Year: 1877

" VASHlN6TON, January 70.
The House met at 10 O'Clock, but
few were present. Hooker, Partridge
and FELTON, were in favor of the bill
and against the claim that the Vice
President could count the votes.
Mills opposed the bill, but said it
had some good qualities il silcnced
the pretext that the Vice President
could count the electoral vote. After
ten minutes Mills time was extended
to one hour.


Lamar followed, denying that the
claim that the counting of the vote by
both Houses, or by the Vice Presi.
dent, was a legislative act by a lepis-
lative body. Alegislative body could
not do an act without having the
President approve that action. It was
an organized body clothed with
single function, to count the votes as
the democrats contcnded, or to wit
ness the count as republicans
held. Therefore the bill was not a
delegation OF legal authority.
Lamar concluded that the bill elimi-
mated the sword from the controyer-
sy.


Baker, of Ind, declared the meas.
ure unconstitutional.


Waterson said it might not be true
that the country stood on the brink
of civil war, but it was true that grave
danger threatened every public inter-
est. He wished to inveigh against no
man or party, but well organic
ell conspiracy to place in the
presidential Office man who had
not been elected. He most conscien-
tiously believed that if the democrat
ic party was strong enough to make
its exit from power by great sec.
tlonal war, the republican was strong
enough now to precipitate the coun-
try into civil war. If the two houses
tailed to agree on some plan to tide
over this great emergency the coun-
try would see the senate declare
Hayes elected and it would see the
president of the U. S., supported by
the army and navy, prepared to seat
him in office.


Hurlbut opposed the bill and said
every form of influence, the right of
the Senate, the reputation of its sup
porters here, and occasional threats
by injudicious men of positive civil
war and possible complications, have
been brought to bear on the House
and individual members to forego
their own convictions and their own
views Of what the Constitution re-
.quired of them.


Hill gave to the bill his hearty and
warm approval. Speaking of the
South, he said, have been witness
of the sorrows of that people and
have borne a willing share of all their
suilerings. May l, therefore, be par
doned on this occasion for calling the
attention of the House and of the
country to the spirit which has been
manifested by that afflicted people
during this entire controversy. On
another occasion l defended their
manhood, their civilization, their hu-
manity, from what knew to be un-
just charges. If the answer then
was unsatisfactory, let the further
answer be found in the spirit which
the people of the South have mani
tested during the last 60 days. There
is scarcely man in that country who
does not believe the democratic ticket
was elected, and who does not believe
that all they have remaining of prop
erty, Of rights, of justice, depends
upon the Inauguration of that
ticket. Yet during this whole
controversy, and 1 say it
with pride and pleasure, the
South has manifested but one spirit
and that has been spirit of forbear-
ance, of kindness and fairness. With
the chains of the usurper still on her
limbs; with the greed of the stran-
ger robbing her already exhausted
Golfers; with the army of the United
State now scattered throughout her
borders and standing sentinel for the
protection of her robbers the South
utters to those who now threaten to
be the despoilers of each other but
one voice and that voice is peace
peace. Civil war redresses no wrong,
preserves no right. If you doubt
look here ard be convinced. / hope
that the people will never again be
dcrided with charges of being rebels
and traitors, solely for Offering up
their lives in vindication of their
honest belief that they were right.
Let me express the hope that in the
future he alone will be regarded as
the chief rebel whe after the passage
OF this measure of peace shall again
whisper the words of sectional hate.
Let him be regarded as the chief
traitor who shall again seek to breed
sectional strife. For myself, / feel a
pride in being able to say that l can
look upon every foot of American
soil and thank God that it is part of
my country. l can look on every
person in this whole land and say
"This is my fellow Citizen" and
yearn to raise my vision to the utter
most boundaries of the Republic and
say "my country, my whole country !;
blessed is he who blesseth thee and
cursed is he who curseth thee" Hill
upon closing was warmly congratu-
lated, both on the speech itself and
on the fact just ascertained by tele-
graph that he had been elected U. s.
| Senator