prepared to receive that body in conformity
with the provisions of the concurrent reso-
| luton relating to counting the Electoral
votes. At few moment before twelve the
Speaker pro TEN. requested the members to
| clear the first two rows of seats for Senator's.
AT precisely twelve o'clock the Senate of
the United States was announced and were
headed by Mr.. Edmun6s and officers of that
body. The Senator's fled in and took the
seats assigned them, the President of the
| Senate eating himself by Acting Speaker
! Blackburn. Formal business then com
| menced.
Senator Edmonds, on calling the asserd-
bly to order. said: ''rhe two houses OF
| Congress have met in pursuance to the con-
| stitution and laws and concurrent resolu-
| ton for the purpose of executing the duty
| required by the constitution and laws in the
matter OF counting the electoral vote for
President and Nice-President of the United
States. cast by the electors of the several
States, for the term commencing March 4,
1888. The tellers appointed by the two
houses will please take their places" The
votes or the States were then announced in
Alphabetical order, after which Senator
Edmulds rose and said: II have now
opened the certificates of the electors of all
the States and their votes have been re-
ported. The tellers will now make their
computation and report the state Of the
vote" After the tellers had devoted them
selves 10 figuring several moments, SEN
ator Ioar read and handed the result of
their computation to the presiding officer,
who said Senators and gentlemen of the
House of Representatives, the teileGs have
reported to the presiding officer the state of
the vote, from which il appears that Grover
Cleveland, of the State OF New York. re-
ceived 219 votes for the office of President
of the United States; that James q.
Blaine, of Maine, received 1S3 votes for the
same Office: that Thomas A. Hendricks, of
Indiana. received 2l9 votes for the office of
Vice President of the United States;
that John A. Logan, of Illinois, received
lS2 votes for the same office: wherefore,
l declare that Grover Cleveland. of the
State of New York has received a majority
fh,a boil, al.
tors as they appear in the certificates read
by the teilers and SO appears TO have been
elected President of the United States for
four years, commencing on the 4ih day of
March, 1885, and that Thomas A. Hen
bricks, of Indiana, has received majority
of the votes of the whole number of eiec-
tors as they appear OIL the certificates read
by the ttllels, and SO appears to be elected
Vice-PreSident sof sthe United States for
four year, commencing OH the 4th
day of March, 1885. The President of
the Senate makes this declaration only as a
public statement in the presence OF the
two houses of Congress of the contents of
the papers opened and read on this occasion,
and not as possessing any authority in law
to declare any legal construction whatever"
Here the immense audience broke into ap-
plause and cheers, which the presiding Off
Ger ATTEMPTED to suppress, but with little
effect. The Senate then retired to its
chamber and the House took recess for
fifteen minutes.
IN THE SENATE.
At 1 :25 p. m. the Senators returned to
their chamber, and the President pro TEN.
having resumed the chair the tcllers on the
part of the Senate (HOar and Pendie;on) APP
pearrd. and on their behalf Senator lJoar re-
ported the elcctOra! count. When the tellers'
report was completed. the President of the
Senate repeated verbatim the closing SEN
tcnce of the announcement made by him in
the House relating to the declaration of
the vote. That sentence was as fol-
lows: And the President of the Senate
makes this declaration only as a public state
ment in the presence of the two Houses of
Congress OF the contents of papers opened
and read on this occasion and as not pos
sessing any authority in law to declare any
legal conclusion whatever" This an
n0uncement led to much comment, many
of the Senators expressing their decided
opposition and dissent Two resolutions,
offered by ingalls, and Hoar went over till
Thursday, when the subject would be re-
opened. 1t was thought a very important
constitutional question would now have
to be settled.
Another pattle-Earlc Killed,