The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-12
FORMALLY DECLARED,
THE NATIONAL SENATE AND HOUSE
IN JOINT CONVENTION
Count the Votes Cast for President and
Vice President, and Finally An
nounce the Result Edmunds' De-
claratiOn Objected to.

holders to come, 800 tickets having been
issued for about 800 seats. Fifteen minutes
later the public galleries were thrown oDen
and in less than ten minutes time they were
completely packed
Except during the famous electoral count
of 1872 the count has always been a mere
matter Of clerical work, the vice
president announcing the vote of
each state and the tellerS putting down the
figures in the proper column on a sheet pre-
pared for tie purpose, at the close the vice
president announcing the result according to
the known result rather than by the figures
of the tellers. At the last count there were
two teilers for the senate AMI two for the
house Of representatives, and an examina-
ton Of their tally sheets after the Joint meet
ing had been dissolved, showed that neither
was correct
The house was called to order anI business
proceeded until y clock, when it was sus-
pended to count the electoral vote and for
mally declare the same.
Senators were engaged in the consideration
of the bill to quiet title Of settlers on the
Des Moines river lanl7 in Iowa, when, at
Il: :55, the chair announced that the Joint
resolution requiring the two houses to meet
in joint assembly for the purpose Of count
ing the electoral vote would now ba executed,
and just before u oyloc!, the senate pro
ceeded in a body to the house of represent,
atives.
The two front rows Of seats in the house
chamber mad been vacated and the senate,
headed by President Elmunds, its sergeant
at-arm-, and TIE venerable doorleaper Mr.
Basset, bearing the boxes containing the
vote, were announced by leelom, the scr.
geai1t-at arms Of the house ani moment
lat'r entered. The president Of ths senate
taking the chair, announced that III obe-
dleuca TO the constitution and law,
AMI in accordance with their
concurrent resolation, the two houses had
met in Joint convention to count the votes
oi the electors for president and vice presi-
dent for the term commencing March 1,
lSSj, The tellers on the part of the two
houses were directed to take their places.
The chair ihen said: The president Of
the senate will open the votes Of the several
state, in alphabetical order, and he now
opens the certificate of the state of Alabama.
He will deliver to the chairman OF the sen
ate teilerS, the certificate received by mail
and to the chairman of the house tellers, the
certificate received by messenger.
Senator Hoar then read the certificate
handed him, with the accompanying certifi-
Gates Of authority from the state officers,
while Mr.. Clay looked over the copy
handed to him.
The certificates for Arkansas were next
delivered to the tellerS, the mail copy being
handed to Mr.. Clay and read by him His
voice was SO weak that he could not lie
heard by those in the rear, which led to con-
fusion, anu finally request for better or
der
Senator Sherman suggested that the Ger
titicatos be inspected by the chair and only
the operative part read which was received
with much satisfaction and unanimously
agreed TO-
Senator Pendletou read the certificate
from California and Mr.. keifer that from
Colorado and the reading Of certificates con
;inuei tn rotate between the teller,
When, Iowa was reached there were three
certificates, owing to the failure of the mail
certificate to reach the president Of the sen
ate before Jan. l. The two regular certif-
Gates were handed the telIars and the third
placed on file
The count progressed quietly until the vote
Of New York was reached, VIXEN there was
slight clappiug Of hands, bnt
| it was soon suppressed by the
stentoran demand of the chair: Let there
he orier.' When Mr. Clay announced that
| the certificate was signed by Grover Cleve-
| land, governor, there was another outburst,
bat the chair said The sergeant-at-arnls viii
take into custody any gentleman or other
! person disturbing these proceedings by ap-
| plauSe or otherwise
| The three certificates from Oregon were
| treated as those from Iowa.
! At the conclusion of the reading the chair
| directed the telers to make their cOmputa-
| tions and report While this was being done
| the sergeant-at-arms sent officers to different
parts of the hall and galleries to suppress any
| manifestations Of applause when the result
was announced.
Senator Hoar announced that the result Of
| their computation was that the whole num-
| Der Of votes cast were 40l Of which ma
! jority YVES POI; that there were cast for
| president the following: For Grover Cleve-
| land, Of Now York, 2l9 for James G..
! Blaine, OF Maine, lS2. For vice president
the following: For Thomas A. Hendrick,
| Of Indiana, 2l9; for John \. Logan, Of illi-
noiS lS9.
The president pro tenn. of the senate, Mr.
| Edmunds, then announced the result sating
| that lie made this declaration as the result
| of the count Of tie electoral certificates and
not as possessing any authority in law TO de-
| teTn;ne the result There was some ap-
plause which was quickly suppressed by the
chair, who then declared the joint session
terminated. There was then a fresh and
prolonged outbreak of applause, as the sena-
| tors retired
At lis p, m. the senate returned in body
to the senate chamber, and the legislative
proceedings of the day were resumed. AR
soon as President Elmunds raped the senate
to order Conger arose and placed on record
| his dissent from the official declaration of tho
election Of Mr. Cleveland, just made by the
| president Of the senate in the Joint meeting.
He dissented from it, not with view of
provoking discussion Of question not yet
settled, but thought it ought not to be
Gccepted n a precedent.
ingalls, dissented absolutely from the con-
clusions of the president pro TEN. They
should not be held as a precedent.
Wilson expressed concurrence. In his
opinion the duty devolved upon the
president of the senate to announce the re-
| suit of tine count
Ingalls, offered the following resolution,
bearing on the question which was read, and
upon objection by BayarG went over:
| Resolved, That the senate does not assent
to the concluding declaration IF the presi-
dent of the senate in the announcement Of
the vote for president and vice president Of
! the United States, made in the presence q
the two houses of congress this day.
Hoar then offered the following resolution
which, when read, met with prompt objac
ton from Ingalls, and also went over:
WHEREAS, The senate having met the
house of representatives in accordance with
| the fifth section of the act Of March |, 1192
| relative to the election of president ans
| vice president of the United States, and the
electoral votes having been opened by the
president of the senate in the presence o.
| the two houses of congress and counted by
| the tellers appointed ON the part Of th'
two houses, and it appearing that the whol'
number of electors appointed to vote TO
| president and vice president of the United
'A' g which majority is 2ol, anG