Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-02-12
FORTY-ElGHTH CONGRESS.
second Session.
sen ATE.


bill providing a permanent reservation
ior the Indians of northern Montana, was
passed.
ne Senate refused to take up the Joint
resolution to refer the settlement of the Ven.
ezaelean awards to the President.
OIL to quit the title of settlers on the
Des Moines river lands was taken up and
read
The District of Columbia appropriation
oil. with the Senate amendments was reported
back and conferees appointed.
AT l.25 T. N. the senators returned to the
senate chamber, and the president pro TEN.
OF the body having resumed the chair, the
teiiers on the part of the Senate-Messrs.
hoar and Pendleton-appeared, and in their
oehaif Mr.. Hoar reported the result of the
electoral count
"hen the tellers' report was completed,
the president OF the Senate repeated verbatim
the closing sentence of the announcement
made by him in the House relating to the
declaration of the vote.
That sentence was as follows: "Apd the
president OF the Senate makes this declaration
only as public statement in the presence of
the two Houses of Congress, of the contents
OF the papers opened and read on this occa-
sion, and not as possessing any authority in
law to declare any legal conclusion what
ever"
MIR. Conger said he desired, as one of the
members OF the Senate, to say that he entirely
dlssented from the declaration that the presi-
dent OF the Senate or vice president had no
other power in announcing that vote than to
announcing the fact. and he did not know by
what authority the sentence quoted had been
made part of the declaration.
Mr.. Sherman said: Il believe the vice
president of the United States declared and
exercised the constitutional power when he
presided over the body today and counted the
votes, and that his announcement of the vote
Is the conclusive end of all argument upon
the question, and that in doing 50 he not only
gave his own opinion as the result of certain
papers given to him, but he made the only
constitutional declaration provided for under
the existing law, OF who Is to be President of
the United States after the 4th of March"
After remarks from Messrs. Hoar, La,,-
ham, Wilson and Ingalls, on the subject, the
chair (Edmunds) said he regarded the Sem
ate as in no way responsible for the declar-
alton made by him. He had performed his
constitutional duty and had, on his own re
sponsibility, made the declaration referred to-.
Mr.. Ingalls, offered the following reselu-
ton:
Resolved, That the Senate does not assent
to the concluding declaration of the president
of the Senate IN the announcement of TIE
the vote for President and Vice President OF
the United States, made in the presence of
the two Houses of Congress this day.
Mr. Bayard-Let that go over until to-
morrow.
The resolution went over accordingly.
Mr.. Hoar offered the following:
Whereas, The Senate having met the
Hons. Of REPRESENTATIVES, in cnrIa :
The fifth section of the act of March, 1892,
relative to the election of the President and
Vice President OF the United States, if the
United States and electoral votes having been
opened v the president of the Senate in the
pre- sence of the two Houses of Congress and
counted by the tellers appointed on the part
of the two Houses, and it appearing that the
whole number OF electors appointed to vote
for the President and Vice President of the
United States is 40I. of which the ma Orty is
pol, and it further appearing that Grover
Cleveland OF New York had received 2l9
votes for President of the United States. and
that Thos A. Hendricks of Indiana had re-
ceived 2l9 votes for Vice President of the
United States. which lis majority of the
whole number of the electors appointed, and
the same having been duly declared by the
president of the Senate in the presence of
the two Houses therefore,
Resolved, That the Senate is of the opin-
ion that the constitution and laws have been
duly executed, aud that no further declara-
ton of these facts is necessary.
Messrs Conger and Ingalls-Let that stand
over till tomorrow.
1t went over.
The Senate resumed consideration of the
bill to repeal the preemption and timber
culture laws.
Pending the discussion the Senate went
into executive session and later adjourned.